Post COVID Perils of a Micro Brand : Mission Accomplished
This post will be a break from my normal, in a way. It is more about a spec/tool watch than a fashion watch. But, a tool watch can be part of a dress code, too. It will also be about how watches are made and how we collect them and not just a review of a new watch.
I also paid more for this watch than I usually do. I am interested in so many types of watches, versions of watches, so I have trouble putting to much into one watch. I get a lot of inexpensive watches. Price is a major factor. I guess, like everybody, I usually like to get “value” for my meager dollars. Inexpensive is relative to each collector, but to me, inexpensive is under $300. Maybe 40% of my collection are watches that cost less than $100?
I would rather like to talk about why I like a watch than its price, but Lowly Caliber is here to talk about watches on the cheap. So this Redux, at around $500, was a serious outlay for me as well as being ordered new, a limited edition! Most of my watches were preowned or New Old Stock.
Not only is this watch interesting for being outside the norm for me in characteristics and price, it also is also interesting because it took more than two years to get. In 2021 I did not have any titanium watches, especially a titanium tool watch like this. In between, I did pick up a couple of preowned Timex Expedition North titanium autos in that time. A lot can happen in two years. Look at any of your watches you have had for two years and think about how you perceive it now compared to two years ago when you bought it.
Spec Watch
Let’s get the specs out of the way up front:
The Redux model I chose was the Valor Model 11 with offset dial, small seconds, and date. Grade 5 Titanium case and bezel, screw-down crown, sapphire crystal and exhibition case back. The seven-sided crown is at normally a 4 o’clock position, but it and the date look like they are at 3 o’clock because of the offset.
Background
Its been 27 months from the time I contributed to back this Indiegogo campaign to the time the watch arrived up at my doorstep. I picked my VALOR in June-July 2021 and put it on my wrist in Oct 2023. The crew at Redux has been astonishing in their ability to see this through and deliver the goods. They are still working to get some other models out. They were transparent throughout, probably more than they needed to be, with at least one update a month. I’m sure some people bailed out, but I was learning so much along the way about watch production from a micro brand point of view, I never thought about getting out, if I could. Besides, the watches were going to be so cool! Under the circumstances, I think I got more than my money’s worth.
Redux had run Kickstarter campaigns back in 2015 for their first COURG watch that I think was released in 2016. I didn’t know of the Redux watch until 2020. I thought the extreme instrument look of the watches was great! I liked the idea of pure functional design in raw titanium, black and white with minimal distractions with auto movement. They are like aircraft or machine dials a la Bell & Ross, but even more pure. Now, of course, people don’t want to strap a cockpit instrument to their wrist, so the addition of creature comforts adds many variations.
I like all the RDX watches, but went for the most conventional wrist watch-like option and one I could get in 38mm, the VALOR. I could only afford one, and was thrilled to get such a cool, straight-up tool watch with a unique design approach. Some would say I strayed from the tool watch ethic by choosing date, offset and small seconds. I could have chosen a no-date, no-offset VALOR with a Miyota 9015 movement. I figured I would take a reach with the offset and like a date. The small seconds has the historical A11 tie-in. There were 8 VALOR options.
The Offset Dial
Choosing the offset tilt dial means getting the more costly Sellita SW-260. RDX prioritized a 4’oclock crown, but the small seconds movements available only had a 3 o’clock crown, hence the offset tilt. The tilt also has its own historical ties and is called by some a “driving watch dial”. I’m glad I did it, but understand the hesitancy of many to get a watch like this. This is the first offset dial watch I have owned and it has only been a day on the wrist. It does take getting used to, but I can say one thing; it does keep you from moving your arm over in front of you face as much.
As much as I like the watch, the first thing that hit me was that the small seconds sub-dial is too small. In the drawings above it is bigger, and I have been conditioned by them for two years. A prototype photo also showed a bigger sub-dial. The first time I looked at the watch, two things came to mind; “This is a small watch and that small seconds dial is tiny!” After a day on the wrist, I think the size of the watch overall is just about perfect for my wrist. I could go bigger, but this watch is so nice at this size. In close up shots it appears to be a bigger watch. Its the dress watch of tool watches. It’s beautiful.
The seconds are hard to read and the ” AUTOMATIC, 200M, 42hrs” type under the sub-dial is magnifying glass tiny. I am getting old, but…..If this case/dial/movement combination and other manufacturing considerations determined the sub-dial has to be this big, then the graphics have to be reworked with bigger numbers and maybe fewer second marks. It seems they had a dial layout set for a bigger size dial and then just shrunk it down to fit. If RDX ever does another run of this VALOR configuration, the legibility of the small seconds (for most humans) has to be improved.
Over the two years of monthly production updates form RDX, there may have been mention of a exhibition sapphire case back, but I don’t remember it? I had in mind a solid titanium case back. I don’t need to see a SW-206 on this kind of watch, but it is interesting. The black rotor does have the RDX logo on it.
Production Problems
The first obstacle was 2020, of course. I don’t have the energy to outline all the obstacles the the Redux team had to overcome to make these watches happen, but their initial intention was to ship before Christmas 2021. Well, we all know what happened in manufacturing and logistics worldwide in 2021 in the wake of COVID. I know with my own small business in 2022, material shortages and shipping problems made it extremely difficult to guarantee customers anything! RDX have admitted that they took on more than they should have by offering so many styles and options. Lessons learned. They maintained an effort to obtain the best quality manufacturing they could get for the money, so had to have many things redone to meet their standards. They had to battle production shut downs in China and shortages of materials and rising prices. As a small operation, they had to compete for movements with much larger watch makers. They had to find new sources and make compromises. They learned about new manufacturing processes along the way. They were reaching their limits. They were steadfast. I hope they can continue to grow and sell more of these great watches. I wish they could find ways to get more things manufactured or assembled in the US, even though it will mean more expensive watches.
Straps
The watch comes with a superb 20mm black ballistic nylon NATO type strap with custom titanium keepers and buckle. Over the years RDX has offered nice nylon and leather straps. Hopefully they can make more straps available online. As an extra, I got the 20mm black Extremalon ventilated rubber single-pass strap.
For this size/weight of a titanium watch on my smallish wrist, the nylon NATO is too much strap. It is too long so I will have to decide if I want to cut it down or use something else. The left over folded tip is too much. I don’t think they offer a smaller version? I would miss the RDX titanium hardware. On the other hand, the Rubber single-pass strap is a revelation! I don’t see it coming off for a long time! It is thin, tough, light and not too long. When folded over, the little bit of extra tip sticks because it is textured rubber. It doesn’t visually over-power the watch, and looks awesome with its asymmetrical ventilation holes. It fits the personality of the watch. If they could develop a keeper with a narrower opening for this thinner strap, it would be even better. Or consider a floating keeper.
I am very happy with this watch. Nobody makes anything like this? It should have cost more. Spec-wise it is an uncommon value. Movement, bezel action, dial(except small seconds size), date, lume are just right. Aesthetically it is exactly what I wanted. The pure functional stark design with a bit of flair is the perfect balance. The size is just right for me. The titanium color and finish, the bezel, case chamfers, the crown are all delightful. The plain dial, just black with a small, barely discernible broad arrow and simple numbers work perfectly together. The hand set is just right and the round date window, white on black, replaces the 3 with nice balance.
I would feel comfortable taking this watch on any rough, wet, bumpy, dirty journey. If I was still in the Army, it would be the type of watch I would take to the field rather than a G-Sock. It could get me through most of my days of work and chores. It could get by without being noticed most of the time. Then again, the offset might start discussion. A watch enthusiast might notice it’s tool watch pureness and its titanium build.
Mission accomplished.
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