Simple U.S. Navy SEALs Breath Technique (Even if you’re a civilian)

Estimated read time:

I hope you voted (if you’re in the U.S.). I did.

But I don’t care if you voted Trump or Biden or other.

I don’t care if you’re Republican or Democrat or neither.

What matters is we’re in this together and we all want a brighter future.

Better than yesterday. Bickering won’t get us there.

Watching the news won’t get you there.

Let’s all take a collective exhale.

Let’s vote for an epic today and an amazing tomorrow.

Not by what we say, but by what we do and how we live.

That was then. This is now. Uncertainty will pass when you focus on what is certain.

What is certain is you have a purpose to fulfill today.

Good work to do. A family to lead. Problems to solve. Wounds to heal.

Let’s go.

TL;DR:

  • A Secret Path to Your Heart
  • Simple U.S. Navy SEALs Breath Technique
  • What (Not) to Do When Flying Upside Down
  • Origin Story. HONNR -> VALOR -> SCOUT -> ENDUR -> COURG/2c

Continue reading →

Next Up: New Strap Skunkworks; Search & Rescue OPS Underway

Estimated read time:
Firefighter H.Hudgins on duty

(Image courtesy firefighter H.Hudgins, on duty)

“Jump off the cliff and learn how to make wings on the way down.”
– Ray Bradbury

#COURGcrew —

Thank you, thank you, ad infinitum. I thank each of you for rallying around when we jumped off the Kickstarter cliff of building something new. Your enthusiasm, passion, and patience were the essence that became the nuts, bolts, gears and drive that made COURG possible. I apologize for the lengthy radio silence. Let’s debrief, crew.

Continue reading →

Deployment Debrief: TiGr2 waves complete, TiGr5 units in motion

Estimated read time:

(Featured image: Mike M.)

COURGcrew —

I understand it’s likely that it feels like not much is going on, but it’s been one of the busiest stretches thus far for us. It’s been roughly 15 days since the last update, and there’s much to report. Thanks to so many of you who have waited patiently, cheered us on, and updated one another on arrivals.
Continue reading →

Deployment Debrief 2016: Unboxing, Waves, and Staging Timeline

Estimated read time:

COURGcrew —

Welcome to 2016, hope you all enjoyed some solid R&R. We’ll get right to debrief, there’s lots to cover. (Image above, fellow backer, J. Chiew.)

 

TL;DR

  • The COURG has landed — first field reports from 12 backers.
  • 500 COURG units deployed.
    +Wave 1: Titanium grade 2 Type-A stock kits, with no leather strap add-ons. Quantity = 200.
    +Wave 2: The second wave included multiple titanium grade 2 variants and added some Horween strap orders. Quantity = 300.
  • Production Update
    +Wave 3: Scheduled for 10Jan, and planned to include remainder of titanium grade 2
    +Titanium grade 5 COURG scheduled to arrive 10-20Jan
    +Mil-straps scheduled to begin arriving in two days.
  • ATTENTION: Inspect the Mission Log when the COURG arrives.
    +Review the Operator’s Manual section RE: functions and best practices.
    +Date change is counterclockwise rotation.
  • Working to have everything shipped before Lunar new year festivities that shut everything down in Asia for 3-4 weeks.
  • Communications update.
  • Growing pains = Learning. Thank you.

The COURG has landed — first field reports.

Continue reading →

Deployment Phase: Greenlit, GO.

Estimated read time:

COURGcrew —

We started shipping this week! Tracking info to follow shortly.

In the meantime, here’s intel on COURG units reporting for deployment. It’s been an intense couple weeks gearing up for this stage. From supply chain details, to accounting coordination, I can’t convey how proud I am of our team and field operatives for how all the gears engaged the right cogs and meshed.

Continue reading →

Production SITREP: Meet Your Makers, Compiled Debrief

Estimated read time:

COURGcrew —

As promised, I’ve debriefed with the special ops crew over the last 10 days as soon as I published a new post about the tour of duty to visit our ground operations. Actually, some crew members caught the posts even before I had time to notify everyone via email. On point.

Here, I’m summarizing the Meet Your Makers post series for all the entire crew in case you’d like to catch up and binge on production details. I’ll start from the beginning in case any of you missed day 1 over the Thanksgiving festivities. Continue reading →

Field Ops — RECON, Day 4 of 4: Meet Your Makers. Assembly & Horween

Estimated read time:

COURGcrew —

TL;DR

  • Meet the assemblers
  • Horween straps inspected and immediately en route
  • Operator’s Manual / Mission Log on the presses
  • TiGr5 pushing for pre-Christmas shipping

Welcome to assembly. This is the last station before deployment to the crew.

For those of you who’ve been following along, you’ll notice this facility is “slightly” different from the case manufacturer in RECON day 3. I dig the contrast between the gritty monster machines and then the ultra-detail work of a dust-free environment with workers armed with miniature tools and delicate instruments.

Continue reading →

Field Ops: RECON Flight Plan

Estimated read time:
Landing Gear

COURGcrew —

I’m at JFK about to board and thought I’d share the flight plan for the next few days so you have a sense of where we’re headed. Here’s the rough coordinates for the next few days. This tour of duty will be intense and we’ll have a lot of big decisions to make.

Continue reading →

Production SITREP: Storm Before the Calm

Estimated read time:
COURG TiGr2

COURGcrew —

TL;DR

  • Tons of production photos in this one
  • BackerKit to charge cards Monday, 9NOV
  • TiGr2: GO! We’re well into production and I’m very pleased with our progress.
  • TiGr5: Production prototype scheduled to arrive next week
  • I head out to inspect manufacturer production lines in Asia, 14Nov. Sign-up now if you want alerts for daily updates on this trip.
  • Special order NH35 movements arrived and are being regulated
  • Helvetica Type-B prototype Helvetica looks and glows sweet
  • Lume brightness upgraded & vintage white finish achieved
  • Horween prototype, regular = 10″ XL = 11″
  • COURGcrew made a strong showing at the Chronos launch

Continue reading →

Final Design Benchmarks

COURGcrew —

Here’s a compilation of prototypes that make up the design benchmark for where we’re headed into the final production of the COURG.

COURG, Type-A.

COURG TiGr2

COURG Titanium grade 2, with final bezel triangle marker dimensions

COURG on prototype Italian Leather MilStrap with exclusive Redux strap titanium hardware

COURG on prototype Italian Leather MilStrap with exclusive Redux strap titanium hardware

All the Variants.

Note that all variants come in date and no-date versions, including the Type-B.

Both Type-A and Type-B have been

final design benchmarks

 Straps

Horween Chromexcel collaboration with the Worn & Wound team.

color8 natural

Horween Chromexcel: Color 8 (left), Natural (right)

Worn & Wound x Redux Collaboration

Prototype of the Natural strap. Note that we will use a natural uncolored thread for this, and dark gray thread for the Color 8.

Strap

Italian leather MilStrap with secure understrap.

Italian MilStrap Square

Italian MilStrap: Distressed tan (top), Saddle dark brown (bottom)

 

All together now:

Image: Bernard, editor in chief Everyday Carry

Image: Bernard, editor in chief Everyday Carry at Wind-Up, NYC

Packaging: The Redux Crate + Waxed Canvas Mission Folio

S box front

L box front

EJC9134

EJC9133

EJC9114

EJC9129

COURG = COURAGE

Estimated read time:
by air

COURG for every mission. Every day.

This watch is for all those of you out there with adventure in your blood, and missions to tackle.

Nope, that’s not a typo.

COURG is a way point, which is a navigational tool used by pilots to chart their flight across the globe. Way points are composed of 5-letters and made to be spoken as a word so pilots can quickly transmit their location via radio. This particular way point stands just outside Washington, DC and as you probably guessed — is pronounced COURAGE.

We chose COURG because courage is a character trait we could all use more of — choosing to make the right and often difficult decisions even when we know the going will get tough.

Now you know, it’s not “CORG”, COURG = COURAGE

Be strong and very courageous, friends.