Latest Review
Frequently it seems the crowd-funding watch market is overwhelmed with quartz watches with simple and overly basic designs. While both of those elements are fine in doses it is nice to see something different now and then to break up the routine. New watch brand Redux & Co. is hoping to have that standout-watch with its new Kickstarter campaign. Given the pre-launch work they have been doing you may have already seen the titanium-cased COURG.
The COURG has a few interesting elements, the name being the first apparent one. The five letter name is based on a navigational tool called a waypoint. These are named sets of coordinates that indicate a point in physical space. In this case the COURG waypoint, pronounced courage, is outside Washington, DC. The name was chosen to reflect the aviation elements of the watch (via one of the dial options), and “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.”
Name aside the next element that makes the COURG unique is the titanium case. Redux & Co. state that the COURG is the first titanium watch to debut on the crowdfunding platform. Rather than going for an over-sized case the COURG has a 39mm Grade 2 Titanium body with 20mm lugs. It is a conservative size that will cover a larger selection of wrist sizes. The other case specs include a height of 13.7mm, lug to lug distance of 46.6mm, a flat sapphire crystal and a screw down crown at 4 o’clock. The bezel of the COURG is also done in titanium and has the same matte blue-gray finish as the case. It is a uni-directional bezel with the traditional diver bezel markings and a lumed dot at 12 o’clock.
The dial of the COURG offers some choice with four variations available. The one I saw the most pre-launch was var. 01 which is the instrument panel style. Triangle at 12, thick, bold numbers and B-Uhr style hands. It’s a classic, clean look that gives the watch a mix of pilot and diver styles. Var. 02 gives a more mil style to the dial with dots rather than hash marks and thinner hands. The third variant is a 3-6-9 dial with an interesting 12 o’clock marker and an orange ended seconds hand. The final option is an almost Bauhaus inspired dial with thin numbers and matching thin hands. Each dial gives the COURG a vastly different look and those interested a decision to make as to which way to go.
The movement chosen for the COURG is the Seiko Caliber NH35A; which we know to be a robust 24 jewel automatic movement. The NH35A is used in a number of brands and selected here to keep the watch price down as well as future maintenance costs.
The COURG blends a number of different elements into one attractive package. The option to have one of four different dials lets the buyer select one that best suits their taste. An automatic hacking movement, screw down crown and 150M of WR round it out. The lowest pledge level for the COURG starts at $199 for the first 150 backers and then creeps up a little level by level from there. Check out the Redux & Co. website and the Kickstarter campaign page for more info or to get your own. The campaign ends August 20, 2015 (update… wow, they got funded in only a few hours!).
