Pillar #1: NodeX™ Watch Research
Our corner of the watch industry was born like a phoenix out of the ashes of the Great Financial Crisis. Suppliers around the world started opening up to newer upstarts and smaller companies with smaller production volumes as a response to the pullback in order volume from larger brands. What manufacturers lost on order volume, they made up with more clients in their portfolio.
However, that trade-off did not come with disadvantages, such as increased cost per unit, higher reject rates, and less flexibility. However, the biggest limitation – especially for those inclined towards novelty – was that factories were unwilling to try new mechanisms or mechanical designs due to high tooling costs and additional time commitments. The best-case scenario would be a relatively small production run. The pay-off for these factories to commit time and resources to these novel ideas is rarely enough with brands that produce between 300 and 1000 units per batch.
When COVID-19 started, many large Swiss brands pulled their production from the same vendors we use leaving factories (and us) in a precarious spot. We needed our relatively small batches to be produced, but factories couldn’t justify bringing all their workers back for such small quantities.
NodeX™ clasp paired with the Nodus Pentalink bracelet
NodeX™ clasp on the Nodus Contrail GMT
It was around this time when we first started working on what is now known as NodeX™. This project started out as an improbability, but when the pandemic hit, it became nearly impossible, given that the one hurdle that we couldn’t get over by ourselves was volume – and this was before factories were gutted by the pandemic.
There were two pivotal decisions we made that changed the trajectory of our business:
1) We would not invest in growth and marketing for the subsequent two years.
2) All our resources would be put towards building a larger more robust supply chain that would eventually enable us to pursue NodeX™.
By consolidating our varied supply chain and forming alliances with other brands we were able to throw enough volume at this problem until it was no longer an issue. It not only solved our production problems but also opened doors that were otherwise closed to single independent brands.
NodeX™ stands for “Nodus extension,” which is rather fitting as our first NodeX™ product was an extension clasp module. The concept behind this module is that it was designed for rapid and affordable implementation of an extension system into any brand’s bespoke clasp enclosures. Serviceability is also faster and less expensive.
NodeX™ has gone beyond just a clasp. It has evolved into a venture of its own, intending to make independent brands capable of solving any of our technical problems; it is the communal independent watch brand R&D center.
To date, we have collectively created solutions for crown tubes, bezel click mechanisms, crystal shapes, and of course, extension mechanisms. All solutions that we develop are designed with our ethos of "efficient design” in mind.
We will continue to iterate on our current creations as well as develop solutions for issues related to production, function, and service.
Astor+Banks Sea Ranger M2 featuring NodeX™
Vaer Watches premium bracelets featuring NodeX™
Vero Watches Open Water 38 featuring NodeX™
Sangin Instruments "Superior Diver's Clasp" (SDC) featuring NodeX™
