We are at the end of another year yet again. We are incredibly thankful for all the support that we've received this year, despite some headwinds in the broader economy. Honestly, we didn't know what to expect given the slowdown, but we've managed to get through 2022 in relatively good shape.
We are so glad to be able to continue to provide value to the watch community in our own little way, doing our part in this corner of the Internet. With every year, we get closer towards our vision of being a one-stop location for watch accessories, and this year we made big strides towards achieving that vision.
If I had to summarise 2022 in one word, it would be Foundation. We are establishing a strong foundation for what's to come in the next 5-10 years. It may seem like Delugs has already grown a lot since we first started in 2018, but we are honestly just getting started.
Let's celebrate 2022 by looking back on some of the most significant moments from this year:
We Moved Into a New Space
Since starting this "passion project" in 2018, Delugs has been run out of a bedroom. Earlier this year, we finally took the leap to move into a proper space earlier, a move that was a long time coming! This gave us a lot more space to expand the number of straps and accessories that we kept in inventory, ensuring that our straps remained in stock, and also allowed us to bring on more people to the team. This was a huge and necessary step in order for the brand to grow meaningfully for the years to come!
Our Delugs Team Grew
As soon as we had a permanent space to call home, we focused on growing the Delugs Team. We were operating way past capacity since 2021, which was not a position that we wanted to be in. Thus we grew the Delugs team quite a bit in 2022, making sure that we could provide the same level of service standards and customer support even as our sales volume increased. It's great to finally have a larger team to get through the daily work, to discuss ideas and initiatives, and to just talk about watches!
Releasing Tissot PRX Rubber Straps
Releasing the PRX rubber straps was a very significant milestone in our journey. This was our first rubber strap ever made, and also the first time we made a strap for a watch even before the watch brand made one themselves! The reception from the community has been nothing short of positive, with some colours and sizes already sold out! We've learnt a lot from this first rubber project, and we're very excited to further expand on the rubber collection in 2023!
Booth at Singapore Watch Fair!
With COVID-19 in the rearview mirror, in-person events are back and Singapore Watch Fair was held in October this year! We decided to get a booth at the fair, which was the first time we had a physical presence in public. Many watch enthusiasts in Singapore and beyond came out to check out our booth, and it was great to meet with many of our fans in person for the first time!
Launching the Cartier Strap Collection
I've been a big fan of Cartier watches, and making straps for their watches was a logical step (given how challenging it may be to find 3rd party strap makers for some of their watches). While we started with custom straps for the Santos de Cartier and Santos-Dumont last year, this year we finally had the capacity to make those straps in stock, and started a dedicated Cartier page and collection. We also launched our Cartier Tank collection, which was very well-received by many Tank owners! It was great to be able to provide straps for fellow Cartier lovers!
Suspending Sales of Santos de Cartier Straps
But of course, who could forget about that faithful letter from Richemont, that directed us to stop the sales of our Santos de Cartier straps. While this was not a development that we wanted, and not a moment for celebration given the loss to watch community, it was definitely one of the most significant events of 2022. For one, we definitely didn't consider ourselves big enough to be on Richemont's radar! This saga is far from over - will there be further developments before May 2023? Stay tuned to find out!
Elastic Loops - New Widths, and Pairing with the Swatch x Omega watches
We launched the Elastic Loop collection in 2021 in 20mm lug width. This year, we added 18mm, 19mm, 21mm and 22mm to the collection, allowing more collectors to wear these straps with their watches and trying out this new style of strap.
The release of the Swatch x Omega watches provided the perfect watch to pair our Elastic Loops with, and we're glad to see many owners ditching the stock strap in favour of our colourful Elastic Loops!
Creating More Strap Guides
We released our first Strap Guide in 2021, but it was only in 2022 when we were more diligent and consistent in releasing them. We worked with many watch collectors in the community to create these guides for a wide range of watches, creating a database of watch-strap pairings that is enjoyed by all. Till date, we have a total of 45 strap guides on the website! Thank you to all of our contributors who put in the work and hours in creating the beautiful photos and write-up!
Meeting Customers in Person
With our new showroom, and at the Singapore Watch Fair, we had more opportunities to meet and connect with our customers and fans. As a primarily e-commerce brand, these in-person interactions were almost non-existent before this year. Getting to meet with many passionate collectors in person, to chat about watches, straps and accessories, and to see the impact that our straps have in the appreciation of their watches, have been nothing short of amazing and fulfilling!
Black Friday & Cyber Monday Sales
We run our Black Friday & Cyber Monday sales every year, but this year was particularly significant because the entire Delugs team came together. We worked as a team to ensure that we could keep up with the sales, get orders sent out as soon as possible, and to reply to all customer enquiries in a timely manner. We managed to get all orders sent out within just a couple of days after the sales ended, which was a huge step up from previous years, when orders would take up to one week after the sales!
That's a wrap for 2022! Thank you for joining us on this journey, and we'll see you in 2023!
