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I DESIGNED A WATCH!  AND IT LAUNCHES TODAY from London-based company, Mr. Jones Watches:

https://mrjoneswatches.com/

For those of you who've not clicked through to that link yet, this watch is being released in a limited run of only 100, as you can see from the custom illustrated engraved case back:

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It's called "Step Right Up" and features an old carnival shooting gallery.  The targets allow you to tell the time, and here's how:

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On Tuesday, I'll elaborate on why and how this release came to fruition.  Until then, best of luck getting your hands on one of the remaining 100 copies. 

Thank you so much for all your kind words, everyone!

Ha! So cool, twenty84 !!! You're a lucky duck. They've not been on the market for 2 hours and there are only 8 remaining.

Thanks a bunch, all! This is...just...so humbling. Thank you!

...aaaand they're gone. In less than 2 hours. Wow-wow-wow! Thank you, again, for making this an unbelievable morning for me.

Sincerely,
Ryan

Thanks so much, guys! I really appreciate all the support!

My gosh, yeah, that was...faster than any of us expected. Now that the dust from yesterday has settled, I'm told that they sold-out in 2 hours and 2 minutes, which, as Nic mentioned, is...

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I'm...still coming down off that high. Kind of in disbelief.

All this to say, in silver linings, if you're still interested, they opened up a waitlist link:

https://mrjoneswatches.com/products/step-right-up

If enough folks sign up, they'll reissue it in an UNlimited run. *fingers crossed!!!*

Also, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention...

twenty84 NicoVolta & Charliew65 ...

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>>>THANK YOU!!!<<< for helping to make this such a runaway success. I hope you love your new watches. I have a feeling you'll be happy with them. I've been living with mine for a couple months now and I'm still astounded at the level of craftsmanship the MJW team put into each piece.

Just...wow...I don't even know what to say, but...thank you. Seriously. Can't express how much your support means. Sincerely.

Oh my GAWD...they are bonkers, right? They've gotta have the most crazy FedEx contract. Every time I received a prototype throughout the design process, it arrived in Michigan (from the UK) in 24 hours. I wondered what that would look like when it came time for order fulfillment, but it seems as though they must have been working overtime because I've not heard of an order that took longer than a day to arrive. Unbelievable! It's been a pleasure collaborating with a team who is not only creative, but also organized and conscientious. They've been a joy to work with from start to finish.

Awesome! I really hope this will go a long way to convincing the company that a reissue should happen. Thank you, guys!

...and I'm sorry folks missed out on the limited run. These moved a lot faster than any of us expected. All this to say, if you missed it above, they opened up a waitlist link:

https://mrjoneswatches.com/products/step-right-up

If enough folks sign up, they'll reissue it in an UNlimited run. *fingers crossed!!!*

Yes, it's kinda their typical business model these days. Release a limited run of 100, see how it does, if demand is great enough then reissue.

From what I've seen, they keep their prices quite consistent. LE's and Standard runs function (and by and large LOOK), exactly the same. So I've not seen price fluctuation between LE's and reissues. From all my experiences with them, they're really a very thoughtful and conscientious company. I'm proud to be associated with them.

Yeah, ha-ha! I know this seems a little out-of-the-blue for me. On Tuesday, I'll post the whole story of how this came to be on my website:

www.ElephantEater.com

It was first released on their website, but within seconds I was posting to my email list subscribers, on my website, social media accounts, Pinside, etc. My email list was timed to release pretty much the second the announcement went live on the MJW website. If you're interested in jumping on my update list (I send out emails roughly 4 times a year. It mentions things like my public appearances...back in the before times ...as well as new projects coming out, like Coin-Op Carnival, my comics, neon design, and now watches), then feel free to shoot me a private message with an email address you'd like me to add.

You're darn tootin' I was. Ha-ha! I even asked if I could give my readers (email subscribers) a heads-up a day before so they'd have a better chance of getting one. I was told, "Absolutely not!" Ha-ha! ...which is totally fair. But, as I mentioned, I did let my email list know seconds after the watch was live on the MJW website.

Hope this answers a few questions, guys. Thanks, again for all your support.

Finally, if any of you managed to nab one, I'd love to get a picture of you wearing it. I'm putting together an art book and would like to make a collage of folks with these watches. If you're willing, please contact me.

Take care, all!
-Ryan

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Remember on Thursday when I was like, "Hey, I designed a watch!"

...and you were like, "Wait, what?"

...then I was like, "No, really!"

...and you were all, "Okay, I guess?"

Well, here's the story of how it all came to be:

http://elephanteater.com/15036/wait-a-watch

Thanks so much, guys!

*fingers crossed*

ME TOO!!! I think I have about 5 of them now. *LOL*

Also, I see a 000/100 on that caseback. Looks like you got yourself a prototype! Neat!

Cool. Thank you for doing that. Sincerely.

OH COOL!!! Please post which one you got! So many great designs from their company.

In other news...

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Mr. Jones Watches released a podcast interview with me today. We talk about my career as a comic book artist, a university professor, my recent work designing neon signs, oh yeah...and a watch I designed for them.

Podcast:
https://mrjoneswatches.com/blogs/podcast/episode-eight-interview-with-ryan-claytor

Watch:
https://mrjoneswatches.com/products/step-right-up

That's my wife's favorite! I have a feeling that'll make it's way under the xmas tree for her this year.

Ha-ha! Thanks...and sorry.

*LOL* ...correction...second favorite.

Thank you!

Fantastic. Thank you, again!

I...don't know what to make of this. Ha-ha! Glad it's desirable, but...seems like...a lot.

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SHORT STORY:
Please sign up for my quarterly comics email list here:
http://elephanteater.com/contact

LONG STORY:
As you may know, in addition to designing the Mr. Jones "Step Right Up" watch, I'm also a comic book artist, most recently released Coin-Op Carnival. During a typical summer convention season, I’ll not only exhibit my work but also collect email addresses to stay in touch with folks who are interested in my art. However, with conventions in 2020 either delayed, canceled, or moved online, gathering new emails for my updates has been slow at best. As I’ve discussed this with people close to me, I’ve also become acutely aware that while I make my best low-pressure attempt to collect email addresses during conventions, I’ve been woefully negligent about asking friends and family if they’d be interested in joining this list.

With all that said, what exactly would you be signing up for, should you decide to join this list? Essentially, I’ll email you about 4x/year (sometimes it’s even less, but on a good year it’s just about four). These updates mention new book releases, public appearances, unreleased behind-the-scenes info, and key events surrounding my artwork. If you decide to join, I promise not to release your information and you’re able to opt out at anytime. Are you interested in seeing an example email? No problem. Click here to see the Summer 2020 update I sent a couple weeks ago:

https://madmimi.com/s/8690d01

In case it wasn’t clear, I’d like to make a push to get more email sign-ups, and I’m trying to make it as easy as possible with this hand-dandy form:

http://elephanteater.com/contact

Once you sign up, you’ll receive a confirmation email with an activation link to finalize the process. Occasionally this email will be diverted to your spam/junk folder. Just make sure to:

1. Click the activation link.

~and~

2. Whitelist that email address so future emails are directed to your inbox.

Finally, if you find it in your heart to share this information, I’d really appreciate that, too.

That’s all I’ve got for ya this week. Thanks for your consideration!

I'm just gonna leave this right here...

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...posted recently on Mr. Jones Watches Instagram.

Thanks so much for all the positive feedback, everyone! Much appreciated. To my surprise, they've announced a release date!

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Best of luck on Thursday!

Sure, no problem. They'll be at:

https://mrjoneswatches.com/

My new design has not been posted, but they've shared a couple of hints on their IG account. Full reveal this Thursday!

Thanks for that link, jellikit ! Much appreciated. ...and that teaser should leave no doubt about the watch's subject matter, either!

Have you seen MJW post about a release time somewhere? If so, link, please.

I'm under NDA, so I can't say much until launch day, but it will be priced comparably with the other watches they offer.

...aaand just as a safe guard, you can also sign up for MY email updates (which I typically send out once every other month) here:

http://elephanteater.com/contact

I plan to send out an update to my subscribers the MOMENT I see the watch go live.

Good luck tomorrow, everyone!

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Shan't be long now!

Did you know Mr. Jones Watches will do custom engraving for you?

It will! The UK and US sites are exact mirrors of one another. The only difference is that the price of the watches are listed in dollars instead of pounds.

Finally, it looks like Mr Jones Watches put up one final teaser:

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...see you in the morning, guys!

This means 7am EST, 4am PST:

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...aaaand sold out in 26 minutes. THAT...was bonkers.

Thanks to everyone here who showed interest in my design. If you wanted one but didn't manage to beat the crowd, you can show your interest by emailing:

[email protected]

...and let them know you'd love to see "Ricochet" get moved into their permanent collection.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Sincerely,
Ryan

Thank you so much, everyone! Looks like they posted an interest list on the same page:

https://mrjoneswatches.com/products/ricochet

...so that should make things a little easier than emailing them directly. Regardless...

...thank you, Tommy!

Thanks, again, for all the kind words! I really appreciate it.

First, I'd like to toss some photographs here for posterity (how have I not posted these yet???):

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Also, I've not had a chance to let you know about all the cool features on this design!

- If those robots look SHINY, THEY ARE! In fact, they're GILDED in gold, palladium, and copper leaf!
- Not only are those bots gilded, but this is the first watch the company has ever TRIPLE-GILDED!
- While my previous watch design used a quartz movement (battery powered), this design uses an AUTOMATIC MOVEMENT (operates completely mechanically without batteries, automagically wound by the movement of your wrist)!
- The particular type of movement is called a "JUMP HOUR" movement, in which the hour numeral stays in one place until the minutes move back to "00", at which point the hour JUMPS to the next digit. Pretty fun to see at the top of each hour! Check it out:

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- Finally, if all that wasn’t exciting enough, the inserts and pop bumper on the playfield appear to “light and unlight” (due to the rotating seconds disc behind it), giving the scene a more lively and interactive feel!

Sorry to twist the knife for folks who didn't manage to get one, but hey, have I mentioned that I have an email update that I send our every other month? It talks about new art of mine, lots of behind the scenes stuff before I share it publicly, and even up to the minute announcements about launches like THIS! All this to say, if that sounds interesting to you, you can sign up here:

http://elephanteater.com/contact

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...and I promise I'll let you know if MJW decides to release any of my designs into their permanent collection.

Many thanks for your interest in my work, everyone! I truly appreciate it!

I've been away on vacation with my family for the past week, so pardon my comlag, but I sure love seeing these arrive quickly, safely, and that they're well appriciated!

Great shots, guys!

I've got about half-a-dozen of their designs. Let me know what else you get!

...and thanks for all the interest here! As Mr. Jones Watches has stated, there will be a reissue into their permanent collection. Even I'm not sure when that will happen, but you can bet I'll keep you updated.

In the meantime...

...looks like we know where #76 went. Ha-ha! That's an incredible pic!!!

Oh, P.S. In other news, I'm about to send out my every-other-month email update which talks about my art, much of which hasn't been shown publicly...

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Here's a sign-up link for interested parties:

www.ElephantEater.com/contact

Thanks, again, all!

Huh! That's interesting. I've heard nothing of this. I can ask around the company if you're interested. They're also quite responsive to customer queries if you'd like to ask on your own.

Ha-ha! Thanks for sharing, EasternBloc ! I was honored to be asked by Mr. Jones to represent their company this holiday season. I've been itching to share this artwork for a while. Nice to see it in "out in the wild", as we like to say.

Weellll...it's not a robo-comic, but I do have a new book launching on Kickstarter...ON NEW YEAR'S DAY!

http://www.ahunterstale.com/

It's based on a poem that my late grandfather wrote almost 40 years ago. I can't wait to share that with folks.

Nice of you to offer that. You even got one of those holiday box covers BEFORE I DID! Ha-ha! I was told their Black Friday sale went so well, they had to print MORE of those illustrated box covers! ...so I'm awaiting reprints to get mine.

Weeelllllll...consider hanging on to some of your holiday money into the new year.

Good morning,

Just thought I'd let folks on this thread know about a newly-released conversation between me and Crispin Jones (Mr. Jones Watches company owner)...

https://mrjoneswatches.com/blogs/design-blog/crispin-jones-in-conversation-with-ryan-claytor

...who interviews me about my watch designs for his company and my new comic book releasing RIGHT NOW:

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...and for the next...not quite 48 hours. Can't wait to share it with you!

www.aHuntersTale.com

Yeah, I'm excited for the reissue, too! Glad to know this watch will be accessible to a wider audience. The first 100 owners had to be PRETTY fast!

Yup! There will be some minor differences. I'll be more comfortable discussing them once the watch is officially announced. Speaking of which...

YES! You should be able to purchase this edition of the watch without a problem. The initial release was limited to 100 watches total. Which...as you know...moved awfully quickly. However, since they're reissuing the watch into their available collection, from my understanding, there SHOULD be plenty to go around.

Hope that helps, guys!

Oh, and while I'm here...just gonna...

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...leave that right there for anyone interested in my latest project.

www.aHuntersTale.com

Hey BudManPinFan

Thanks for chiming in here with your kind words about the design and thoughts about size. You know, Mr. Jones Watches does offer a few "XL" sized watches in their collection. Basically, if there's enough demand, they'll add a design to their "XL" cases. You might consider sending them a message similar to what you wrote here. They're a small company and take customer feedback pretty seriously.

Wishing you all the best,
Ryan

Hello fellow RC (like the cola)!

That's sooo cool to hear! ...and I don't think I've see Ricochet on a black stainless band before! Please post some pictures if you're willing! I'd love to see it! Thanks so much for your kind words here, and I hope you love your NEW TOURNAMENT PRIZE!

Thank you BudManPinFan. That means a lot to me. ...and you're not the only sizable fellow in the pinball hobby. (We gotta move these things around, right? Ha-ha!) So, who knows, if enough folks request it, I can see them adding an XL version. ... they've done it before. Anyhow, just out of curiosity, did you ever hear anything back from them?

P.S. Sorry this response is so belated to you both.

You beat me to the punch! Ha-ha! Thanks for posting this here, fosaisu !

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Very interesting to hear about the PayPal exchange rate, too! I hope this can help a few more folks get this on wrist.

Sale only last through the weekend, tho, and I've never seen them discount my watch (or any of their production watches) this heavily before.

Good luck, everyone!

Wow, that looks great, RC_like_the_cola , thanks for sharing! Hope you love it...and pardon my belated response.

In other news, I've not mentioned this on Pinside, but figured I might at least let this thread know...

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...I've got a Patreon with lots of fun happening there. Seriously, we've got a great community of nice folks on my page, over 100 archived posts about my work with 3x/week updates. If early access to my illustrations, behind-the-scenes process images unavailable anywhere else, as well as exclusive audio feeds sound good to you, here's where you can find a bunch more of that:

www.Patreon.com/RyanClaytor

Take care, all!
Ryan

Nice! Did anyone nab one? PIX OR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN!!!

So, I dunno if you all received this, too, but...

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...after a LOT of watches sold over the holidays, Ricochet is now back in stock.

https://us.mrjoneswatches.com/products/ricochet

MY GOSH!!! *sigh* Sorry, guys. I'll request that they make more than two for the next restock.

In all seriousness, thanks for your support of this product. Means the world to me.

Sincerely,
Ryan

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Back in stock, for those who've been asking.

https://mrjoneswatches.com/collections/all-watches/products/ricochet

Yeeeahh...that happened quickly...again. Ha-ha! I'll try to keep this thread updated for the next restock.

...aaaaaand guess what:

https://us.mrjoneswatches.com/products/ricochet?utm_source=Referral&utm_medium=mrjoneswatches.com&utm_campaign=Redirect

...back in stock! Glad Mr. Jones Watches keeps making this available. Thanks for all the support and interest, everyone!

Ha-ha! Thanks, pinballinreno . Wow...blows my mind every time. Thanks for your support, everyone. Sincerely. I'll update again when it's back in stock. I'm off to ask 'em when that might be.

Back in stock, again!

https://us.mrjoneswatches.com/collections/all-watches/products/ricochet?utm_source=Referral&utm_medium=mrjoneswatches.com&utm_campaign=Redirect

...for now, at least.

If anyone is interested in nabbing a Ricochet watch for the holidays, there's a Black Friday sale going on at Mr. Jones Watches this weekend. Get 20% off for the next few days here:

https://us.mrjoneswatches.com/collections/black-friday-2023/products/ricochet

Hello, friends! It's been a bit. Just wanted to mention that something interesting is dropping soon.

If you can hang on to it for about a week, I think you'll be happy you did.

The things, they will be revealed soon!

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Ha! I see WATCHu did there.

Happy Tuesday, all. Tomorrow's the day.

I think they release them at a little more humane hour now. I wanna say around 10 or 11am Eastern? In the meantime...

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...on my wrist in my arcade.

Alright, my friends, the wait is (nearly) over. At noon Eastern time today, MJW will release a newer, larger version of my pinball playin' robots watch, Ricochet! AND KEEP READING FOR A DISCOUNT CODE! I've heard A LOT of you request a bigger version of Ricochet and Mr Jones Watches (the manufacturer) listened!

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With the added room on the dial, they even let me illustrate a NEW ROBOT along with some additional background details.

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This newer, larger version (with 33% more robot!) is called Ricochet XL and still sports the same mesmerizing automatic jump-hour movement (the hour stays perfectly in place until the minutes move back to zero and then...BAM! NEXT HOUR!), pinball-playin' bots, and that incredible triple-gilding. Hard to do it justice in photographs but here a shot of it on my wrist:

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I was blown away when my copy arrived just a few days ago! I think you will be, too.

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And if this news wasn't exciting enough, Mr. Jones Watches even gave me a 20% OFF DISCOUNT CODE to share with my friends. So, if you decide to pull the trigger on a Ricochet XL or a standard Ricochet, this discount code works on EITHER MODEL!

Discount Code:
RYAN20

Just pop that in the discount field at check-out and keep a little more dough in your pocket while you enjoy this art on your wrist.

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I'll leave you with the permalink:

https://us.mrjoneswatches.com/products/ricochet-xl

...which should begin functioning at noon Eastern today.

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Thanks for all your interest and support of my work. I hope you love this newer, larger version!

Thanks so much! I really appreciate that.

This is not a numbered version.

You got it!