Where are our products made? The short answer is HERE—as in our heads! But when we really talk about idea generation, our production process, etc., the answer is much longer.
We’ve talked about who we are and why we do what we do in our blog and other channels. But we still haven’t mentioned how are products are born. How long does it take for an idea to become a reality, why do we use partners from around the world to produce our accessories, and how can we be sure that our quality’s the best? Read more…
Every idea that arises from somewhere in our subconscious seems brilliant at first—like something you can shape into a product immediately and share with the world. Yet the truth is that it often takes a bit of time for ideas to be realized. So even though you may want to jump straight to development, it’s often better to take your time to make sure the first version is perfect. And that’s exactly why we never rush to some drilling rig when we have an idea—we collect our thoughts and inspiration, fermenting the grapes of creativity. When our thoughts become a little clearer, perhaps we also start making some sketches in our notebooks to better formulate our vision for a design.
But where does this inspiration come from to create more eye-catching wooden watches, stylish sunglasses, or sturdy phone cases? It’s simple—nature. It’s a fact of life: good ideas never come when you force them; they come only when you free your emotions and calm your mind. In fact, we can say without a doubt that most of our products have been inspired by tranquil moments spent in nature itself—whether it’s a cozy evening by a campfire on a lakeshore in Estonia or a crisp morning in the mountains of Norway.
When the idea for a unique watch design or new sunglasses finds its way into our sketches, and it’s bounced back and forth several times, we know it’s time to finally bring it to life. As you might imagine, the next step of the process—prototyping—often takes the most time. Whether it’s the perfect shape for wooden spectacle frames or the right size and best materials for our wooden wrist watches, we always strive to find the ideal solutions. We’re perfectionists by nature, so we need to be sure that every inch of the product gets our full attention.
Often, the most energy and time goes into perfecting the smallest details. For example, it’s not too extraordinary when everything but the color of a watch’s hand is perfect, but we still can’t launch the product. We’re picky—it’s how we are, and we can’t help it. Of course, it also takes time to find the right treatment for the wood so we can be as eco friendly as possible without sacrificing the quality of our products.
When a prototype is ready, it’s time to make a painful decision: to either introduce a bold new product to the market or leave it on the shelves to collect dust. It’s not easy. And that’s why we always seek input from our colleagues and acquaintances. Only when we receive a unanimous “YES” do we move a product to the next phase—production.
Alas, with quality comes the dreaded price tag. Quality accessories are often quite expensive, but you won’t have that problem with us. As part of keeping our products affordable for everyone internationally, we follow an e-commerce business model and sell our products in an online shop.
Without a doubt, our biggest challenge is providing high-quality accessories without charging customers exorbitant prices. Of course, achieving that level of affordability would be nearly impossible if we were to produce all the components ourselves—it would take a Tesla-sized mega-factory and team, because even a watch, for example, can contain several dozen components made from different materials.
Sometimes, it takes hundreds of labor hours, several trips, and thousands of miles to find a partner to work with in order to cut our expenses and keep prices down. We can proudly say that if we were to include all of our partners from around the world as part of our team, Prosawood would have international branches in eight different countries! But at the end of the day, the soul, mind, and birthplace of all our products is Estonia.
How much of our production takes place in Estonia? The answer varies depending on the product. When it comes to wristwatches, for example, the production process is extremely precise and involves many difficult stages that require special machinery. That’s why the space dedicated to physical production in our studio is a bit smaller than the rest. (However, as we discussed earlier, our work is hardly just about the physical part of production). But with phone covers, almost everything is done in Estonia—from production and the cutting our own developed wood veneer to the development of special golden engravings. It’s about the same with our sunglasses; our partners provide us with wooden blanks, but the rest—from grinding and mounting the lenses to applying our special designs—is done in our studio!
After we’re confident in the quality and design of our work, we can arrange the production of different components to assemble the final product. But even then, our work still isn’t finished. The next big challenge is to put real emotion into our products—to create a work of art and pack it into a warm little box for customers like you. This may seem like an easy job, but it’s a lot harder than you think. Just like the designs for our watches or sunglasses can take months to create, assembling a package for the final product can also take a while—but it’s well worth the wait. Our goal is to surprise you every step of the way, even if it takes tens or hundreds of sleepless nights.
So how long does it take to create a Prosawood product? As much time as needed—because after all, you’re paying for quality, not something cheap that falls apart as soon as you lay eyes on it. But if we include everything from gathering inspiration to the moment you start wearing your custom wooden sunglasses, watches, or spectacles, then our effort can very well be measured in years.
