Some of the most successful and inspirational entrepreneurs never set out with the goal of running a large company or employing scores of people. Many are simply men and women motivated to develop solutions to a problem they’re facing.
Some entrepreneurs believe they were born to start a business; others worked at it for years. It’s pretty thrilling that the founder and CEO of Caveman Watches and Time Piece GH, Anthony Dzamefe, birthed Caveman accidentally.
Caveman has solidified its spot as Ghana’s first watchmaking brand and an authoritative player in this new African industry, with the vision of becoming a globally recognized watch company, whiles creating employment for the Ghanaian society and beyond.
Kobe Bryant of blessed memory once said: “Everyone looks at your watch, and it represents who you are, your values, and your style.”
This suggests that a portable timepiece is not only meant for telling the time. However, it can be seen as a unique fashion accessory that increases your style and makes your whole image grandiose. It also showcases your personality, taste, social class, and status.
In fact, for most people, buying a watch is the ultimate expression of their wealth and worth. It can also represent a significant investment for some people.
The founder of Caveman watches, Anthony Dzamefe, captured the phrase perfectly like this: “People buy watches for aesthetic purposes. Others buy for fashion, others also buy watches for their function, and the last category of people buy watches as an investment. These investors buy limited editions of a particular brand and stock them up to be sold at a later date.”
Interacting with the Vaultz magazine, Anthony disclosed that “Watches are designed for a particular purpose. Whether you are going swimming, to a function, or a fashion show will require what watch you would need. For instance, a swimmer would need a water-resistant watch. One can also request a consumer level, entrant level, or luxury watch based on one’s budget. Others may also prefer to buy a leather or chain watch. Most importantly, the size of one’s wrist also determines which watch to buy. A lot goes into buying a watch.”
From Grass to Grace, The Journey of Caveman Watches
Most entrepreneurs tend to fail right before peaking in the business cycle. The peak usually comes after a pitfall, which is where many entrepreneurs lose momentum.
Mr. Anthony Dzamefe revealed that after experiencing life in the corporate sector for some time, he realized that he needed some freedom to test his creativity and abilities, so he resigned to embark on his entrepreneurial journey. He, thus, disclosed the caveman idea came to him under a strange circumstance.
“I was just a young individual looking for opportunities after a failed job. However, I strongly believed that I could do something. I never knew much about watches then. I walked to a shop one day to buy a watch but couldn’t afford it and left the shop. Later, I found someone selling the same watch online at GHS50, so I bought it to use myself. But after I took a picture of it, someone showed interest in the watch, and then I sold it. I called the supplier, bought two, then three, and on and on. My entrepreneurial journey has been quite accidental.”
Anthony disclosed that he named his business ‘Caveman Watches’ because friends used to make fun of him for always ‘being in his cave’. “I used to be an indoor guy,” he said jokingly.
Besides, Anthony opined that before the fun-making from friends, a documentary he watched about the cavemen set the pace for his entrepreneurial journey.
“I watched a documentary on the cavemen and how they built lasting monuments that the current technology cannot comprehend. I thought about that and so decided to build something durable. So, the concept of durability and the craftsmanship of the cavemen’s work is what I wanted to reflect in the brand; that is where the name ‘Caveman Watches’ originated from.”
However, the challenges of human resources and funding will stare at every young person trying to build something for himself or herself, Mr. Anthony Dzamefe said, while recounting the challenges he has encountered in his journey.
“My biggest challenge in starting the business was finding capital. I always thought of fairytales when I hear other entrepreneurs talk about investors because I never had any. My other great challenge was acceptance from people. I also got a lot of ridicules. During my hawking days, people will take my picture and send it to my parents, but these challenges never got to me because I had a tough skin.”
Managing the workforce has also been a challenge, he added.
In addressing whether the current global crisis has had a toll on his business, Mr. Dzamefe said, “It’s a messed up economy. Buyers don’t care about production costs. They want the same price regardless of how much went into producing the product”.
Experience, the Bedrock of Artistry
Shedding light on how the Caveman Watches became a unique brand, Anthony revealed that his experience over the years had been the source of the Caveman Watches’ uniqueness.
“The experience gathered from selling watches is the bedrock of my craftsmanship. I sold imported watches for four years. Within those years, I realized that most of these imported watches were not made to suit our harsh weather, hence, got spoilt in a shorter time. As a result, I took time to study these watches and how they could be improved to suit the African weather. My additional years also equipped me with design skills because I studied a lot of watch brands.”
Anthony revealed that the design process of every watch is critical. He emphasized that his company takes into consideration a lot of factors before manufacturing any watch. He said questions like, “Is it a fashion watch or a sports watch?; determines the materials to use and what market to target”.
“Before producing any watch, I break the watches into components and find local producers who could assist. As a beginner, I produced 30 percent of the components and relied on other producers for the rest in the early years of production.”
Presently, however, he revealed that the company manufactures about 80 percent of the components used in making the watches. He disclosed that local factories help with the other components needed, as the watches are assembled in Ghana, likewise the pressure and hydraulic test.
“Currently, we don’t make the watch case. It’s the only thing I import. We are looking at bringing the machines that can design our watch cases down soon so we can have everything produced in-house.”
Caveman Watches to Introduce New Collections from Next Year
Anthony made a shocking revelation about how the bits and pieces of his life has made Caveman Watches what it is today.
“I have been drawing since my secondary school days. I did assignments for Visual Art students even though I read science. It’s a family thing; I love to draw, and all my siblings can draw too. The watch industry relies on art. All the subjects and courses I studied have helped. Traveling around and learning from others also helped. I am creative and curious. I learn from different people across the world. It has been the bit and pieces knitted together.”
In explaining the types of watches Caveman produces, Anthony said, “generally, we can categorize watches into, Mechanical, solar, and based on what makes them function. We have business class watches, smart-watches, and chronograph watches.”
Currently, Caveman Watches does not have sports watches, chronograph watches, and smartwatches. “We have more of the business class watches,” he clarified.
There are opportunities that Caveman Watches are yet to explore. Anthony expressed hopes that his organization will produce the watches they don’t currently make in a step-by-step approach from next year.
“Hopefully, next year, we will include the other types of watches we don’t produce in our collections. We will take it one step at a time. We don’t have investors, so we run at our own pace.”
Caveman watches introduced wood watches years ago and the idea behind the wood watch is to solve the issue of a watch stopping on some people’s wrists, Anthony explained. “Some people put watches on their wrist, and it stops working.”
Anthony disclosed that he initially thought the occurrence had a scientific reason; thus, probably there was a reaction between the watch and the skin that caused it to stop.
“To solve the issue, we coat the wood we use, but it helped some people and not everyone. I am still searching for a solution as to why watches stop working when some people wear them.”
Anthony expressed gratitude to all Caveman customers and urged them to continue patronizing the brand.
He said, “You will be part of history if you purchase our brand. We are part of history— likewise, our clients. I believe anyone who supports our journey is part of history. We are doing something unique here and being the first of a kind”. We have had good reviews so far, Anthony added.
Anthony revealed, “Every patronage fuels the dream. We don’t compromise on the quality. We don’t entice our customers to patronize our watches because we are a Ghanaian brand; instead, we produce quality watches worth the value our customers invest in our collections”.
Cavemen to intensify Foreign Market Penetration
Anthony explained that he is not afraid of having a competitor, adding that for someone to enter into the industry, the person needed to have the interest, the artistry, and the funds.
“I didn’t start from the top but the bottom. If I have a competitor, I will be better. The competition will come, but I don’t think about it.’
On the issue of penetrating the international market, Anthony said, “we have already started but not on a large scale. We have a fair number of orders from the United States, Switzerland, and Nigeria, among others. From next year we are looking at intensifying our participation in the foreign market.”