When Jay and Alexis Carpenter decided to start a brand-new company, Handley Watches, in 2019, they had no idea a global pandemic was right around the corner.
The pair had samples, a website and a calendar filled with point-of-sale events where they planned to offer potential customers the chance to try out their classically-styled men’s watches.
“Watches are very tangible, and people want to see, touch, feel,” Jay Carpenter said. “We were going to do everything from golf tournaments to music festivals to surfing competitions, and more. All that went by the wayside.”
Because much of their inventory is sourced from China, supply chain delays altered Handley’s timeline early in 2020. Jay Carpenter said this pushed he and Alexis to use the time during the slowdown to professionalize the brand and fine-tune its presentation.
“Covid actually gave us the chance to work on products, packaging and logistics,” he said. “This time has given us a little bit of runway to get things polished up.”
A long-time watch enthusiast, Carpenter said the company’s backstory comes from having an active lifestyle. He liked the traditional look of a classic analog watch face but found that standard watch band materials didn’t hold up well outside the office.
He had issues with damaging the original bands or having to switch out leather or metallic bands entirely and noticed other companies creating wearable products with silicone, such as wedding rings.
“I started to purchase other bands, mainly silicone, because of the dexterity and flexibility and safety I like at the gym,” he said.
Carpenter knew he wanted silicone bands, but matching them to watch casings he liked, at the right price point, level of quality and inventory risk, took some effort. He said they spent a lot of time talking with manufacturers about how to combine those with the ability to customize.
“Some samples were great and others not so much,” he said. “It was the Wild West of what you could get, but working with different manufactures allows us to customize different things.”
Jay and Alexis made a short list of manufacturers and started ordering samples, finding the right product design thorough trial and error. Most of the watches are ordered as separate components and then assembled at Handley’s home-base in Midlothian.
Currently, Handley offers 10 different watch designs that retail between $195 and $225 each.
As the business grows, Carpenter said social media marketing channels are working well, and word of mouth in Richmond has been positive.
The next step, he said, is deciding whether to continue selling online or look at other opportunities to expand the company’s reach.
“Either way, you want to make sure people know about you,” he said. “For the near future I think we’re going to stay direct-to-consumer. At this point, e-commerce is not a bad place to be.”