#COURGcrew! Toronto dispatch.
Welcome new COURG mission backers! Pardon the radio silence. Over the weekend, we joined the wedding celebration of our close friends down in Virginia. CONGRATS and many blessings for the sojourn, J+MR!
I found out at the rehearsal dinner that the groom’s grandfather was a WW2 bomber pilot who relied on his A-11 watch during the war in his role to help the Allies dominate the air campaign. In fact, that A-11 is still somewhere in the family!
COURG A-11
Even more, the conversation reminded us of how that generation was forged through the Great Depression to emerge with character and grit on a mission to wage war for the soul of humanity.
Connections with backers and friends who are as stoked about recounting history lessons and fighter pilot legends makes this adventure extra meaningful! After the wedding, we flew straight up to Toronto to help out at a youth camp. Onward.
42mm, Flight Plan
After discussions with the manufacturer and thinking carefully about our mission objectives, we’ve decided to re-route departure of the 42mm … for now. I know this will come as a great disappointment to some of you, and I had hoped we could add that goal as well.
However, the machining and mold manufacturing process introduces an 80-day lag, and then another cycle of prototypes. That means a number of things: 1. This immediately pushes that timeline out to 2016. 2. I would need to work on redesigns for the new case and bezel and dials and hands and packaging in tandem with everything else. 3. Introduces additional logistics details such as different strap widths that would need to be matched. 4. Not your concern, but there are big tax implications that could hit if things don’t line up exactly correctly.
That said, I appreciate that many of you indicated interest in the 42mm, and yet enlisted to see the 39mm through so that on the wings of this success, we could have a platform to seriously consider the 42mm.
I expect that some of you will bail out, but I’d like to offer this: If you stay on board and help us see this project through, we’ll offer you a founders discount for when the time comes and we’re ready to tackle the next mission.
What do you say? All for one and one for all?
Cruising Altitude
It’s hard to believe, but we’ve only just about hit the halfway point! What a blast it has been and it’s a privilege to have you all on board. As you can imagine, as we level out on backers I’ve started to work on negotiating our suppliers (5 of them!) down on costs based on our supersized quantities. My goal is to bring those numbers down by maximizing recruiting efforts so that we can full throttle the upgrades for stretch goals. And this is a very fine balance. Speaking of which …
Stretch Goal Coordinates — #1 Achieved
I know many of you have eagerly anticipated the stretch goals. So I’m very pleased to announce that we’ll be including the Redux & Co. exclusive waxed canvas watch roll / mission folio for each backer at PRE-DAWN and up! You all made it happen!
CONGRATULATIONS!
Do I need to say passports and additional watches not included? There. I said it.
SITREP, T-15 Days
Next stretch goals? COURG was built to be hands down the best mission watch straight off the runway at a ridiculous value. Cadets, recall that we equipped the COURG with components and materials that often make up the stretch goal dreams of many other projects. Already onboard: Titanium, sapphire crystal, internal anti-reflective, automatic movement, multiple dial/hand combos. But you already knew that!
I know many backers mentioned that they were stalwart 42mm brigade, so now that we’ve announced the decision to home in on the 39mm, we need to see how many backers go MIA before we set further stretch goals.
That said, right now, I’m leaning towards focusing our resources and efforts towards functional improvements to the COURG machine for the long haul. I’d like to upgrade from 15ATM to 20ATM to boost water-resistance. I’d like to upgrade from titanium grade 2 to grade 5. To me, we’d elevate the COURG to the next level with these.
I understand the appeal of the leather strap as an early stretch, but that means pushing those refinements out. I’d prefer to try and hit the more meaningful goals first, and then see about the strap.
Thanks for flying in tight formation, and Godspeed. elbert, over and out.