The Crunch
It's been a while since my last Field Report. Not because there was nothing to say; quite the opposite.
The past two weeks have been some of the most intense since I started AW Labs. I set a hard deadline for myself: show up to District Time on March 8th with a functional, wearable prototype that fixed everything the launch model got wrong. That meant rebuilding critical components from scratch under a deadline.
Here's what happened.
The Crown
During water resistance testing of the launch model, it leaked. The immediate cause was straightforward, the gasket was undersized for the crown tube. But when I sat down to fix it I realized the real problem was deeper than that.
Even with a correctly sized gasket, the original design had no mechanism to hold the gasket in a fixed position relative to the crown. Every time the stem moved, setting the time or adjusting the date the gasket could shift. Maybe imperceptibly at first. But over hundreds of uses, its position would become unpredictable. A watch that passed a water test on day one could fail six months later just from normal use.
That's not acceptable.
I scrapped the crown entirely and redesigned it around a single principle. The gasket had to be constrained in a fixed position regardless of stem position. The new crown uses the crown tube as both a bearing surface and a sealing surface simultaneously, ensuring consistent sealing action across all stem positions. Crown in, crown out, every position in between.
It took longer than just fixing the gasket size but it was the right call.
The Dial
The date window feedback from Wave 1 was consistent across every platform. The stock white date disc with black numerals created too much contrast against the overall monochrome aesthetic of the watch. People noticed it immediately.
One fix could have been a custom gray date disc. The problem is no one manufactures gray date discs to match off the shelf, and adding that production step at this stage isn't realistic.
So I made a different call. Rather than compromise, I added a no-cost configuration option: a clean date delete dial for a fully monochrome build, or a date window at 3 o'clock or 6 o'clock depending on preference.
Both options are now part of the commission spec.
District Time
I finished the prototype with just enough time to make it to the show. Not to my full standards, there are still finishing details I'll address before the watch is shipped to clients; but functional, wearable, and ready to put in front of real collectors.
I didn't have a booth. I worked the floor for a few hours with the watch on my wrist, previous prototypes in my bag, and a handful of failed machined parts I handed out to people who asked the right questions. Turns out failed parts are better conversation starters than business cards.
The conversations were genuine and the feedback was valuable. There's a certain kind of collector who picks up a hand-machined watch and immediately understands what they're holding. I found several of them at the show. I also met Lauren, District Time's founder, who wants to do a piece on the brand for The Time Bum which is very exciting!
It was a good first showing. Next year we'll do it properly.
Where things stand
The prototype made it to the show and validated what needed validating. The crown redesign works. The dial configurations are locked. But a few temporary workarounds got me across the finish line for District Time that aren't acceptable for a shipped watch.
The crown tube is currently held with adhesive. The final version will be a proper press fit. The rotor and buckle still need their finish work.
Once those are resolved the watch is done. Wave 1 fulfillment follows.
If you've been sitting on the fence about a commission, a handful of Wave 1 slots remain. Reply to this email and we can talk.
Mike Armstrong
Founder, AW Labs