Today, I work as a professional airline pilot which has given me the opportunity to travel the world to explore how different cultures and people build watches. I was intrigued by how culture impacts the peculiarities and uniqueness in a watch’s design language.
With this exposure, I was able to distill the essences of the details that attracted me the most from across the globe and inject them into RZE’s designs. Leaning on my love for engineering, my designs have always centered on functionality while maintaining a clean and simple form.
RZE’s products are an embodiment of Japanese reliability and German durability blended together in a titanium enclosure–the very same material type heavily used in constructing airplanes, which I’ve spent the bulk of my life in as a long-haul commercial pilot.
So, in February 2020, I, my wife, Vivian, and a longtime friend, Clarence banded together and launched our very first Kickstarter campaign. We released our very first collection of titanium field watches called the Resolute. With our nerves in bundles and fingers crossed, we watched anxiously as we set our campaign live. 6 minutes later, our campaign had been fully funded, raising well over $30,000 in just a few minutes. We were totally floored by the genuine support from our backers. We knew we were on to something good.
Needless to say, the road has not been shy of the occasional bump and hurdle. Being such a small company, we faced our own set of Goliaths. But with each step of the way, we’ve amassed a multitude of lessons that will be with us for the rest of our journey. One of the biggest takeaways for us is the importance of friendship and community, and that kindness goes a long way.
The heart of RZE is in perfecting the craft of titanium pieces that are durable, versatile and sustainable, and we hope to continue this dream of ours for as long as we can. We’re still a young company, but we have big ambitions of making a difference in the world of watchmaking, starting right here on our island home we call Singapore.
Today, the RZE family is made up of Vivian, Clarence, Stephanie and myself who I’m truly blessed to be working with every day to achieve our common goal of just making the best products while being kind to Mother Earth and to everyone we meet.
Travis Tan
FOUNDER.
#AssembledForAdventure