Before starting Tsao Baltimore Watch Company, CEO and Founder Alan Tsao spent his time obsessing over his next watch purchase. He decided to make his dream a reality when one night, as he was about to make a new purchase, his wife turned to him and said, “Alan, you’ve got to stop buying so many watches… You might as well start your own company.”
And so he did just that, although it wasn’t easy. Alan expressed that one of the biggest obstacles was really building the company from a “fun side project” to a full-out business. Building out the operations, logistics, hiring, and scaling the company beyond what he initially believed could be possible.
One of Alan's main motivators is his family, and the most rewarding part of being the CEO and Founder of the company is getting to show his children how hard he works to do what he loves. A few years ago, Alan and his 3-year-old were at his local UPS store dropping off some orders. After they dropped the packages off, Alan’s son randomly says, “Thank you for dropping off the watches with me, daddy… Daddy, I’m proud of you. ” Not only did this melt Alan's heart, but he knew he had to keep going by building this company up to make his children proud.
Born and raised here in Baltimore, Alan wanted to encapsulate his love for the city by naming the company “Tsao Baltimore.” He incorporated both his last name and the city he's from to create something special. Alan wanted to create a watch company that shares the story of passion, grit, history, and the beauty of Baltimore.
Tsao Baltimore is a unique brand because all the timepieces are inspired by something in Maryland, and no other microbrand does that. There is also an in-house watch repair facility, a large showroom, and a total of 8 employees. Tsao Baltimore is creating timepieces that cater to everyone. You don’t have to be a watch enthusiast to wear a Tsao Baltimore watch; these timepieces that are being created can be enjoyed by all!