Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Corvus?
Corvus Watch Company is a family-run business based in the USA.
Tom:
Growing up on the water in Michigan, I have had a lifelong interest in water sports. I
built and raced my first hydroplane when I was 12 years old, and am an avid water
skier. I've been a recreational SCUBA diver since 1964. Recently, I have become
interested in wreck diving. I do most of my diving in the Great Lakes, and have
explored seven wrecks in Lake Michigan and Lake Superior, in 46 degree water. I also
like the challenge of winter diving under the ice. I've also had the honor to dive on
the wrecks in Truk Lagoon, a sober but fascinating experience. One of these was a 136
foot deep, mixed-gas penetration of the Japanese Freighter, Hoki Maru.
I have had a fascination with wristwatches ever since my Grandmother gave me a Rolex
1016 Explorer in 1970, for graduation from college. Soon after, this watch was my
trusty companion for two cruises on the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Hancock, one of which
was during the Vietnam War, where I was a flight officer in both E-1B Tracer and the
RA-4F Skyhawk aircraft.
Later in my naval career, I commanded deployments in the Arctic, and frequently visited
Thule, Greenland.
I am demanding of my watches. For me, a wristwatch should be able to go deep, high, and
cold. Even the Rolex was not up to the task, and finally died in a hot tub a few years
after the war. My family and I are committed to creating the toughest, most
technologically advanced mechanical wristwatches, with styling based on the best U.S.
military watches from the 20th Century.
What does “Swiss Made” mean?
“Swiss Made” is a legal term with a meaning that is strictly defined by the
Swiss government and various international trade agreements. Sadly, its true meaning is
widely misunderstood. Simply put, to be called “Swiss Made” only means that
the movement (the mechanical innards that make the watch work) must be made in
Switzerland and that the watch must be assembled in Switzerland. All other parts of the
watch, besides the movement, may be (and often are) made in Asia or any other country
where labor and environmental laws allow for cheaper construction costs.
An unfortunate consequence of this is that many watch companies try to “hide the
ball” and refuse to disclose where their watch components are made. Worst of all
are companies (who sell watches in the $4,000 range!) who previously used top-quality
German cases, but have switched to Chinese cases without disclosing this fact to their
customers. Theoretically, there is nothing inherently wrong or inferior with Asian-made
(mostly Chinese) watch components. Some companies openly advertise their products as
having Chinese-made parts, and there are collectors who appreciate the lower prices of
such watches. We at the Corvus Watch Company believe in full disclosure of where our
watch components are made. Our watches are all “Swiss Made.” Almost all our components
and manufacturing processes used for Corvus watches are European or American. The only other parts used are those where there are no other options available (sadly, an increasing category).
Specifically:
Movements: Switzerland
Assembly: Switzerland
Dial Printing: Switzerland
Satellite Black Dial Coating: Indiana, U.S.A.
Cases: Germany
Kolsterising: Netherlands
Bezel inserts: China.
Watchstrap buckles: China (finished in Switzerland).
REMEMBER: If a company does not say where their components are made, they are almost
certainly made in China.
Why do so many dive watches look the same?
The past five years have been a new “Golden Age” of mechanical watch
entrepreneurship. Many small boutique watch companies have recently began producing
watches and selling them on the internet. Most of these watches are of very good quality
and represent outstanding design and value.
However, it is expensive to design and engineer a Swiss Made watch. It costs about
$4,000 to have engineering drawings made and CNC machines programmed for a brand new,
unique watch case. As a result, many companies launch their companies with watches that
are made with stock “off the shelf” case designs. These designs are tried
and true designs and make for very good watches. However, they are not unique and can be
found in watches made by other companies.
Corvus Watches are all custom designed in-house by us, and engineered by the master
technicians at Fricker GmbH, in Pforzheim, Germany. Our watch designs are unique and
will never be found on another brand of watch.
Are your watches “waterproof?”
Since 1964, it is illegal in the USA to advertise or represent that any wristwatch is
“waterproof.” This is because the Federal Trade Commission ruled that no
watch can be absolutely waterproof under any and all circumstances. In fact, vintage
watches can be approximately dated by the use of the term on the case back. Today,
watches are described as being “water resistant” to a greater or lesser
degree.
The Corvus Bradley dive watch is water-resistant to 300 meters and is suitable for scuba
diving to any depth not requiring helium gas, or to a depth of 1000 feet. Since dives
beyond a depth of 165 feet almost always require specialized professional
saturation diving equipment, our dive watch is a reliable tool for almost any underwater
task.
All Corvus dive watches are individually pressure tested to 110 feet. Most other
companies dive watches are tested only to a depth of 30 feet, or not at all.
What is the Warranty for Corvus watches?
All our watches are sold with a 7 day return policy, and a two-year limited warranty
that is transferable. For details, see our Terms and Conditions page. We
believe our warranty is one of the best in the business.
Are Corvus watches with Kolsterised[R] steel scratchproof?
No, but our Kolsterised[R] steel
components are highly scratch-resistant, and are as tough as any watch made. (Only a
handful of watch manufacturers use any kind of case hardening process, all of which are
“secret” and proprietary.) With our watches, and only our watches, you can be
assured that the steel has been subjected to the genuine Kolsterising[R] process by the
Bodycote company. Kolsterised[R] 316 stainless steel has been extensively tested by the
U.S Government for use in the nuclear testing facilities at Oak Ridge, Tennessee and in
satellites. For more information about this process, please visit our
Kolsterising[R] page.
Our Kolsterised[R] steel is five times harder on the surface than the steel used in 99.9%
of wristwatches. Only a substance with a hardness in excess of HV 1076 will scratch it.
Fortunately, there are very few substances as hard as this. Certain stones, and tools
designed for cutting steel are the ones most commonly encountered. Our Kolsterising[R]
process means that the finely-crafted finishes on our watches will stay looking new for
years longer than other watches.
Are the photos on the Website of the actual products?
Sometimes we want to show you products that are in the pre-prototype phase of
construction, so we sometimes use a digital composite of actual watch parts and computer
generated representations of various design elements. We always indicate this on the
page where such photos are found.
As soon as photos of the actual prototypes or produciton models are available, we will
post them.
Please note that the final appearance of our products may vary slightly from the
appearance of these preliminary designs. We are constantly striving to improve our
product right up until final constuction.
How long will it take for my watch or watchstrap to arrive?
We know that watch buyers hate to wait. Our website clearly shows what is in stock and
we ship within 3 business days, but usually the next day. A few of our watches are
occasionally available at a pre-sale discount, in which case the wait might be a few
months. We ship using a variety of shippers, but mostly USPS priority or express mail insured
within the USA. Currently, most international shipments of watches are sent by FedEx. We do require a signature at the time of receipt. When possible, we will
provide you with a tracking number shortly after shipment. We do not charge for shipping
or handling to addresses in the USA.
If a watchstrap is ordered before noon Monday through Saturday, it almost always ships the same day. Otherwise the next business day. The exeception is when we are travelling, and a day or two delay is unavoidable. Our standard free world-wide shipping is by U.S. Postal Service first-class mail (airmail). US buyers can expect to receive their straps in 2-4 days. International buyers in 7-10 days. If you do not receive your strap within two weeks, please email us and we will dispatch a replacement. You will receive your watchstraps, but delays because of the postal service are out of our control.
I'm not in North America. Can I buy a watch or watchstrap?
Yes. With only a few exceptions, we currently ship worldwide. Japanese customers can order both watchstraps and watches directly from Japan, and have questions answered in Japanese by emailing: japan@corvuswatch.com. Duty may have to be paid for watches shipped outside of North America. This expense is your responsibility,
and the value of our watches are clearly indicated on all customs forms, in compliance
with law. Any delays occasioned by customs delays are outside of our control. Additional
shipping costs apply. If you have any questions, please email or call us.
What if I have other questions?
Please email us anytime.
We are available to answer questions during regular business hours. We are located in the
Eastern Time Zone (GMT-5). We try to answer your email promptly, but please be patient. Japanese customers may contact us at: japan@corvuswatch.com
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