(Image: Nav panel of an Airbus 330 with headings that include waypoint COURG in living color on a flight from Helsinki to New York City shared by fellow COURGcrew member Capt. PK — thank you!)

COURGcrew —

I’ll keep this lean.

Final major wave deploys Monday

Our final major wave was packed today and ships first thing on Monday. There’s roughly 370 of you (and me!) in this wave of mostly TiGr5 backers and I want to sincerely thank you for your long-suffering and gracious patience having to stay in a holding pattern over the lunar holiday festivities.

Please keep an eye out late Monday into Tuesday for tracking intel in a confirmation email dispatched from crew@reduxwatch.com.

Crew@reduxwatch.com

Speaking of which, I’ve been working to identify a way to better track and manage our communications situation, which was a storm I didn’t anticipate. I chose a platform that should help me consolidate our channels. If you’ve left messages on Kickstarter, and haven’t heard back, please email crew@reduxwatch.com instead. I’m working my way through the backlog and am working from oldest to most recent as quickly as I can.  

2-Piece black leather strap with titanium hardware

Some of you have asked for a 2-piece leather strap with premium leather. I personally prefer the versatility of quick changing straps and the added security of a single strap. That’s why I didn’t offer a 2-piece option. But, it’s not about me.

So, what I’m hearing from many of you is that you want to rock the COURG in dressier situations, at work, or with your suit, and would prefer a 2-piece black strap option. But going with shiny stainless hardware is kind of tacky, and you’d prefer matching titanium. I also understand that some of you ordered the Chronos and would like to reduce bulk to make room for that unit and still enjoy a leather strap. I hear you.

I’ve chatted with the good folks over at Worn & Wound and they suggest we try a new U.S. leather maker called Wickett & Craig based in Pennsylvania that has a heritage of excellence. Their leathers have less stretch and that’s important for the longevity of our straps.

After a visit to Wickett & Craig and once I see some samples I’ll be back with more details. I’m planning only to make a small batch of these so let me know if you’d like to requisition one of these and what color you’d want most. I assume black, but your call.

Worn & Wound:

The Model 2 was designed to be a simple, stylish go-to strap for all seasons. It’s a 2-piece design made out of unlined leather, cut with a slight taper. The edges are raw, letting them gain a nice patina, and the knots are hand-tied out of thick waxed linen thread for a crafty, hand-made finish. We used both a fixed metal loop as well as a wide leather band for keepers, creating a rugged detail that hints at military straps. By mixing elements of dress and sport straps, the Model 2 has a retro aesthetic that is simultaneously masculine and elegant.

Please hit up this two question survey

If you’re interested so I can have some preliminary numbers to gauge interest and see if we’ll be able to rally enough crew members to get this in motion. If the project is green lit, we can chat some basic design ideas, but I’m thinking very minimal with some nice waxed linen thread details.