2022 Update
The new year is here, and already with it's own hurdles!
I've been getting tons of requests for when the next batch of watches will be ready, and I know they're taking a lot longer than was stated previously. So I wanted to take a moment to discuss the situation, and how it's being tackled right now.
First of all, thank you for the overwhelming positive support of the ACR-100 watch! It's definitely a morale booster when people take the time to praise your hard work, and when you sell out almost immediately. I know there are people waiting for the next ones to appear on the storefront, and I thank you also for your patience. Unfortunately, it's still going to be a bit before the next batch is ready, and this is for several reasons:
As an extremely small company, I am not immune to the supply chain shortage. Some of the parts used in the watches have doubled or even tripled their lead times in the last few months, (for some pieces, it's been 6 weeks since placing the P.O. up from 2 weeks) so this has hurt a lot, especially since the watch design is changing slightly for 2022, and the parts need to be tested before a manufacturing run can be green lit. So for an iterative design and manufacturing process like BRACE Design uses, it is an exponential time increase per consecutive iterations!
I am experimenting with titanium and 17-4PH stainless steel for new watch case materials, both of which have their own unique challenges and learning curves.
Unfortunately, I still work at a full time job, so the amount of time and energy I have at the end of the day for BRACE is limited (much to my dismay; I would work full time BRACE in a heartbeat if it was feasible!)
So those are the current roadblocks I've been facing with the next batch. But there is an upside to all this:
Once these changes are rolled in, the ACR-100-2022 watch will be the best quality I can presently make. BRACE Design wasn't created to cut corners, it was created to deliver quality experiences, which of course takes more time and effort to create.
I'll most likely be adjusting some manufacturing methods to try and better future proof the production line and to speed things up a bit. I know now where some of the bottle necks are, so now I can design around them.
I'm learning a lot, which will make everything smoother in the future!
Alright, I'll leave it at that. I hope you had a fun, safe, and great Christmas and New Year, and I hope 2022 brings you great things!
Thank you again for your support, and for your patience!
-Jeremy
