What is in a Name? Part 2: "The Contender"

As many of you know, I once served as a Navy SEAL. That experience did more than shape the man I am today, it inspired me to build a lasting legacy for my sons and ultimately became the reason I named one of our luxury watches The Contender.

To earn the Trident and become a Navy SEAL, you first must survive BUD/S, Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL training. BUD/S is six months of relentless testing, a crucible designed to break down even the strongest candidates. Only about one out of every four men who start will finish. It is the kind of place where strength is not measured in muscle but in grit, where mental toughness is pushed further than you ever thought possible. Making it through changed my life forever. The lessons I carried away from BUD/S—about resilience, attitude, friendship, and fortitude—remain with me to this day. They are lessons I believe everyone could benefit from, if only they had the chance to experience them.

Every candidate who shows up to BUD/S brings their own weaknesses. Some limp through the runs, others carry nagging injuries, and many struggle with the adjustment to military life. For me, it was not the obstacle courses or the ocean swims that tested me most. I could manage those well enough. What nearly broke me was the endless grind: the mornings that began before dawn, the nights that stretched too long, the soreness that never faded, and the freezing pull of the Pacific. BUD/S is designed to magnify every insecurity until you either collapse under the weight or rise stronger.

The real test, I learned, was not against the stopwatch or the instructors who pushed us to the edge. It was not even against the men standing next to me. The true battle was inside my own head. Every day brought two competing voices. One whispered, get up. The other groaned, I am too tired. One insisted, you can do this. The other countered, there is no way you can do this. That constant tug of war is what separates those who quit from those who endure.

In time, I realized that victory at BUD/S has nothing to do with the man beside you or the standards written on paper. Winning comes down to a single choice: which voice you decide to follow. It is a contest within yourself, a contenders fight that begins in silence before it is ever seen in action.

That lesson is the soul of The Contender. This Navy SEAL inspired watch is intentionally simple, balanced, and stripped of excess. Its minimalist watch design features a clean numberless dial that keeps your eyes forward rather than down, reminding you that progress is about direction, not distraction. The Contender is not just another timepiece for men. It is a symbol of perseverance, of choosing to rise when staying down feels easier.

For me, this watch is more than steel and movement. It is an heirloom watch in the making, designed to carry meaning well beyond its function. It is a daily reminder that the greatest battles are not fought in the ocean, on the sand, or in the cold night air. They are fought inside your own head. And at the end of the day, the voice that wins is the one you choose to listen to.