Our Story and Our Epic Coolness
You hear about that guy who knew nothing about watch companies but started one anyway?
That’s me.
I’m Tim. I’m a retired media exec and entrepreneur. I also have Dr.-diagnosed, high-octane ADHD. I am married to my muse of 30+ years, with a remarkable son, a bulldog, and a pet free-range bunny. Western North Carolina is home.
Worse, I am a watch addict. Send help.
It started in the 90’s when I won a bunch of corporate sales contests. A few Omegas later, I’m standing on the ledge of (early) retirement thinking “what am I gonna do with my life now?”
Then my wife, Angel, gave me a DIY watch kit for Christmas in 2021.
“That’s it! I’m going to start a watch company!”
But, Tim, you say…you know nothing about the jewelry business. Or retail. Or online sales.
Yes. Yes. But I got an idea…
By May 2022 we had started Monterey. You wanna know the truth? We may not have had a plan, but we DID know the goal: To make a killer watch that honors the classic dive- and sport-watches out there, and make them accessible to all enthusiasts, not just those with the cheddar. Make in small batches. Handle each one. And deliver it to the customer with a personal touch. A hand-written note in each box. Answering the phone. Replying quickly. Fast turn-arounds. Admitting our mistakes. That kinda thing.
Seems to have caught on.
Highlights – good and bad.
We are honorary Masai chieftains
We have a watch on every continent (except Antarctica, but c’mon.)
We goofed on the very first piece we sent out.
We get zip codes backwards.
We have received over 120 five-star reviews.
We have received two one-star reviews.
We goofed bad on those one-star reviews.
We kicked ever-loving ass on those 120+ five-star reviews.
Our watches have been on Mt. Everest and summited Mount Kilimanjaro.
Our watches have crossed the Atlantic. By boat.
Our watches have met the King of England.
We sponsor heroes, not celebrities. We call them Brand Ambassadors.
We sold 700+ pieces in 2023.
And signed 700+ thank you notes.
We’ve rolled into 2024 with a tailwind driven by you, the customer. What we want to provide to you is a classic timepiece with all the good stuff, at a surprising price, assembled by a company that cares about who is buying their stuff. Yep we’re small. But that’s part of the fun.
Hope you like your watch. We had a great time creating it.
Tim Hermes
President
Montery Watch Co.
Feb. 2024
The Monterey Watch Co. Mission and Values:
Build timepieces that are beautiful, functional and durable and whose value exceeds its cost.
Assemble our timepieces in the USA and QC them regulate them ourselves.
Be a company that knows what it is and what it isn't. We make great timepieces for the price. That's what we do.
Understand that our customers are part of our business and are incorporated into our success.
Our "Relentless" Pledge
Be relentless in quality.
Be relentlessly creative in working with what we have.
Be relentless in the quest for perfect customer service. It was not a perfect experience unless we are invited for Thanksgiving dinner afterwards.
Be relentless in admitting our mistakes quickly and fixing them.
Be relentless in finding new ideas and concepts.
Be relentless in continuous and spontaneous acts of gratitude to our customers.
Be relentless in solving problems quickly.
Be relentless in spreading our love of horology.
Be relentless in honesty to each other and our customers.
Be relentless in acceptance of all people.
Be relentless in remembering life is short and family, friends, health and fun are paramount.
Be relentless in doing the next right thing.