So here we are - what you, and I have been waiting for for a long time. All the pictures, all the flights. The shipping delays and hours spent on the details. It all comes together with the final and arguably the most important aspect of any high end product. The finish - the visual eye candy that draws you closer. I often ask myself what a product would look like if money was not a deciding factor. And the Octavia demands the highest of quality.
Anodized in the USA from a company who dedicates most of its time to the medical and military world, the quality and consistency is an absolute treat. Both the Navy and Bronze are deep - rich in color with a certain depth that you can not experience with anything made from aluminum.
Returning again is the ultra limited AMS2488 Type II (Grey). Only the AMS2488 will include both the Full Ceramic bearing, the NSK Platinum as well as white CBC pads and HS pads.
As usual, you can see how the titanium finish reacts to the natural oils on your fingers. One wipe with a clean cloth removes the swirls and finger prints that you can paint on the finish. The thin layer of oil cause the titanium to refract light in a strange way - creating this beautiful iridescence that people who purchased the Evora raved about. Its truly something you need to experience in person.
There will be 30 Navy, and 30 Bronze Octavias available. 10 AMS2488, at a higher price. All numbered with certificates. The release will be interesting to say the least considering the Evora sold out in just 3 and a bit hours. To battle the insanity, I will be doing the release slightly differently. There will be a "North American" release time, and a "European" release time.
The release will be split in half. The initial release will be in a time convenient to most people in North America. Regardless if they sell out or not, the remaining half of the stock will be added 6 hours later, which will be more convenient to Europeans. So Europeans have a better chance this time around - and if an American misses out on the initial release they can pull an all nighter and try again. Europeans will likely be less fatigued so beware.
So that is a wrap. 3/3 done. One thing I will leave you with is a release date: Sunday, December 6th. I will finalize everything with the exact NA and EU times on Facebook. And last but not least your beloved specs.
2020 we can all agree has been a strange year. I ended up back in Ontario after living in Vancouver for about a year - and the Covid-19 pandemic hit the world. I was stuck at my parents home for a bit but for me, it was somewhat what I needed. I think the years before were such a whirlwind of career change, mental health struggles and general stress of living somewhere new it was a welcomed change. I started seeing a therapist which deepened my understanding of my own thoughts and feelings. In a profound way I look at humanity in a very different light. There are still so many things I need to work on, but putting my head down and getting another release done was a much much longer process this time around - it has been half a year since my last release.
Just finished the brand new website. I made the original website in 2015 - back when things were a bit more primitive and my design/photography was a bit lack luster. I like to believe I've improved over the years although I question it sometimes haha. Last year I updated the packaging for the entire line, so it was only a matter of time before I also redid the website.
I left West coast Canada in December but only temporarily - I left most of my stuff there. Moved back home with the parents for a bit after the start up I was working for went under - I saw it coming though, and it was a crazy well timed event that landed me back home. The slowness of releases in 2019 were a good indication of how busy I was, but also trying not to force creativity when my mood isn't the best. A few issues cropped up when I left Vancouver, mostly my deteriorating mental health. More often than not my projects become ways to cope with how I feel weather its cars or coding or doing yoyo releases.
Rowland Balcom
November 30, 2015
Love with what your doing with you company Jeff! Hopefully, I will be able to snag one of these for the release. Good luck to you, and your company:)