It’s Happening!
Since the formation of Grand Rapids Watch Company, there have been many watch prototypes that have come and gone, whether they were hand assembled by me or constructed with factory precision. All prototypes were meticulously evaluated. The goal was always the same: tell stories through time. With the first small batch watch from Grand Rapids Watch Company, we never wavered on our commitment to this community and our stories. Enough of you out there seemed to agree, and early stage production of the John Ball 40 will officially take place shortly— we can hardly believe it’s real! It will be so gratifying to see these finally get into people’s hands and to see them out around town. If you already pre-ordered, you’ve saved your spot! If you haven’t, there’s still time; Ball 40 watches are still available to order and will continue to be until we run out. We’re entering the next chapter here at Grand Rapids Watch Company and we can’t wait for you to see what we’ve been working on all this time.
Why a Field Watch?
Nearly every person I talk to has a favorite type of watch. Some love the look and chunkiness of a big diver, while others prefer the svelte slim profile of a dress watch. Other groups love tool watches, some all too eager to time a race with a chronograph while others can’t stand the busy dial of a chronograph, opting for a different type of tool watch in a field watch.
When I closed in on a subject to highlight for our first totally original design, John Ball quickly emerged, but so did possibilities for nearly any kind of watch. John Ball was not known to wear a wristwatch, because for people like him, they didn’t exist! While many (myself included) think of wristwatches as some ancient invention that’s many hundreds of years old, the first wristwatches were only made in the early to mid 1800s, and were so expensive that they were owned exclusively by royalty, at least for a time. With that as a backdrop, an argument could be made for nearly any kind of watch. A dress watch would have been right at home on John’s wrist during his service to the Michigan Legislature. A chronograph could have been a valuable tool during his extensive travels. While a pilot’s watch would initially seem too far fetched since flight wouldn’t be accomplished by man for nearly 20 years after his death, the clear legibility and directional capabilities of a pilot’s watch would likely have been a welcome addition to his travels. Only a diver was likely out of the realm of possibility.
So, Why a Field Watch?
Field watches were a natural progression of the trench watches of World War I. Their rugged, shock resistant, understated and compact profiles were perfect for military time coordination as well as general outdoor activities. Whether he was aboard an ocean liner to Europe or literally cutting his own path on the way through uncharted parts of Michigan, John’s legacy was defined by travel. A compact watch that could easily fit below a shirt sleeve while also providing scratch resistance and a solid waterproof rating quickly emerged as the most important characteristics of a John Ball inspired watch. Typical pilot’s watches are too big, chronographs typically don’t carry the water resistance necessary, while dress watches don’t carry the spirit of travel. A field watch was the best choice to honor John’s life while also providing solid capabilities for use by people today. Quickly, the John “Ball 40” was born, and is available to pre-order now!
Ball 40 Watch Against a Black Background
Eighty Year Old John Ball in 1875
Two Words: Thank You!
What a whirlwind first full day it has been! I was extremely enthused at the strong response on social media; there were some fantastic ideas and suggestions for now and into the future! I’m exhausted so I’ll keep it brief:
Thank you for following this journey, whether you have placed an order/pre-order or not!
To make the Ball 40 reality, we need your help! Please tell one person you know about Grand Rapids Watch Company!
Thanks again to all and I hope to get a watch on your wrist as soon as possible!
Stories told through time
Years ago, I was something of a miser. I’d like to blame it on getting a pay cut and wondering if I could even hold on to my job during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. It would also be convenient to blame it on the fact that I met my girlfriend (now wife) around the same time, and she wasn’t a big spender either. Or heck, I could blame it on the environment that I grew up in. While we were never poor, my childhood was one of DIY home repairs and hand-me-down clothes. I thought THE sign of true wealth was if your basketball hoop in the driveway had a glass backboard instead of plastic.
It was none of those things.
My miserly ways were at least somewhat of my own creation, and ultimately it was my own responsibility to solve. I would have to (at least partially) figure out how to end my wicked ways which included highlights such as:
Eating at home before going out with friends so that my bill was less
Failing to donate to causes that I cared deeply about
Checking my bank account app several times a day despite nothing changing
Funnily enough, I had no issue spending on others when necessary, but a theme emerged: spending on myself was taboo. Not allowed. Frivolous. Vanity. A personal failing. This constantly rang in my head as mental health struggles amplified this blunt rhetoric.
Yeesh. Harsh!
After getting a new job and aligning spending and saving to my values, one hurdle remained: treating myself. One by one I removed obstacles that I placed in my own way, until none remained. Still, I couldn’t do it. I visited a local watch store quite a few times, unable to pull the trigger on a watch that I loved at a great price. Finally, I mustered up the courage! And… where I expected guilt, I felt relief. Where I thought I would experience crippling guilt, I felt satisfaction.
I had done it.
On that day, and forever since, when I look down at that watch that started my whole collection, I relive that triumph, if only for a moment. It reminds me that through great effort and help from those around me that I CAN do hard things. I can live into my values and treat myself occasionally. So, on my wrist my watch sits, permanently a symbol of my triumph over myself, of what I am capable of when I have a solid foundation around me and become all that I can be. I discovered a love for something built to last, something devoid of yet another subscription fee, something that inspires and pays tribute to an art form.
In an era where nearly everything tells the time (your phone, microwave, oven, car, computer…) why do people still choose watches? It is my belief that it’s due to the stories they tell, like mine above. It’s for the memories they conjure up, and the people they can remind us of even if they’re no longer with us.
That is the love that ultimately propelled me into building watches a few years later. My dad’s 60th birthday was just under a year away, but no gift felt right, nothing seemed to adequately capture my love for him, for his story, for his life. A nascent idea of a watch company began to form, one that needed to tell a story, to mean something. That is a tale for another time…
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I am hopeful to launch orders for watches that I have built as well as pre-orders for a brand new watch model by Memorial Day.