Lonely Wrist: All Things Watches & Horology
Lonely Wrist dives deep into the intricate world of watches, unearthing the stories, craft, and passion behind every ticking piece. From timeless classics to modern marvels, this podcast winds through the history, mechanics, and cultural significance of timepieces. Whether you're an avid horologist or just someone who admires the beauty of a well-crafted watch, Lonely Wrist offers a unique perspective, uniting enthusiasts and curious minds. Join us every episode as we explore the art of watchmaking, discuss the latest trends, and interview watch industry experts, all while appreciating the silent yet profound voice of every watch's lonely wrist.
Lonely Wrist: All Things Watches & Horology
The Rise of a Baltimore Watch Visionary with Alan of Tsao Baltimore
What if your childhood passion could transform into a global brand? Join us as we explore the captivating journey of Alan from Tsao Baltimore, a dedicated watch enthusiast who turned his fascination with timepieces into a thriving business. From receiving his first watch at the age of ten to overcoming financial challenges and a costly manufacturing mishap, Alan's story is one of resilience and unwavering determination. This episode offers a deep dive into his creative process and the remarkable strides he's made, including significant pre-order sales and unique collaborations, such as the limited edition watch with the Baltimore Ravens.
Alan's brand isn't just about watches; it's a heartfelt tribute to his hometown of Baltimore, Maryland. With designs that honor the area's rich maritime history and local pride, Alan's creations, like the Torsk Diver watch inspired by the USS Torsk submarine, reflect a deep connection to the community. His innovative approach extends to using steel from the Francis Scott Key Bridge for limited edition watches, supporting families affected by the bridge's history. We delve into these creative endeavors and explore how Alan has preserved and celebrated Maryland's heritage through watch design, illustrating the power of storytelling and personal connection in establishing a brand identity.
From entrepreneurial passion to future aspirations, this episode uncovers Alan's dreams of expanding his brand's reach both locally and globally. We examine the challenges of scaling a niche business, the role of festival circuits for brand exposure, and the innovative use of technology like NFTs to authenticate watches. Alan's journey is one of continuous growth, fueled by a desire to prove skeptics wrong and build a legacy for his children. Tune in to discover the essence of resilience, the support of the watch community, and the meaningful connections that drive success in the competitive world of watchmaking.
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Hello everybody, welcome to another episode of Lonely Wrist. Today, sitting in front of us, we have Alan from Sal Baltimore, sal.
Alan Tsao:Yep, sal Baltimore, you got it.
Blake Rea:I just wanted to make sure I didn't botch that I botch so many people's names and brands and I botch it all.
Alan Tsao:I take it.
Justin Summers:We're here to botch it, you've got a passion for doing that, Blake.
Blake Rea:I know, yeah, it's just my my thing. It's just my thing at this point. Um, let's kick off with the foundation of your brand, you know like what? What inspired you to start a watch brand in the first place? Um, you know what inspired you to, to to start this journey?
Alan Tsao:yeah, so I started the brand in 2017, uh, ultimately from an obsession of watches.
Alan Tsao:Uh, you know, once, yeah, I got my first watch when I was 10 years old. Um, it was an orange fossil watch. Love that thing, um, and always was intrigued of how it worked. You know, I always like to play with my hands in terms of like figuring out, take it apart, try to put it back together and hope it works again, right, but I mean, I was 10 years old so I obviously broke the first watch, but over time I fixed it. But that obsession of watches kept growing and growing and growing.
Alan Tsao:And then, you know, life went on. You know, I, you know, after college, got the day job, got some money, I was like, oh shit, now I got some money to buy some watches, right, some really high-end pieces. So, yeah, I bought some Omegas, breitlings, xanaths, and then, yeah, it just kept going and going. And then life continued going on. And then my wife was like you, alan, you gotta stop buying so many watches, you could just start your own company. So started designing 50, 60 different watches until I finally finished one that I absolutely loved. And then, you know, figured out, try to, you know trial and error and try to find out how to manufacture or how, to, you know, actually start a brand. Um, you know, going from someone that had no idea what was happening and how to manufacture or how to, you know, actually start a brand. You know, going from someone that had no idea what was happening and how to do anything. You know, obviously, the first thing I would like Google. You know, manufacturer watch, right, and then you know, first thing that pops up, it's like, oh, cool, so I would send out my designs to the first person on Google. That was the worst idea ever. Um, and then, uh, waited. You know, I paid like five, six thousand dollars to get the prototypes and then waited three months for it to be finished and then got the box opened up. The box I was like, the moment I looked at it was just heartbreaking. Just because it was a such a shitty watch, right, it was a watch that you would find at like a craft store vending machine. So it was terrible, right? So I had to go back to square one. You know that was one of the barriers. You know, my my first stepping stone. Just do I continue Like I just spent all this money and this is what I got. It's terrible.
Alan Tsao:So after that I started actually talking to, you know, other independent brands, micro brands, um, trying to get contact with bigger brands, figure out what I'm doing and how to do it. Maybe they can help point me in the right direction. Um, so I got ahold of some people, uh, one person in particular. He has a brand called McDowell time. He's based in Rockville, maryland. Um, I he just had a Kickstarter, like a year before I launched, and I reached out and say, hey, let me know if you have any time. I'm thinking about starting a watch brand. Uh, maybe you can help. You know, give me some direction, and then you know. Next thing you hear help, you know, give me some direction, and then you know. Next thing you hear like he gives me an email and we talk on the phone for almost two hours just figuring out what to do, how to do it. Maybe he's giving me feedback on my new design and maybe find some new manufacturing and, you know, point me in the right direction.
Alan Tsao:That so that was a lot of trial and error. And then eventually uh found some new manufacturers, uh, and then had a whole new design made. Uh got prototypes, spend another $5,000 on prototypes and then, uh, waited three months for the products to be finished and then it was like night and day. When I opened those boxes, it was awesome. Uh, it was, the quality was so much better than the, than the first version, um, and then that's when I started, uh, creating a Kickstarter campaign for it.
Alan Tsao:Um, and then did, you know, $115,000 in pre-orders during the first campaign and then did, well, but the thing is not many people realize like I priced it so low, like so low that I didn't realize like all the other costs that were involved and I actually lost like fifteen thousand dollars in it. So that sucked, um, but, and that was another stepping stone just to figure out if I want to continue or not, um, and then, next thing, you know, I I start redesigning a new watch, designing. I launched that one on kickstart again like a year and a half later and then that generated like two hundred thousand dollars in pre-order sales. It was priced a little higher, you know.
Alan Tsao:Just you know because I know now, but um, yeah and then now we just launched everything on our own website um, doing some really cool collaborations, really cool projects. But it was definitely a journey getting to this point and it's fun that's good that you didn't let it like deter you.
Justin Summers:I feel like a lot of people get stuck on that first. You know those entry phases of getting into something and then you know you get your heart broken and then you end up leaving.
Blake Rea:So glad to still have you here, man it does.
Alan Tsao:It's great. It was not many people, this. But when I had the day job and I talked to like the COO and the chief marketing officer at that company it was a property management company and then I was like, hey, I'm thinking about starting a watch company and they were like, wow, that sounds cool. Like the COO, their family used to have this watch repair shop repair shop in Maryland. Like they're like, can we be a part of this? I'm like sure, I mean you have the funds. Sure, I mean uh, so they were actually partners in this in the very beginning, up until we got the first you know prototypes and that was so crappy that they're just. They're like you know, we don't want to be a part of this anymore. Uh, good luck.
Blake Rea:I bet now they want in huh I mean probably, but it was just.
Alan Tsao:you know, I was like I get it, so I gave all the money back and then that's when yeah, it was. It's just wild to how things you know happened, but it was cool.
Blake Rea:Was your first watch, the Founders Edition.
Alan Tsao:Was that yeah? That was it the Founders Edition? Nice it's a sweet watch man.
Blake Rea:It is Very classy.
Alan Tsao:It was a classy everyday piece. Yeah, it's because that was kind of like the watch design that I liked at the time. Like every new design or every design after the founders was always a design based on, like you know, I wanted to buy a new watch. So instead of buying that new watch, I would design a whole new watch.
Justin Summers:That's right. It's kind of cool Now that you're a watchmaker, make it for yourself, right.
Alan Tsao:Yeah, exactly, and that's the problem with a brand, though when you own your own brand, it sucks at the same time that it's awesome. Because I love watches so much, I would window shop, I would go to these watch stores, I would drool over the watches. I just can't buy them, I can't wear them. You know, it's like every opportunity is opportunity to sell. At least that's how I. I live my motto like I'm always wearing my watches because you never know when you're gonna come across a customer or someone that that's heard of you, and it'll be just so awkward when you're just like walking past like, oh, you're alan, oh yeah, the watch company, oh, you're not wearing your watch you know, that's just weird right?
Alan Tsao:so every opportunity is opportunity to sell, so it's just unfortunate that I can't wear anyone else's watch. I was going to say you probably could, but I agree with you the only way I can get away with it is a vintage watch, just because there's a whole new level of respect when it comes to a vintage watch.
Blake Rea:I can already see it like alright, honey, let's go to dinner. Alright, shit, let me design the watch for you know, for date night in six months from now you know, there you go so uh, alan, how does uh baltimore's culture and history uh influence the design and the philosophy of your watches?
Alan Tsao:I mean it's in every aspect of the design from you know the movement that we use our Maryland movement to the different, like inspiration from you know the submarine right in Baltimore in a harbor. It's called the USS Torsk submarine, what happens to be the last warship or submarine to bomb an enemy submarine. So it was really cool, wow, and that's, you know, a museum piece in Maryland and there's a lot of history in that. So that's why we designed a diver around the USS Torch submarine, which we call the Torch Diver. So it had a whole bunch of copper, bronze. You know, pipes around the inside of the submarine. You know steel inside outside. So that's why we opted to do stainless steel and, uh, bronze as two different case options. Then we have, like our um, you know, the uss consolationship.
Alan Tsao:We designed a watch after that. There's a lot of history in baltimore, uh, and there's a lot of pride and and just you know, being a part of maryland, the community around baltimore, it's just insane. You know we love our part of Maryland, the community around Baltimore, it's just insane. You know we love our state flag and we love the people in it and like we put that shit on everything Right, there's like T-shirts, there's hats, there's this crazy mass of things on Maryland flags, everything. So it's it's a part of the DNA of South Baltimore. I mean, I'm born and raised in Maryland, so I'm heavily rooted here and then. So everything is inspired around Maryland.
Alan Tsao:We have a Key Bridge watch that we're in production or designing right now, and it's literally steel from the fallen Francis Scott Key Bridge and we'll be making 500 pieces from that steel. All the dials are going to be made from that steel itself, and the cases, the cases are actually going to be CNC machined right in Maryland. So this is going to be a very Maryland watch, from the manufacturing to the actual self. And, of course, like even cooler part, you know a hundred percent of those profits are actually going straight to the families of the victims. So at the end of the day, if everything goes well and you know we're able to to um lower our cost for manufacturing, we'd be able to donate like three hundred thousand dollars to the families.
Alan Tsao:Wow, so that's that's kind of something of Maryland, something very Baltimore. We're a very community oriented. You know, city state that we, you know we, we want to have each other's backs. Similar to a lot of other you know major cities, but Baltimore is, you know, it's very close to my heart and something that, something so tragic that happened with the Francis Scott Key key bridge. You know we, we got a lot of emails prior to us, you know, announcing that we're going to make a watch. We got, you know, 50, 60 different emails every single week from customers saying, hey, alan, you should get some steel from the bridge and make a watch out of. I was like that's a great idea. I have no idea how to do that.
Blake Rea:Um how did that happen?
Alan Tsao:so, like one of my, one of my customers um, one of my customers was actually, uh, contracted out to help with the demolition of the bridge. So right before they were putting all the diner, the explosives around the, the steel to bring it down, he was doing helping doing the, the, the torch cutting and everything. So he's like I got, I got permission from my supervisor. Um, let me know if you want something. I was like absolutely.
Alan Tsao:I'd rather happen out and figure out what to do with it, and you know, then it'd be too late. So he gave me a 200 pounds of key bridge steel, which is pretty wild.
Justin Summers:It's nice to nice to know that. Uh, the news didn't report on you.
Alan Tsao:You know, like local man alan found on bridge in the water trying to cut up the reason why it fell um, but yeah, I could just see the headlines.
Blake Rea:Yeah, yeah, it it has a has a lot of history too. I mean I pulled it up here and I mean obviously it was one of the more traveled bridges in Baltimore and I mean it's from the seven. It was open in 77, um, and then it's super iconic to Baltimore.
Alan Tsao:I mean any like skyline. Like you know, the famous city skylines, usually Francis Scott Key Bridge is in that skyline. You know I would. I would have customers. They would send me their their wedding photos with a backdrop of the key bridge right behind them. It's not there anymore.
Blake Rea:It's crazy, it's just wild yeah, that, yeah, I mean, I remember hearing about that on the news and I was just like shit, like how did this happen?
Alan Tsao:yeah, I mean that's kind of like like, how did this happen? Yeah, I mean, that's kind of like how I found about it. Uh, out about it was my one year old at that time. He woke up in the middle of the night crying, so I went to his room, you know, put him back to sleep, check my phone real quick. I get this email from one of my customers in poland. He's like oh my god, alan, I hope you and your family are okay. I heard about this bridge. I was like what are you talking about? What bridge? Like wipe an ibook? He's like what? Oh my God, alan, I hope you and your family are okay.
Justin Summers:I heard about this bridge. I was like what are you talking about? What bridge? You're like wiping an iBook.
Alan Tsao:He's like what's going on? What are you talking about? So all I did was Google Baltimore Bridge. There you go and I was like, oh my God, this is crazy, this is wild, this is wild. But being able to create something super special for maryland, um, from something so tragic is kind of really cool, because you know, people are are able to really literally have a piece of baltimore on their wrist, a piece of history on their wrist, which is just incredible yeah, yeah, I, um I mean it looks like they're also rebuilding, yeah, and you'll have something quickly, yeah yeah, so 2028, you know, maybe you'll be able to have a piece of sow and that new bridge right, you know exactly um, but no, that that that, yeah, it's unfortunate, it's also crazy, um, but I mean, it sounds like you have a lot of support from baltimore, but I'm assuming beyond that, you know.
Blake Rea:I mean, obviously when you think about watchmaking, like baltimore does not come anywhere close to being, and you know, at the top, at the top of your mind, so would you say, it's been challenging. You know, building a baltimore based brand, um, especially considering, you know you want to do everything in baltimore, you want to keep it local and I mean I can't even imagine there being. I mean, I live in vegas and I, I have, you know, a hand access to a handful of watchmakers, like good watchmakers here, you know, but I'm sure you have a lot of challenges, kind of staying oh yeah, those, those roots I mean 100, I mean even just watchmakers in general, or you know a dime, a dozen.
Alan Tsao:You know they're just there's not many, that there's not many. There are too many watchmakers out there, you know, that are willing to. You know, jump on a new brand or something and start doing assembly and actual watchmaking. Uh, they do more like traditional pieces or, you know, repairs and so forth. So finding a watchmaker that would be interested in doing something like this, these projects that we do, it's hard, but next year will be pretty interesting. Next year is going to be a big growth year. We're actually working to have a full-on facility in Baltimore. Wow, we'll have around five to six, uh well, two watchmakers and, uh, four techs. Uh, it's like assembly, repair, warranty stuff, and then there'll be, like it's just a whole facility, just watchmaking and, you know, creating something super unique, very Baltimore, so like, even though we're focused around Maryland. But we're trying to be like that. You know the space or available service that you know other brands can look after, you know to look into us to help their servicing or repair work or assembly work, because right now we work with a company called Maryland Watch Works. The ultimate goal is to, you know, hopefully, you know, bring them to Baltimore and kind of create our own big watch company in Baltimore, in Maryland, to be like the mecca, you know, of watchmaking, which would be really cool. But yeah, working with you know, right now we're working with a local like of watchmaking, which would be really cool. Um well, yeah, working with you know, right now we're working with a local like machinists, cnc machinists, laser, uh, engravers and so forth, uh, but eventually bringing those machines in house, uh, that's the ultimate goal. But again, those machines are, like, you know, 200 to $500,000 pricey. So in, you know, we're gradually getting to that point and hopefully next year we'll be at a stage that we actually have a full on facility where we'll have all our fulfillment, all our assembly, all our, you know, marketing, design, so forth, all in one single building so people can actually take a tour and see how, you know, south Baltimore operates, from all the little things, from talking to customers to putting orders together and boxing out, going to UPS to, you know, actually seeing the watches being assembled. That's the ultimate goal and we're slowly getting to that point. But yes, it is very difficult because it is one, it's a very traditional industry being in watches so it's very difficult to it is one it's a very traditional industry being in watches, so it's very difficult to get there.
Alan Tsao:And two, you know, just getting people excited about watches. People don't generally you know, the average person consumer aren't generally super excited about watches Like us. You know, watch people Unless you're in it. You know it. But if you're not, you're like, oh, it's just another. You know, watch right, you know it. But if you're not, you're like, oh, it's just another. Watch right. But that's what we're trying to create in Baltimore. We're trying to create that really fun community of watch people getting people excited.
Alan Tsao:One thing to get people excited is this Key Bridge Watch. We're doing this Key Bridge but people are super excited. When we first announced that we were going to do this Key Bridge Watch, like three, four months ago, people were like can we just give you money now? I don't know when it's going to happen, I don't know how it looks like, can you just take my money? I was like I don't feel comfortable taking your money. But thank you so much. But it's just wow. People are getting excited about that.
Alan Tsao:And you know we had this collaboration with this beer company in Baltimore called National Bohemian Natty Bow. It was very Baltimore as a Baltimore icon in terms of brands. They were like the first brewery in Baltimore in 1885. And there's still like a big sign in Baltimore, like an LED sign, which is really cool. And then next year we actually have a license agreement. I don't know if you guys know what McCormick is. You know, when you think about maryland you think about steam crabs. When you're steaming crabs, the seasoning is oh, okay, so we actually have a collaboration with old bay.
Alan Tsao:We're gonna do an old bay watch next year, which would be pretty awesome, um, super excited about that, um. But it's very like, these small things, you know, get people excited and ultimately, as people get more excited about watches, that makes my job easier to really, you know, you know, get this facility up and running because people are excited, people want it, people know about it and that's just kind of. You know, it's an ongoing constant strategy is just keep on getting people excited.
Justin Summers:I was going to ask you to go ahead, Blake.
Blake Rea:Oh, I was just going to say I think we're going to do a first here, cause we've never pulled anything up, but we've got pictures here of the watch. Oh yeah, and there it is.
Alan Tsao:I mean, that's the key bridge watch. So the the entire dial is going to be made from the steel. What that means is we're not going to be applying the indices, we're not painting, we're not printing, we're going to laser etch around the hour markings, the chapter, ring, minute markings, that bridge, it's all going to be laser etched in there so it looks like it's raised hour markings and we're actually lasering the negative space around it all. So what we're cutting from that steel is going to be about two millimeters thick and we're going to basically just cut inside until you have about a point nine millimeter thick dial in the center. But everything else is going to be raised up.
Blake Rea:Wow, that is sick, is it? I? I uh, chris sent me a picture of it and I was like I was like is like what, like this is so cool. Obviously we have, we have so many brands to keep up with. You know nothing personal, of course. Like we're having conversations every day, yeah, and I think the biggest challenge for us is being excited about every single one of them.
Blake Rea:You know a lot of excitement out there but but yeah, I saw this watch and I was like this is a sick watch, thanks so we're not.
Alan Tsao:Even so it looks like it's a white dial. It's actually going to be raw steel, so we're not even going to add any coating. So over time it'll eventually have a patina, eventually even rust, possibly in different parts, which makes it even more unique because it's a part of the key bridge. So don't worry, there's going to be a layer, layer between the actual steel and the movement. So even if it rusts, it won't actually interfere with the movement. So it'll last a long time. So don you don't have to worry about that.
Blake Rea:How many are you guys?
Justin Summers:doing Any bracelets, or is it just coming on like a rubber?
Alan Tsao:We're doing a rubber or a leather strap, so I designed it, so I actually have. So here are the like 3D molds of it.
Blake Rea:Hold on.
Alan Tsao:So the 3D mold of it. So it's a downward. The end link actually follows the lugs downward, so you can basically put any straight strap and it'll look like almost seamless to it. So that's kind of how I want to design it, because I want it to be, you know, because it's so monotone, I want to, you know, people to make it their own, and to make it their own the easiest way to switch out the straps. Um, you're gonna get an orange purple, whatever have you, and it'll just work perfectly with this piece. Um, just, it's just the flexibility of it all, uh, which makes it even cooler.
Blake Rea:So you're talking about like orange, purple, yeah, yeah, I mean like those are colors that you never see. Watchmakers use Orange, maybe subtly, but you guys are very like bold about your color.
Alan Tsao:Well, I mean our sports teams.
Blake Rea:You got the Ravens, orioles. Yeah, you got two.
Alan Tsao:Yeah, it's fun. So yeah, it's pretty cool and we've got some really fun projects and not many people know we actually.
Alan Tsao:We actually also did a, an official baltimore ravens watch oh, wow so it was pretty interesting because last year we really wanted to be like the official watch coming to the Baltimore Ravens. Unfortunately, like that is so expensive. They wanted like $200,000, $250,000 for a licensing deal. I did not see a return in that anywhere soon and that was an annual thing for a three-year contract. That was rough.
Alan Tsao:So what we did was one of our retail partners happens to be the official jeweler of the Baltimore Ravens. So because they own the licensing rights and everything, I kind of you know, spoke to them and got their feedback and say, hey, we can make a Ravens watch if we want to. I already had the design made but I based it off of the Torch Diver. Just, we have like the official Baltimore Ravens shield on there. We have Baltimore official Baltimore Ravens shield on there. We have Baltimore Ravens on the dive bezel. It's really cool.
Alan Tsao:So we made 120 pieces and the clause was we have to give 20 of them 20 of the 120, directly to the Ravens for the suite owners. So those are like executive suite owners. Those are people with some some you know, deep pockets. So it was definitely a no-brainer. It's like yeah, absolutely, please take it. It's just brand exposure for me, uh. And then the the other hundred actually being sold at meritage jewelers right in timonium in maryland, um, so it's really cool. I mean, we john harbaugh already has his watch, um, I don't know. So I've been screenshotting, uh, every time the ravens played their post game or whenever they're on the. Uh, you know the interviews. So here, I don't know if you can see this oh, wow, so yeah, yeah, that's the one.
Alan Tsao:That's the one. The watch is right there nice, that's cool so it's really cool. Um, I just want him to take a picture of it, because I'm just screenshotting over here and so it's only 50.
Blake Rea:That's what I understand correctly only 100, okay, yeah, yeah did you see unrelated, but I'm sure you saw the new nfl watches yeah, the brailing, yeah, brailing it's kind Breitling yeah. I think mine looks better yeah they're coming for you, man, they're gonna release it after you, and then somehow they're gonna send you a cease and desist yeah, I mean yeah, I'll give you a better picture of how the Ravens watch looks like oh yeah, that's awesome pretty wild and we have the official, like raven's emblem there.
Alan Tsao:Yeah, it's, but it's there is it?
Blake Rea:is that bronze? It's a bronze case so I guess it's cool. Have you ever worked with gold, is that? No, not, I mean gold is just so expensive right now I mean you got those big ravens players that love their gold stuff.
Alan Tsao:I'm sure you are right, you are right.
Blake Rea:Seems like a logical progression right?
Alan Tsao:Yeah, I guess so, but I mean these are 43 millimeters. I've made the rubber straps to basically fit like a 10-inch wrist. No one's got a 10-inch wrist, but yeah, it's super long. Yeah, he's making his way, man he's. He's got still dlc francis key, scott bridge. Uh, we're trying to get the orioles. Um, you know, we have all these conversations like they may be interested. May be interested. We're talking to xyz.
Alan Tsao:Okay, it's all right, we'll get there, you know we'll eventually get to the final guy and they'll be like, yes, so we'll see yeah, that's awesome bro.
Justin Summers:I'm curious, uh, alan, what sets your, uh your watch designs apart from other brands that are in the market or at?
Alan Tsao:least I mean, I mean it's a story. I mean, half the time, with any micro brand, independent brand, it's a story. Um, that's what makes micro brands so fun and unique. That's why people kind of gravitate to micro brands, because different brands have different stories, different design aspects, just different in general. It's what the consumer kind of relates to and what they want to be a part of.
Alan Tsao:Some brands are very welcoming. Other brands are very on the back end of things. So it all depends on, like, what the end user really wants to be, you know, and what they want to support. So what differentiates us is, you know the story and you know, ultimately, me, and like how I design my watches, how I approach things, and you know I am always, you know, I am always, you know, super welcoming and, you know, always like to talk watches. Um, and I'm, you know. Again, it's just, ultimately, the difference is the brand owners. Uh, because we could all have, you know, designs. We all divers, we all have dress watches, we all have, you know, uh, field watches or pilot watches.
Alan Tsao:But at the end of the day, it's what do people, what are people comfortable with in terms of how they're supporting others and that kind of plays with everything, like any industry. It's the story behind the brand. You could have the same. You could be selling notebooks, you know, you could be selling the same notebook as Jane Doe back over there. But because people are buying yours, because they enjoy you right, they want to follow you, they want to support you. So it's just awesome. Just because there's so many micro brands, so many independent brands out there that people can just easily pick and choose and figure out what actually is relevant to them. What do they actually enjoy, like, do you like to go snowboarding? Do you like to do? Like cars, do you like whatever? You'll find a micro brand that loves exactly what you love and you want to support them because they are just like you right or like you want to just be a part of that, that atmosphere, that environment.
Blake Rea:So it's that that really is what differentiates a lot of brands, and including myself yeah, um, something I came to mind if you can't get the orioles, just reach out to cal ripken and just do like I was thinking about doing, like a ripken watch, which would be awesome that'd be so sick he's unaffiliated affiliated.
Blake Rea:Yeah, there you go I mean then you'll get pretty much all the oreo customer, you know customer bit like this in a weird way. But um, I I'm curious about you know like stepping back a little bit and you know doing like the licensing deal with like national bohemian, like how did that concept kick off and like how did you finally get to the end and be like all right we're doing it, you know that was.
Alan Tsao:That was surprisingly a lot easier than you thought we think. Um, so I already had a design mind. So if you look at natty bow's head, his eyes winking eye looks like a moon. So I already had the design in mind. I knew I wanted to do a moon phase design. It just made so much sense. You know, instead of a moon, you have nattyty Bow, instead of stars, you have crabs right, it's very Maryland.
Alan Tsao:So I had this design already in my head and all I did was I went on Instagram and I'm already following Natty Bow and I'm like hey, I messaged them and say hey, I have this watch company in Baltimore. I have this really cool design that I think would look really awesome with Natty Bow and I'd love to see if you'd be interested in doing some kind of collaboration or licensing. Fortunately, that's the person that manages their account is a big watch person. She loves watches. So she was like, like alan, I love this project, I'm gonna do whatever it takes to make sure this goes through. So, like, done, okay, that sounds great and that was it.
Blake Rea:That was really it wow, that was, that's awesome yeah, a lot easier.
Alan Tsao:So the harder one was probably well, there have been harder ones that we got. We've been like ghosted, but like I want to do this Utz watch, like I already had mine in mind. You know, utz snacks all the chips. You know you got sour cream. You got original, you got ripples. It was a perfect watch. Right, I wanted to design. I already had to design. I fell in love with it. They loved it. Next thing, you know, they ghosted me. That was it. We didn't hear anything. So I can't even use the design. I love it so much but I just can't do it. So that was unfortunate. But we have.
Alan Tsao:You know, mccormick was a different story. To get into McCormick you have to know someone that knows someone that's on a high level position there. And funny story is my great uncle, like he just retired from McCormick, like a few years ago, and he happened to have a high level position that was doing the licensing for brands. I had no idea, wow, I mean I haven't spoken to to him probably since I was like five years old. It's been that long and I had no idea he worked at McCormick.
Alan Tsao:So, uh, there was an event in Maryland and we had our big, you know our Airstream trailer out. It was a 28-foot Airstream that we converted to a watch boutique, kind of like Oris. And then they were walking at the event and they noticed you know my logo, you know Sal Baltimore, sal being my last name, and they're like I think we're family and we're like, yeah, I think so too. And then he saw that we were doing a Natty Bow and he's like let me know if you're interested in doing something with McCormick, because I used to work there. I just retired from there. I was like, okay, that sounds amazing. So he gave me some names, some introductions, and then, next thing, you know, we got the green light. So it was pretty cool. That's awesome, bro. We've been incredibly lucky with those collabs, um, and we're hoping the luck, you know, continues, but it's just been very fortunate can.
Justin Summers:Can we get a w in the chat for loomed crabs? I don't think I've ever seen that on a watch yeah, I'm looking at the natty bow and I'm like bro, that's wild to have a balloon on the crabs we even put the mustache on the counterbalance of the second hand.
Alan Tsao:It's amazing. You saw the packaging of it.
Justin Summers:I don't think so. No, I haven't.
Alan Tsao:It looks like this I just happened to have it. It's a beer company, so it comes in this beer can it has like, instead of a, nutritional facts, you have actually like watch facts.
Justin Summers:Oh, that's amazing.
Alan Tsao:And then you just pop it open and you got watch.
Blake Rea:Dude so sick. I know Chris loves that watch because he's got one this is awesome.
Alan Tsao:Explain to me, too, so sick. I know I know chris loves that watch because he's got one and he was super.
Blake Rea:This is awesome though explain to me, to the so you have, yes, you have your baltimore watch company and then you also have so, so like think of it like um.
Alan Tsao:So with baltimore watch company we're doing a lot more local collaborations where those are mainly focusing on the Miura 9015s, any Seiko movements or like Swiss quartz movements you know the South Baltimore is going to be more focused on our Maryland movement or high end Swiss automatic movements. So, like I say, go Grand Seiko kind of thing, but quality remains the same. It's just the movement that changes. Got it Cool?
Blake Rea:Yeah, so like.
Alan Tsao:What's the Go ahead? So, like you know, natty Bo, it's a very Baltimore watch. You know, yeah, we could put South Baltimore in there, but I think people enjoy, especially locally, like Baltimore watch company because it has some more significance to it. Um versus south baltimore is more higher end pieces, so it's a little different fair enough.
Justin Summers:Yeah, and the people will pick and choose and you know you'll have different, different demographics and things like that. Yeah, exactly, um, what's your uh, what's your design process? Like alan, if you don't mind me asking um and can you walk us through? You know, kind of like how a new watch concept, um, comes alive so it takes a while.
Alan Tsao:Um, you know it starts. I start with figuring out what kind of movement I want to use. You know, I, I build the, I design the based on the, the movement in particular. So, um, so, for example, if you're using, like Miura 9015, I'll use, you know, three-hander, standard three-hander, but we have variations of that. And then the style of watch field watch, pilot watch, dive watch, dress watch, whatever.
Alan Tsao:So I would start designing indices and then texturing of the dial, the different markings, hour markings, disease and then texturing of the dial, the different markings, hour markings and then, uh, then I'll start on the, then I'll start working on the case, uh, design and figure out how that's going to look in correlation with the dial itself. Um, and then you know, I would finish that process and then I would put it on the side for like two days and never see it and then come back to it and if I like it, I'll slowly, you know, improve upon it, uh, put some more enhancements, redesign more parts to make it better. If I don't like, I would just scratch it and restart the whole process again. Uh, the pro that process usually, I mean I usually go through like two or three iterations during each design Um, you, um, you know, scratching it, starting all over. Scratching it, starting all over. And uh, it before it was based on, like, if I wanted a watch, instead of buying the new watch, I would design my perfect variation of that watch. Uh, and fortunately, um, I've a lot of people also like the same designs that I like, which is great. So we're not going crazy in terms of the designs or really out there. So that's good.
Alan Tsao:But it's just a process that keeps on. It's a repetitive process in terms of the design, figuring out what I like and making it more perfect, uh, making it my, my version of perfect right, and then then you keep on going and then you know you. Then, once you have the design, then you start nitpicking and I'll, you know, I'll ask my wife, you know, what do you think you know? Then I'll ask some other watch brands get their idea of like, what are your thoughts on this? Um, and then keep going and go from there and then that process from like design to a prototype or design to actual production, probably like nine, six to nine months generally. So a lot of times we have to like start right now for the process for next year. You know, design like three or four watches this year for to get ready for next year. So it's yeah, it's a time game.
Justin Summers:Do you ever feel like you get like writer's block, like all the time finding watches?
Alan Tsao:yeah, I I did, especially with the key bridge watch, only because because I wasn't basing it on a watch that I wanted, I was basing it on just being the Keybridge, like it was more than another watch, it's a piece of Baltimore. So I felt like there was a lot of pressure involved to make this watch unique on its own but perfect for baltimore. And that was tough because I never designed a watch like that. Um, so it took about like eight iterations of the key bridge watch. That's why it took me like four months to just finish the design process, because I just kept going back into it, throwing away, going back to a new design, starting a whole new one, starting a new one, and then it just kept going back and forth and then, after that, was figuring out to make sure that the CNC machines in Maryland can handle a specific design that I'm trying to do so we're doing a lot of testing and retesting and then to make sure that we're able to recalibrate their CNC machines to go so fine into a watch case, because generally the companies around here have these large government contracts with DC being right down the street, so they're working on, you know, aircrafts, satellites, spaceships, right, so there's some crazy stuff, and of course there's, you know, medical equipment.
Alan Tsao:But figuring out how they can, you know, fine tune their machines to work on a more precise level, like watches, it's a challenge on its own. So, yeah, so we had to keep on going back and forth with design to make sure, like, okay, can your machines do this, can your machine do that? And it's like, no, okay, let me go back to the drawing board, let me change up the cad and alter, like you know, go with a whole bunch of numbers and shifting out the designs a little bit here and there to make sure it works. And it was a lot of back and forth, but we're in a good place.
Justin Summers:That's cool, man, I mean ultimately, you know you, you have to rely on your manufacturing process to also implement the design of your watch. So you're working with all these different variables to ultimately make that finished product. Yeah, I think it's cool, man. I mean, you know it's. It's a respectable craft, um, especially for you to be, you know, so good at designing something and then having it, uh, you know, be a full blown product that's successful. Um, I think it's a. It's a cool Testament, man. Uh, cause not everybody, you know, has the ability to do that. Um, like we were talking about earlier, a of people will, you know, get to those beginning phases and make a product or two that doesn't do well and end up quitting. So it's cool to see you, you know, taking that process and making it your own man yeah, it's a journey, man, it's a.
Blake Rea:It's definitely a journey and it's awesome, but it is crazy stressful, but it is fun well, most consumers don't understand that a watch brand is only as good as their suppliers are 100 like. You cannot be better than your suppliers at producing a product.
Alan Tsao:You can have a killer design, but absolute shit quality.
Blake Rea:I'll just you're failing yeah, something I noticed too on the key bridge watch. Um is the case like something that, like uh and peter, like peter from jack mason came on and uh, we also had him on like a live stream, where we did like a live stream with him and got people in the chat to ask questions and stuff, which was yeah really fun but um you know, hearing peter obsess about like case design and something that when I first saw the Key Bridge watch I was just like dude, this case is sick.
Blake Rea:Thank you. So, like I don't even know, like I guess maybe I just don't have that genetic, like DNA, where I can understand how a case is designed. But it looked like you had fun or it was, and also an insane challenge because it looks. It looks sharp but also feels rounded.
Alan Tsao:Yeah, in a weird way I mean, yeah, it's pretty wild. I mean this looks rough, obviously because it's 3d printed, but yeah, yeah, well, yeah, I mean it was. It was tough just to keep going back and forth with this actual case design. But yeah, I mean, we rounded all the edges and we'll see how the finishing turns out at the end. Especially, finishing here locally is going to be a little different, but we're trying to do like polished edges and then, yeah, it should be a very clean case.
Justin Summers:Um, I noticed that some of the like the vertical brushing, and then I figured like some of the around the dial would be, uh, you know, polished and stuff it was a little dimension. Oh yeah, you'd be surprised at how many people overlook that aspect of designing watches is, like you know, every everything is just like the same palette, or they don't think about, you know, rounding these edges, so whenever it's in the hand, it feels completely different. Exactly, it's cool you guys are doing all that, man. Yeah, we're trying.
Blake Rea:Are you guys gonna do a bracelet for that?
Alan Tsao:watch too now we're doing, um, either a leather or a rubber strap with it, only because 80% of this piece is going to be manufactured in Maryland. Having to manufacture the bracelet is a whole new challenge, just because you, yes, they can machine it, but we don't have the manpower to put the bracelets together, put each links together. It's me behind it all, and then we have a watchmaker and that's it. It's really just two or three of us. We don't have the manpower to actually put the bracelets together, which is unfortunate.
Blake Rea:But that's why we're kind of doing just the leather and rubber strap, because people can just, you know, mix and match and do whatever they want with it yeah I mean it's a cool work around though ton of sense, um, and then you know, obviously I was weird and I've noticed every single watch you, you have that baltimore like swagger, or you have some type of element that you define as being proud to be from baltimore. Um, so in terms of design and approaching that, um, like, like, it seems like you just have a grab bag of little baltimore ideas you can throw into every watch.
Alan Tsao:Yeah I mean I mean that's a cool thing about baltimore. There's a lot of history. I mean we have like we have the bno railroad, you know, museum. We have a baltimore museum of industry, you know like there's a. Basically canning oysters right in Baltimore was a big thing in Baltimore. So eventually there'll be something around there.
Alan Tsao:You know we have a whole bunch of historic warships around here. But, yeah, there's a lot of inspiration around here and it seems endless, but it's just, you know, figuring out the time to design something based on that or utilizing that as inspiration, getting time to, you know, just design in general yeah, mother, mother or pearl dial from baltimore oysters is that which would be that could be something dude, that's actually a great idea, man, you need to write that one down, alan.
Blake Rea:Yeah no, just don't don't listen to me, I don't know no, it's definitely.
Alan Tsao:We definitely considered it, don't worry. Uh, it's definitely something that's like down the road we, we, um, I have a pretty cool relationship.
Blake Rea:I don't I don't really want to say them on the podcast, but I have a really cool relationship with a high-end watch brand and they. They took pieces of sugar and created a dial from pieces of sugar and then they it's all hand placed, so I mean, this watch is like 150 000, like 200 000, but literally it's just a dial and they just like glued little pieces of sugar onto the dial and there's there's a market for just weird shit like that so that's an ant magnet dude, yeah I, I was just going to say that I was like roaches.
Alan Tsao:I don't know.
Blake Rea:I mean, I will say, if you want me to say the name, I will, but it's Bavay. And yeah, obviously they're crazy, but no, I mean, I mean we're doing something pretty crazy with the old Baywatch.
Alan Tsao:We're literally going to have Old Bay on the dial and then, uh, basically put a uh sapphire glass on top of it, doing hour markings on top of that, so it's all floating on top of old bay uh, old bay, is that?
Blake Rea:that's the seasoning?
Alan Tsao:is that seasoning okay I?
Blake Rea:was like okay, okay it's gonna be spicy I I can't wait to see how that looks too like it's just, it seems like you're having fun with it and a lot of like.
Alan Tsao:These collab projects are super fun just because I could, like you know, I can go pretty wild in terms of like how to design it and just doing all the different things. So that cuts because with that old bay watch we actually got approval to use their original old tin cans that Old Bay came in and those are going to be what the watches are going to be in. So it's going to be awesome. But yeah, just fun having a good time with it. That's awesome bro.
Justin Summers:What opportunities do you guys see for the growth in the future, both locally and globally?
Alan Tsao:I mean we've been growing year over year over year. I mean it's good because we've been like, recently we've been really focusing on, you know, maryland, pennsylvania, virginia, just being that local brand. Like I want you to go to Baltimore, go to Maryland, and when you think about watches, you think about my company, right, kind of what, like Shinola did in Detroit, like why can't we do something here in Baltimore? And that's kind of the thing, like you know, shinola sells all around the world, so but their DNA is in Detroit. So that's kind of like what we want to do with South Baltimore. Our DNA stays in Baltimore, but we are everywhere. You know. That's why all the designs are yeah, they're very like hyper-focused with the collabs, but they're also the design is more so universally accepted. They just love the design because it looks great. It's not like it's a Natty Bow, it's not like the Natty Bow's, it's not like the natty bows. You know, head is on the dial itself and that's it Right. So it's subtle design marks, little details, that kind of uh, make it more accepted by everyone from you know, maryland, or you know California, texas and so forth, so everywhere, and it's cool.
Alan Tsao:But we are working on some really unique projects, even beyond just watches. So I don't know if I told you guys about this in Atlanta, but like NFTs. So think about like NFTs. We're not selling JPEGs, because that just seems weird, but we're actually utilizing the technology behind NFTs, and how NFTs basically started was authenticating original work and basically providing a certificate of authenticity. So what we're doing is creating a platform that eventually, a series of code will be on our watches and you'll be able to use our app to scan your watch and, as long as that code matches the NFT on blockchain, it's authentic. So we could utilize that code in specific areas of the watch to make sure each component is real, from the movement, the straps, the glass, the dials and so forth.
Alan Tsao:So, in a broader scale, if you think about it, think of like eBay. Ebay has a very manual process to authenticate their watches. So if there's a way to form that into more utilizing blockchain and to utilize the technology that can't be duplicated and to make sure that whatever you're buying is actually what you're buying, because I'm also hearing from retailers that they get a customer. I just bought this Breitling on eBay. They bring it to the store. It turns out that Breitling is fake, even though it was authenticated. So there are still human error in authenticating products. So if we can make that human error go into more, you know, technological point of view, it kind of eliminates that error. So that is a big growth opportunity because this can be utilized in more than just watches. This can be utilized in anything tangible of value, meaning anything that's collectible, anything purses, shoes, sports memorabilia, watches anything that has been counterfeited can be protected utilizing the nft platform, this platform, to authenticate it.
Alan Tsao:So it's a big project and it's been pretty wild. When we first announced, like we did a press release because we're working with this crypto company called Flux and they, the moment we had this press release, we were getting hit left and right from, like potential investors, you know, wanting to be a part of it, and this was just the concept at that time. So there's one uh, in particular, they wanted about like 70% of the company, but they were willing to give us $5 million. It's crazy and that was just the the idea. So right now we're we're working on the concept, we're working on the platform where he should hopefully have.
Alan Tsao:We were going to have a beta this year, but now it's moving into. So right now we're working on the concept. We're working on the platform we should hopefully have. We were going to have a beta this year, but now it's moving into probably early next year. But you know, we didn't sell just because we know, like, how big this could be and a lot of times it's going to be just be educating the consumer and because for a while, consumers of nfts, as like board apes or whatever, someone would pay millions of dollars for this, whatever jpeg. It's not our case it's not yeah, not anymore that, that.
Alan Tsao:That crashed real quick, but it's the technology behind it. So it's educating the consumers of the technology of authenticating original work, to making sure what you purchase is exactly what you wanted. Um, and that's a big thing. I mean, counterfeits is like a multi-trillion dollar industry and that's this platform is what fights against it. So, uh, pretty well what, what's?
Blake Rea:what's funny is, um, you know, you mentioned, like breitling, um, and ironically, uh, breitling was actually a brand that actually does have NFT warranty cards at the moment.
Alan Tsao:So it's just some irony there, that's the thing, rolex acquired a whole bunch of patents in different crypto parts because eventually, I think they were trying to do something too, or at least something into to the meta world. But it's a lot of those big companies. The reason why they're not? You haven't really heard of it because they're trying to start from scratch, right. Um, they're trying to recreate the wheel. You know what we're doing. We have the, the companies, the crypto companies that have already developed the platform, have already created, you know, something similar to help authenticate things. So what we need to do, we're just creating the channel between the consumer and to the blockchain. So we're creating that marketplace. We're creating that app that you can just scan your watch and then you, we just have to apply the code into specific watches and, depending where you go or where you want it, that's, that's all it is yeah, yeah, I can't wait to to explore and to see like how you kind of, you know, bring that to market, because that that definitely needs to happen.
Blake Rea:I mean, we all have questions about authenticity. You know, even with people like you meet somebody you're like, wow, that person's not very genuine. I didn't get any genuine vibes from that person just even talk red flags yeah there you go, you know, um, what's so funny too is uh, you know, obviously you're talking about brands from baltimore. I started doing research, I started searching around, I didn't know, but uh, but CoverGirl is from Baltimore.
Alan Tsao:Really.
Blake Rea:Yeah, maryland, yeah.
Alan Tsao:Oh, can you picture a CoverGirl? South Baltimore piece.
Blake Rea:You can use some foundation Boom Go into the dial.
Blake Rea:Boom, boom, buckets, buckets. But no, no, I mean it just seems like you have a lot to kind of pick and choose from. You know, in terms of collaboration, you know bringing the spirit of Baltimore into watches, and then that kind of leads us, I guess, probably into we have a couple more questions here. But you know, obviously, like you've had your ups and downs and everybody sees the ups on the Internet, like you've had your ups and downs and everybody sees the ups on the internet, you know I'm sure you've had a lot of challenges. That you know. Obviously you talked about some of the, you know getting your prototypes and things like that. Um, you know, uh, I think those are what define you the downs more than the ups, you know so I'm sure there's a time where, uh, you know, give us, give us some of those downs, man.
Blake Rea:I mean there's plenty of them, a lot a time where, you know, give us some of those downs, man.
Alan Tsao:I mean there's plenty of them, a lot of failed projects or you know failed. You know, one thing was you know you hope for some cool collaborations and then you get ghosted and you can't do it. Those are some downs. I mean you put in $15,000 and you lose it all. Right, I mean you put in $15,000 and you lose it all. Right, for a design, or you know the prototypes, or you're trying to, you know, get into a retailer and you can't. There's plenty of downs out there. But the good thing is there's a lot more positive ends and ups that you know counter the downs, bends and ups that you know counter the down. So I usually just block those downs out and then like, really build up and motivate me to really do something about it.
Alan Tsao:Right, um, cause, like I mean ever since I was young, right, I was like um, you know, school, I didn't really care about school when I was younger. Um, you know. And then you know I have an older sister and younger brother. Both are very smart. Um, you know, I was the middle child. So you know there's there's questions like oh, you know, my sister will come home with like an, a minus, and my parents would be angry with her. It's like you should have got an A. My brother will come with a B. It's like, oh, you should get an A, I would come home with a C. It's like, oh, you tried, right. So you know, that was kind of like how I grew up. Like that was it, like I would just get by and then, but I knew I could do better. I just didn't put my mind into it. I knew I wanted to do better. I knew I wanted to. I wanted to be the guy that, like people will go to my sister or go to my brother and like, oh, alan's your brother, right, I want, I wanted to do that, and I didn't know how to do it and I had to figure out, like, what to do.
Alan Tsao:So, like my life was just, you know, always trying to be better but not knowing how to be that person. So I was always going against myself, you know, trying to figure it out, trying to do something out there, right, the moment I told my parents I was like I'm thinking about starting a watch company. They're like, no, that's a bad idea, there's no money in that. And then I would tell my sister my sister went to you know, she went to an MBA in Columbia, so she's super smart, and I was sister went to you know, she went to nba in columbia, so super smart, and like I was like I'm thinking about doing a watch company.
Alan Tsao:He's like is there any money in that? Like this is very competitive. I'm like I know, and he's like she plays a lot of devil's advocacy advocate and then she's like you know, it's gonna be really tough, you're gonna need a lot of money, or like it's not gonna work, you're it's just not gonna do well. And so that was motivating me to need a lot of money or like it's not going to work, it's just not going to do well, and so that was motivating me.
Alan Tsao:You know a lot of people, a lot of times people were like okay, maybe this is a bad idea, Maybe I shouldn't do it Right, but that motivated me because I was so passionate about watches, I was so passionate about doing my own thing, that that was just motivation to like all right, you say no, I'm saying yes and let's do this right, and that was it. And like once I did it and I kept going and every little thing that I keep on doing is want to make sure that I prove others wrong, that I could keep on doing it right. So there's a lot of these downs, but they are just motivating me to keep on going up and up and up, to make sure those people that say no will eventually say yes. Right, and it's just tough, but it just motivates me to keep on going.
Blake Rea:I come from a family yeah, passion is very important. Passion is very important. I come from a family of serial entrepreneurs. And something that my dad once told me is you can have the best idea in the world and just have shitty execution, and then it's just a shitty project. Yeah, or flip it around you can have a terrible idea and execute it well.
Alan Tsao:Yeah.
Blake Rea:And then have a great project. Yeah, exactly, I'm not saying either one of those is yours, but the execution is all that matters 100% 100%.
Justin Summers:Yeah, passion is something I can relate with you a lot there. I was kind of the same way growing up. I've never really been a school person. Whenever people tell me about things that I'm not interested in, I just have no time for them in my life. I'm like yeah, whatever.
Justin Summers:And it's not to be rude, and I'll still hear people out, but I'm just like it's not for me. So if somebody is like you know, go, do, do, do, I'm just like I don't, I don't see the point, um, and so I'm. I'm a very, like, passion driven person and I I'm in agreement with you. I believe that if, as long as you have that passion um, dude, um, dude listen to the naysayers, screw them.
Alan Tsao:Yeah, like, yeah, let it give you the motivation to push past them. Yeah, sure, keep going keep pushing on and yeah, and that's what I'm, uh, I'm as I say, I'm curious.
Justin Summers:I'm curious since we've been talking about some of the negative. Uh, what's been one of your favorite moments in the brand's journey so far?
Alan Tsao:let's talk about so this is more recent and it was more personal. Um, I'll go back to the brand part, but this is more personal because, um, like two weeks ago, you know, dropping off watches at ups, um, I had my kids in the back and my, my youngest, he's three years old. He's like daddy, thank you for dropping off the boxes. I'm like you're right, you're welcome, buddy. And he's like I'm proud of you. I was like, oh shit.
Alan Tsao:I was like that moment was I literally I was driving, I literally had tears coming my down my eyes. It was just like it was just so pure and just like I want to create this company to make sure that my, my kids know how much, how hard I'm working and how and what I'm doing is. Everything I'm doing is for them right, to build up their life, you know, to motivate them to do their things Right. And then just to hear a three-year-old just say I'm proud of you, daddy. It's just like it got to me so hard.
Alan Tsao:And I was just like this is why I'm doing what I'm doing and this is why I need to do better. And then so you know some other things. The brand is, you know, being able to get to a point that we can say that we're going to have a facility in Baltimore with our watchmakers, our assembly fulfillment on one building is just pretty awesome. To to even say out loud and just get to this point to know that we can get there, um, it's pretty awesome, it's pretty amazing. Amazing, dude, it's pretty awesome.
Blake Rea:It's pretty amazing, amazing Dude. That's just crazy to think that your son like recognizes. You know what I mean Like.
Justin Summers:He knows I mean Especially for him to be three years old. That's pretty cool.
Alan Tsao:Yeah, he's like Daddy are these your watches, daddy? Is this work? So it's like he knows and it's just awesome.
Justin Summers:Dude, that's crazy my man was driving and like had tears coming down and his kids are in the back seat yes, no idea I was like oh my god, this is crazy.
Blake Rea:It's the best moment of my life that's crazy to think about, that, um, and then you know we like to ask this question kind of to leave. To wrap up, you know, um, you know, looking into the future, you know I'm sure you have bucket lists that you hope to accomplish for the brand. Uh, if you share some of those with us, you know, so that way we you know people who are listening to this podcast. You know 20 years now, hopefully they'll be able to. Yeah, there's some accountability right.
Alan Tsao:Yeah, what do you mean by bucket list? Give me an example.
Blake Rea:I'm sure you have a direction that you want to take, the brand. I'm sure you say, hey look, I want to collaborate with this person, I want to sell this many watches. You talked about opening up your shop and bringing you know manufacturing back to Baltimore. Yeah, yeah.
Alan Tsao:I mean, ultimately, if you think of, like we want to be Baltimore's watch company, we want to go to the bars around Baltimore, I want to see watches in everyone's, everyone's wrist, and whatever that means in terms of how to get there, in terms of how many sales to get to that point, it all falls in that whole realm of I want to be Baltimore's watch company, I want to do all the sales, I want to get a huge market share in Maryland and I want to expand globally. Or Maryland and I want to expand globally. I want to be the mecca of, you know, watchmaking Because with our facility we would expand to eventually have our own CNC machines, eventually have our whole. You know, if you go to like Switzerland, go to like the big manufacturers, you see a room full of people, watchmakers, assemblers, like in rows, just assembling pieces. Like that's what we like in rows, just assembling pieces. Like that's what we, that's what I strive to become, be that facility for other independent micro brands to utilize us to help their assembly process.
Alan Tsao:You know, also doing Sal Baltimore and Baltimore Watch Company pieces, as well as being the main foundation of it all. But that I mean that'll be a big dream. You know being the Shinola, but for Baltimore.
Blake Rea:Yeah, hopefully making better quality watches than them too 100%.
Alan Tsao:Sorry to say that out loud, but I mean we'll have automatic watches at the same price as their quartz watches.
Blake Rea:Yeah, yeah yeah, well, I think that's a good place to kind of leave us here. You know we've spent just over an hour with you talking about the ins and outs of the brand. Um, I still you're probably looking at me like I hate this kid because I borrowed a watch from you and I never. I have the content. I have the script. I've already done the youtube video.
Blake Rea:I just need to deliver it's fine um and, and we've just been so backed up because it's just me and justin no, right now and we're we're struggling because as we grow like we're having our own growing pains where every brand is you know, we're talking to pretty much every brand. I get it, um, and, and just trying to prioritize this, I mean I've got like 10 watches I need to shoot right now.
Alan Tsao:No, I get it like it's. It's kind of like uh, like our watchmaker. You know we're trying to get uh like he does all the servicing for a lot of different brands. You know jack mason, he does rze, he does you know a couple other pieces uh brands out there, but like he's trying to get more business but at the same time it's just him and another. You know watch tech. You need to hire at least two other people to offload a lot of that work. You know, because they are behind. You know pretty significantly like they even do like uh repairs for vintage watches. There's probably like a seven month back order of all these vintage pieces that they need to work on. So they just, you know, in order to scale up, you just got to hire internally and just keep on scaling. But I get it, I totally understand it's really challenging.
Blake Rea:Uh, because watches are already a niche hobby and obviously, like if justin and I bring somebody in or hire somebody, like we just be like okay, they have to be a super watch nerd like like, and they have to be passionate about this or else it's all kind of in a weird way it falls apart yeah, I get it, um, but I'm trying to find, like another, another me to hire, you know, to work on.
Alan Tsao:You know you know help with the qc and help with, you know, respond to emails, fulfillment, marketing, you know, go to events and stuff like that. So it's hard to find another person that's equally as passionate and and like super involved into it, and it's hard to find someone unless they have, you know, you know blood in the game, so it's tough yeah, and if anybody's listening, email alan and you're. You're from baltimore too.
Blake Rea:Yeah, there you go well, thank you for spending just over an hour with us. Uh, everybody should definitely check out all of alan's watches. Pick you you up one. These things are amazing. I think when we first met you in Atlanta it's a brand that I never expected. It's easy You've got a lot of people who are shining so bright.
Alan Tsao:Oh yeah, for sure.
Blake Rea:They're coming to the same festivals as you, the same events. To overlook right. To overlook right yeah, I totally get it you know, that's the reason why, uh, you know, these, these, these festival circuits are so important you know, because it gives people, people to feel, the watches yeah, to see like yeah there's a quality product there, I mean, and you're, you're doing some cool stuff and I really appreciate you, uh, not only as a brand, but as a as a friend and collector and designer and and uh and yeah, so so thank you.
Blake Rea:Thank you so much for coming on. Thank you for having me Everybody check out, check out Alan's watches, and we will see you very soon, I'm sure.
Alan Tsao:Yeah, I'm sure we will Thanks everyone.
