When two worlds collide something magical happens from the chaos, two separates become one. This is what Redux has done with the COURG watch. They managed to take the classic styling from a pilot watch and combined it to the structure of a dive watch. Creating a nice little watch that caught my eye from day one. I discovered the COURG on Kickstarter some months ago and I was intrigued by what I saw. A minimalistic watch that had some details that I really liked. I don’t normally do Kickstarter watches, but Redux’s COURG was something different. I don’t have anything against Kickstarter watches at all. I just don’t have the time to browse through them due to how busy I am with my other reviews, research, etc…

Company:

Redux

From Redux Kickstarter page:

Nope, that’s not a typo.

COURG is a way point, which is a navigational tool used by pilots to chart their flight across the globe. Way points are composed of 5-letters and made to be spoken as a word so pilots can quickly transmit their location via radio. This particular way point stands just outside Washington, DC and as you probably guessed — is pronounced COURAGE.

We chose COURG 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.

Say goodbye to generic, and say hello to an original. In a sea of trendy me-too off the shelf cases, dials, hands, and cheap movements — we’re going against the flow.

COURG aims to be the first titanium automatic watch funded on Kickstarter, and is the first hybrid cockpit instrument fused with diver tools in a reasonable size for any wrist, gentlemen or ladies. And COURG is a litmus test for a BIG IDEA. Keep reading for more on this.

Be strong and very courageous, friends.

 

 

THE PACKAGING:

The packaging on the COURG is pretty cool and unique. I immediately felt like I was in Indiana Jones, receiving a secret package from a far away land. The COURG comes in a small wooden crate with twine handles. The lid slides open and reveals the goods inside. There is quite a lot packed into this little crate. Inside I found the watch of course, a watch roll, a little notebook field notes style, and the durable nylon strap. The watch roll is made from thick, vintage looking canvas with a stamped leather brown strap. The strap is stamped with REDUX. On the canvas is a small brown leather patch that also stamped with REDUX. The beige canvas reminds me of the old ammo pouches from WW2. Its rugged, rough and looks like it has been through a battle or two. It has quickly become my favorite part of the COURG experience. The packaging is quite impressive and I really like it. Nice job Redux.

 

THE CASE:

The case is made from titanium grade 2, which is light and very durable. Personally I have gone back and forth on my feelings on titanium. Back in the day, I used to love my watches, big, heavy and steel. I used to think that titanium felt light and cheap. Well I do still love big, heavy steel watches, but I have also come to appreciate titanium. The more that educated myself and immersed myself into the world of watches, it helped me understand things better. It aided me in deepening my knowledge which also deepened my appreciation of more watches. There is an undeniable beauty in all watches, sometimes you just have to look harder to find it.

The case of the COURG has that darker grey appearance that titanium watches possess. It immediately gives that tool watch vibe that the COURG encompasses oh so well. This watch screams “take me on an adventure and abuse me because I can handle it”. Redux assures the owners of the COURG that it can handle adventure.

Another thing that I noticed relatively quickly was the size of the COURG which comes in at 39MM. To note, I find my personal preference of watched to be at 42mm-44mm, with the occasional love of 48mm. Therefore when I first heard of the COURG’s case size I was a bit hesitant. I didn’t think that I would like or be able to pull off a 39mm case. I was pleasantly surprised to find I couldn’t be more wrong. Part of the COURG’s appeal is it’s size. It’s the unassuming watch. I compare it to Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee’s strength and speed was unbelievable. He was a mighty force, within a “small package”. Like dynamite. I respect everything that Bruce Lee stood for and was, just as I respect the unassuming COURG. It is a tough little watch that wears big because of it’s power.

The COURG’s crown is located at the 4 o’clock position. The crown is signed with Redux’s arrow logo. I am always appreciative of signed crowns. It is a little detail that goes a long way. The crown is a screw down crown and operates very smooth. When you unscrew the crown it is in the first position which allows you to manually wind up the watch. When you pull on the crown until it clicks into the second position this allows you to set the date by rotating the crown. Lastly, when the crown is pulled all the way out until the third/last position this allows you to set the time by rotating the crown. The crown in protected by small crown guards. The crown guards are nicely down for a few reasons. One they are appropriately sized for the 39mm case. And secondly they are part of the case as they nicely form from the case molding with an even flow. They are short enough where they do not interfere with operating the crown. The gear style edges to the crown allow for a good grip to screw and unscrew the crown as well.

The bezel has engraved numbers and hash marks featuring the number 15, 30 and 45. The 12 o’clock position has a triangle that is coated with lume, a must have on a dive watch. The bezel is easy to grip because of the edge detailing around the circumference of the entire bezel. My only complaint about the COURG watch is the function of the bezel when it rotates. Its a unidirectional rotating bezel. It doesn’t click very smooth nor does it rotate nicely. It sounds like it is grinding instead of that nice bezel click. The bezel doesn’t fit exactly tight against the case as there is some play in-between the case and the bezel. What I do like about the bezel though is that when the lumped triangle is put at the 12 o’clock position, it lines up perfectly with the arrow on the dial and the 30 lines up perfectly with the 6 o’clock position. The COURG is equipped with a flat, 2mm thick Sapphire crystal with inner anti-reflective coating. Nice and crystal clear, pun intended.

 

The case back is well done and I like how the information about the COURG is displayed. All the specs about the COURG are engraved on the case back. When the Kickstarter campaign was going on the case back was brought to a vote and I am very happy with the results of that voting. The lugs on the COURG are rounded smooth. They are 22mm spaced and have holes through them for the strap pins. The lugs are on the shorter size and are sized appropriately for the size of the case. I think the case is definitely a hit on the COURG.

 

THE DIAL:

There are a few variations to choose from with the COURG in reference to the dial. 5 choices to be exact. I chose the TYPE A dial. It’s a traditional pilot watch dial in my opinion and it works brilliantly. It has that old school WW2 fighter plane instrument panel feel. That matte black background with the crisp white numbers, aviation perfection. The dial is very minimalistic, with no words printed on it whatsoever. Which gives the COURG a no nonsense, strictly business style or as I like to call it, a kick ass and take names style. The dial has a white printed triangle at the 12 o’clock hour marker, and features numbers 2 through 11. Mr. 4 o’clock was given some r&r time off and in his place there is a small, round date window. The date window is a black wheel with white printed numbers. The date and the time is very easy to read on the COURG.

The sword style hands are an obvious choice to go with the aviation side of the COURG’s family history. The COURG is 50% aviator and 50% diver in his DNA breakdown. It gave Maury quite a problem for the DNA test on that particular show. We still don’t know who the real father is. The minute and hour sword hands are white and black, with the majority of the hands being white.

 

At night they have a cool blue glow and the seconds hand has a green glow thanks to the lume coating. I really like that the COURG has both blue and green. It really makes timing things in low lighting that much easier. The hour and minute hands are also very wide and I am glad that they are. It makes perfect sense in the overall design layout of the COURG. If they were skinny, thin hands, they would have been lost on the dial and they wouldn’t fit with that tool watch feel. The second hand is very long and extends out to the very outer edge of the dial. I appreciate when seconds hand extend out that far, it makes getting down to the exact second easy when using your watch to time things that require that precise measurement.

 

THE STRAP:

There are a few options for the strap with the COURG, some of which would add to the overall cost of the watch. You can pick from MIL-STRAP Dark Brown, MIL-STRAP Distressed Tan, Horween Color 8, Horween Natural, Add’l Ballistic Nylon. I went with the Ballistic Nylon. All the straps are very nice, but I believe the nylon is the best fit for the overall style of the COURG. The strap is thick, rugged tough with some of the coolest keepers I have seen on a strap of this style.

The titanium keepers are squared instead of rounded. One of the squared angled keepers is engraved with REDUX. The tang style buckle is signed with an engraved Redux arrow logo. The construction of the strap is quality. No frayed edges, nice tight, black stitching. Its comfortable on the wrist and fits into the lugs with ease. Of course its fun to experiment with different style straps which give the watch a “new look” and I totally suggest that you do so.  I am very happy with my choice though. I am quite impressed at the quality to be honest.

The Movement:

Ticking inside the COURG is the NH35A.

Seiko NH35A

24 jewels, 21,600 bph vibrations per hour, 41 hour power reserve, diameter of 27.40mm and height of 5.32mm.

The movement is very reliable and manufactured by a company that has been in the watch industry for a very long time.

SPECIFICATIONS:

• Case material: Titanium grade 2 / grade 5
• Case back: Titanium, deep corrosion case screw back.
• Bezel: Uni-directional Titanium, luminous triangle
• Flat Sapphire crystal, 2mm, inner anti-reflective coating
• Movement: Seiko SII NH35A
• Date: Window, 4PM
• Case: Width (w/o crown) / 39mm
• Height / 13.7 mm
• Lug-to-lug 46.6 mm
• Lug-to-lug (strap) 20 mm
• Lug width 3.4 mm
• Print dial.
• Super luminova BGW9
• Hands: Super luminova BGW9 x C3
• Water resistant: 15 ATM / 150M (UPGRADED to 20 ATM)
• Crown position: 4PM
• Stem protection: Screw down crown tube + crown guard
• Crown logo: Etched
• Drilled lugs
• Weight: 1.8 oz. (51 grams, ~20% lighter than steel equivalent) Brass movement retainer
• Strap: Black Ballistic nylon mil-strap, PVD hardware
• 1 year guarantee against defects

 

Wrist Shot 7 1/2″ wrist:

 

CONCLUSION:

For a first offering watch, I think Redux has done a very nice job here. They combined two of the most loved style of watches out there. Taking what we love about pilot watches and what we love about dive watches, and merging them into a nice watch that is the COURG. It is well made and feels like it can take quite many adventures outdoors. I put the COURG through some abuse. Not hitting with a hammer kind of abuse, but I didn’t go easy on it when I wore it to the gym, hiking, sports, etc… and I have to say it held up very well. Ticking away from it all with a few tiny surface scratches.

The $399 price tag is pretty damn reasonable for what you get for you money. You get a grade 2 titanium case, a reliable automatic movement, a cool crate watch box, a well made ballistic nylon strap and a canvas watch roll. That is a bargain if you ask me. I am excited to see what is next for REDUX. Their first campaign was a huge success if you ask me.

I really enjoyed reviewing the COURG and I am quite happy with how it turned out. I was very skeptical at first since it was my first time going after a KS watch from a new company. It’s nice to be pleasantly surprised and satisfied. The only thing that I would change about the COURG is the bezel function. I wish it was more smooth and easier to rotate. Having said that, everything else is perfect. Even the 39mm case. I would love to handle the other dial variants of the COURG to see what they look like in person.

If you are trying to decide which route to go on purchasing a watch, either a dive watch or a pilot watch, well Redux have taken away that narrowing down process for you. Go with the COURG, it’s the best of both worlds and won’t break the bank either.

 

THANKS FOR READING!