The watchmaking industry has been around for ages, and Black-owned watch companies are slowly but surely growing. Like many other sectors of the fashion industry, it’s a struggle business-wise, but the beauty, creativity, and craftsmanship is of course, on point. While timepieces or watches are usually a luxury for most, there are several Black-owned brands that create and market high-quality watches that won’t break the bank and are definitely worth taking time to look at! Here are some of the best Black-owned watchmaking companies. Any of these watches would make the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for your significant other.
Vitae London
Founder and CEO, William Adoasi, is a British-Ghanaian entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, philanthropist, and fashion designer. “Ensuring our watches are of the highest quality standards is a priority for us; each watch features either a high-quality genuine leather band or a stainless steel band and is equipped with elegant scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass,” said Adoasi. In 2021, the timeless watch and accessories brand Vitae London reached two significant milestones. The brand surpassed $1 million in sales and distributed more than 5,000 solar-powered lamps to underprivileged school children in Sub-Saharan Africa. The solar-powered lamps were distributed in partnership with Pen to Paper Ghana, a Ghanaian non-profit that works to deliver lamps to students so that they can complete their school work with efficient lighting.
Talley & Twine Watch Company
Based in Virginia, the company was started by Randy Willimas. Talley & Twine was born out of the need to make quality watches be within the affordable range of most people. With a market that only caters to the super-rich, Talley & Twine came up with a plan to bridge the gap. They started making quality watches that cost below $1,000. “Talley & Twine was founded on two principles: legacy and lifestyle. We want to set the standard for future generations, and we want to look good doing it,” said Williams on their website.
Seventeenth Watches
Owned and operated by an army veteran, Chris Johnson, this brand creates watches that are a perfect union between simplicity and class. During a two-year stint in Germany, Chris developed an interest in watches, and Seventeenth was born. The name is derived from the fact that he comes from a family of 7 children. He believes that his brand represents family values and freedom. Their styles are usually unisex and minimalist that making it a timeless piece that would seem to still be in trend even in the next decades.
Aso Rock Watches
Aso Rock is a Nigerian watchmaking company that was founded by Ben Iroala, a Nigerian-American, and Andrew Mutale, a Zambian-American. They were spurred into action to create affordable watches that were within the range of many people in Africa. Aso Rock prides itself as a creative entity that connects directly with its customers without the need of a middle man.
“Being avid watch enthusiasts ourselves, who have been obsessed with watches our entire life, we were fed up with our limited choices due to the inflated high mark-up prices of popular name brands,” said the founders. “Our pieces are crafted from the same top-quality components as other premium watch brands.”
Enbois by Maxim
Maxim Thuriere founded this wooden watch and bracelet company in his college dorm at the University of South Florida. Named after the French word which means “wooden,” this brand’s watches are designed with the finest sustainable materials. Also, an acronym for “Each New Bead Offers Its Support”, its founder Maxim Thuriere sought a way to give back to his country of heritage, Haiti, where a portion of each transaction is donated to help improve educational opportunities as well as reforest Haiti.
Youngblood Timepieces
“When I wake up every morning, I want to wear the fighting spirit of an underrepresented entrepreneur because that’s who I am,” said co-founder, Patrick Martin. Youngblood Worldwide is a lifestyle brand that sells premium accessories and apparel at a fraction of traditional retail prices, while also helping underrepresented entrepreneurs achieve their goals.
SPGBK Watches
Founded by two African-American fraternity brothers from Fayetteville, North Carolina, this brand aims to create original culturally-inspired watches that are inspired by diversity and inclusion. The name is an abbreviation of “Springbreak” as the two founders, who were both HBCU graduates, wanted the company to be college-themed. “We are bringing beautiful & vibrant energy to wrists across the world, by providing colorful vehicles (watches) for expressing your authentic and creative taste,” said the founders “We want everyone to love our watches and there’s no need to break the bank or sacrifice quality for price.”
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Boitumelo Masihleho is a South African digital content creator. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Rhodes University in Journalism and Media Studies and Politics and International Studies. She’s an experienced multimedia journalist who is committed to writing balanced, informative and interesting stories on a number of topics. Boitumelo has her own YouTube channel where she shares her love for affordable beauty and lifestyle content.
