Custom Stingray ordering resumes
Custom Stingray ordering is available again! We are able to resume taking orders for the custom Stingray after locating additional ETA 2824 movements. These movements will be featured on the watches ordered from this date onwards. The movements are of the same Elabore quality level as our standard movement but with standard decoration. The movements are nickel plated and have unsigned rotors whereas our standard movement is Rhodium plated with our trademark engraved on the rotor. The accuracy of the movements is the same since these movements are also Elabore grade movements with Incabloc shock protection.
One other change is that the acrylic insert option has been discontinued. We will finish the orders that we have on hand for the acrylic insert but are not taking additional orders. We have been finishing the inserts ourselves and have found the process to be very time consuming and the scrap rates hard to control. If we can find a method that will produce more consistent results or a company to manufacture the parts for us we will reinstate the option. However at this time there is no estimated date as to when this can take place if at all.
Custom Stingray ordering to be suspended Dec 1st
Due to strong demand for custom Stingrays I have to temporarily suspend ordering for custom Stingrays beginning Dec 1st. The Swiss Made pre-built Stingrays are currently in stock and will remain available for ordering. This announcement only affects the custom Stingrays. At this point I am concerned that if I continue to take orders after Dec. 1st that we will have more orders than we can fill. In addition, since the Stingray shares the same movement as the upcoming Vantage and date only version of the Sea Fighter I have to make sure that there are a reasonable number of movements available for those watches when they launch. If there are enough movements remaining I will re-open ordering for custom Stingrays sometime in the first quarter of 2008.
Just to reiterate this suspension only affects custom Stingrays. The pre-built Stingrays currently in stock will remain available for sale.
Pre-built watches en-route
Albeit late the pre-built Blackwaters and Stingray watches are finally on their way out of Switzerland. They should be here, baring custom’s clearance delays, by Friday.
In other Mk II news:
- An acrylic insert option has been added to the custom Sea Fighter page although the preview function will not be updated for a few more days. Essentially the insert is a single luminous triangle that is split down the middle. The Split-T as its called was modified from a single triangle for two reasons 1) to distinguish these watches from the original and 2) to provide added support to the luminous section. In the vintage versions you will often see the luminous triangle cracked practically right down the middle. I believe that this is due to a lack of support for such a large luminous area. In order to get around that I have split the triangle down the middle (engraving two smaller triangles rather just one large one) to add support to where the triangle is weakest.
- Updates for Vantage deliveries will be e-mailed out later today. Unfortunately there is a delay. The Vantage is to be assembled after the Blackwater and Stingray watches and since completion of those two watches was delayed at the assembler the Vantage is just being started. Originally they were to be completed by now. With the holiday rush to deliver watches to retailers I am doubtful that the Swiss company will be able to complete the watches before the end of this month which will likely push delivery to me to sometime in December. December will have its own problems considering the Christmas rush and end of year holidays. As a result deliveries for the Vantage will be pushed back to the end of January 2008. Given that the watches are not likely to be shipping in time for Christmas delivery there seems to be little value in scheduling shipments before year end.
Pre-built Stingray ordering open
The Swiss Made Stingrays are due in stock at the end of the month and I finally finished the ordering page for them. The price will be $460 until the end of the month. Starting November 1st the Pre-built and Custom Stingray watches prices will be going up to $565 and $599 respectively.
On the Pre-built watch page there is a link to a new page detaling the differences between the 50, 60, and 70. The information icon to the right of the navigation between the three versions will open a pop-up. The same information will be posted on the custom watch pages once they are revised for the new prices.
Status
I fallen a little behind at the moment on e-mails and shipments of watches. The movements didn’t arrive early enough for me to finish any watches last week since I had to review them to make sure there weren’t any hidden problems. Watch shipments will resume by the middle of this week.
The Vantage pages will go up sometime tomorrow. I also spent quite a bit of time over the last week finalizing details for the ordering pages, taking photos, and reviewing the bracelet samples. The pictures of the Vantage that will be posted tomorrow are what the mass production will look like with one important exception. The preview of the new hands that were commissioned for this project won’t be ready until the 3 week of this month so I substituted some Stick and Ball hands and the sweep seconds hand off the Sea Fighter. Its close enough for now but I didn’t want anyone to think I have lost my attention to detail 
The one spot of bad news is that the SKX007 sapphires are going to be out of stock for at least another two months. The Monster sapphires are still in stock.
The Sea Fighter pages I hope to have up in the next week or so…
Movements are here!
Big sigh of relief! ETA delivered my 2824-2 movements earlier this week. I will finally be able to send components again to Switzerland for assembly of Blackwaters and begin offering pre-built Stingrays in about two month’s time. Much of the industry is currently “on vacation” for another two weeks or so. There are a few companies, like ETA, that don’t formally observe the summer break but the vast majority of firms are practically shut down for 2-4 weeks each summer.
The pre-order of the Sea Fighter and the Vantage will open in a few days to a week from now. I am working on the ordering pages at the moment and now that the movements are here a huge varible in the production schedule for the next couple of months has finally been removed. The Vantage should begin shipping around the end of October. The photos that will be posted in a few days of the 1016 homage will actually be temporarily using the older Stick and Ball handset and not the new hands as they aren’t ready at this time. The Sea Fighter, initially shipping as a pre-built homage to the Blancpain BUND diver using a 2824, should begin delivery before the end of the year. A 2836-2 version of the Sea Fighter should be available around January of 2008.
Stingray: Shipment updates
The order status portal is now up to date. Revised sales orders haven’t been e-mailed yet but will start going out tonight. Crystals and the final components required to resume Stingray deliveries will be in hand next week.
The only potential issue at this point is that the movements we have been waiting for from ETA are now scheduled to ship at the end of this month (i.e. nearly 10 weeks late). We have enough movements to deliver every watch scheduled through the end of July but for those down the line its cutting it close. Hopefully this will be the final revsion of the shipment date from ETA and I can start breathing again.
Stingray et al: Standby for updates
I have the revised schedule completed and will be e-mailing updates to customers over the next few days.
Unfortunately for non-Stingray customers some ship dates had to be pushed back. I apologize for having to do this.
Stingray update: June 29th
In short we should have all of our components by the second week of July and should resume shipping watches at that point. I will be working over the weekend to re-schedule customers and notify them of the revised ship dates. Thanks for everyone’s patience.
June 25th: Stingray Update
The crystals have been inspected by the factory fortunately the problem was limited to only a small percentage of the crystals made. Some of the pieces will need to re-worked. All of the crystals will be returned at one time and I am supposed to hear by tomorow or Wednesday how long the re-work will take. At that time I will post another update and begin revising ship dates.