ARES 2026 Founder Build Experience

Remember when you used to make things?
We never stopped.

Most people buy a watch.
Almost nobody builds one.

The ARES Founder Build Experience is the only place in American watchmaking where you can cut your own steel, finish your own case, personalize your own dial, assemble your own movement, engrave your own case back, and walk out wearing the Mission Timer you made.

Because a watch you build isn’t just a watch.
It’s proof you were here.
It’s evidence of your hands, your time, your life — pressed into steel.
It’s not purchased; it’s made.
And that changes everything.

When you’re gone, they’re going to sell your house.
They’re going to auction your cars.
They’re going to pawn your Rolex.

But they’ll fight over the Mission Timer you built.

No other American watch company can do what we do.

So if you’ve ever felt the pull to make something real,
this is the place you cross the threshold.

Come make something worth fighting over.

Availability for 2026.

We don’t do this often, and we don’t do this for everyone.

ARES is a working shop first — a place where steel is cut, parts are made, and real production happens every day. Opening the doors for the Founder Build Experience isn’t a product decision. It’s a commitment of time, tools, focus, and hands-on guidance.

Because of that, we offer only 7 Founder's Dates in 2026.

Not classes.
Not sessions.
Weekends.
One at a time.
Small, personal, founder-led.

Most years, only a handful of people will ever stand at these machines and make their own Mission Timer. The rest of the world will keep buying watches in glass cases from sales counters under mall lighting.

You’re choosing something different.

If you see a date available, take it. When the calendar fills, the door closes until the following year. We don’t oversell spots. We don’t expand capacity to chase demand. We keep it small on purpose — to protect the craft, the experience, and the story you walk out with.

This is the one watch in your life you won’t regret making time for.

Thursday Evening – Arrival & Reception

You arrive in Stanwood at ARES HQ and step straight into the ARES community.

• Whiskey & Watches reception

• Meet Matt and the local ARES crew

• Food, fellowship, and stories

• Shop walkthrough

• Safety briefing

• Watch configuration and material selection

This isn’t a warm-up —
this is where you cross from the outside world into the maker’s world.

Friday – Machining the Heart of Your Timer

This is the day steel becomes purpose.

THE LATHE
Cut your raw steel into the beginnings of your Mission Timer case.

THE MILL
Drill, profile, and machine your geometry on our Haas VF-1 —
the same machine that cuts every ARES we make.

THE BLAST TANK
Texture your case by hand and bring the surface to life.

Every cut guided.
Every decision yours.

Saturday – Finishing, Dial Work & Assembly

This is where your timer becomes a reflection of you.

CERAKOTE BOOTH
Apply your chosen finish under direct supervision.

DIAL STATION
Personalize your dial — print, apply, or refine your variant.

ASSEMBLY BENCH
Set your movement.
Press your hands.
Seat your stem and crown.
Seal and torque your caseback.
Build your timer from the inside out.

You’re no longer watching a watch being made.
You’re making one.

LUNCH 
A closing meal with the ARES team before heading home, wearing the Mission Timer you built with your own hands.

PRESSURE TEST
Depth testing and verification — the same standard every ARES must pass.

FINAL INSPECTION
You approve your own work.
You sign your QC card. 
You engrave your caseback with your serial number.
You take your first wrist shot.

The final steps before you return home with something no one else on earth has.

Guaranteed for life. 

AVAILABILITY

These are the only available Founder Build Weekends for 2026. 
Small. Personal. Founder-led.
If you see a date available, take it.

We will contact you directly regarding scheduling and travel information. 

Full payment required at booking.
Non-refundable.
Transferable with 60 days’ notice.
Travel and lodging not included.