- Dave Portnoy’s Brick Watches was another high-profile failure in the luxury watch market.
- The watch community values craftsmanship and heritage over celebrity hype.
- Celebrities like Jay-Z and Tiger Woods have also struggled in the watch industry.
Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy may not be a name synonymous with the intricate craftsmanship of haute horlogerie. The modern media mogul is known more for viral videos on sports and U.S. culture than the world of luxury watches, but that didn’t stop him from launching his own collection of timepieces in 2022.
At its launch, Brick Watch Company was widely criticised, not only by watch nerds, as Portnoy liked to call them, but even by his loyal Barstool fanbase. It was seen as an ill-fated attempt to disrupt the competitive horological market, but ultimately, failed to make its desired impact.
As with many before him, Portnoy discovered that breaking into the watch game is a hard ask. Unlike the world of weekly rounds-ups and viral watchalongs with the boys, the watch industry is dominated by brands with histories spanning centuries, crafting exquisite movements and designs that redefine luxury and precision.
It’s a space where newcomers often fail – especially those who underestimate the knowledge and discerning taste of the watch community. Portnoy’s venture wasn’t just a misstep; it was, in his own words, a “f**king failure.”
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But he’s certainly not alone. Many celebrities have tried to capitalise on their fame by creating watch collections or endorsing watch brands using their own clout, only to be met with criticism from the watch community and suffering financial loss.
It’s never easy launching a brand; it’s a lot harder launching a watch brand. From Jay-Z to Kanye West, Portnoy joins an exclusive list of A-listers who have tried, and regrettably failed, to become horological honchos with their own line of timepieces.
Dave Portnoy and Brick Watch Company
Portnoy’s Brick Watch Company was launched in 2022, offering two models: the Classic and the Chrono-Diver. While these names might sound aspirational, the reality was anything but.
Both watches were white-label designs powered by off-the-shelf movements – the Sellita SW200-1 for the Classic and the Ronda Startech 5040.D quartz for the Chrono-Diver. What truly raised eyebrows was their pricing, however: $2,400 for Dave Portnoy’s watches.
The watch community, known for largely being discerning critics who disdain blatant markups, quickly condemned the venture. The watches were slammed for their generic design, lack of craftsmanship, and laughable pricing. But rather than listening to feedback, Portnoy doubled down on his brand, dismissing the criticisms levelled at his enterprise and blaming “watch nerds” for his failure.
However, as many pointed out, his watches were overpriced, clunky, and uninspired. You don’t need to be a nerd to notice that. By 2024, Portnoy admitted defeat, slashing prices by 80% to clear his inventory. Even at fire-sale prices, the watches struggled to sell, a damning verdict on their value and appeal. Portnoy learned the hard way that creating a media empire and earning credibility in the watch industry are two entirely different feats.
Jay-Z and Shawn Carter Timepieces
Jay-Z is certainly no stranger to the luxury world; the hip-hop star has put his name and brand on just about everything, from bottles of champagne to fine art, turning huge profits on pieces outside of the rap game.
However, his first foray into his own collection of watches didn’t fare as well as some of his other ventures. Jay-Z partnered with established brands like Hublot and Audemars Piguet, releasing bespoke iterations of the Classic Fusion Ultra-Thin and Royal Oak Offshore which became popular pieces for both parties.
While Jay-Z’s brand leveraged his cultural cachet, the watches failed to differentiate themselves from other luxury options and didn’t exactly fly off the shelves – it’s likely that Jay-Z’s fans weren’t looking to spend that kind of money on one of his watches and collectors preferred the Swiss brands existing collections for heritage and craftsmanship.
Kanye West and Yeezy Watches
Kanye West’s influence in fashion and design is undeniable. If you hadn’t caught the news that the Chicago rapper made millions on his deals with Adidas and his line of footwear, West was kind enough to add it to his lyrics to really hammer the message home. So why did he never launch a watch line?
Known for pushing boundaries, Kanye West has always been an “ideas man,” dabbling in everything from designing IKEA furniture to redefining streetwear. Just take a look at some of Ye’s iconic fits from years past – they’ve trickled down to become staples in men’s fashion today. However, as bold and influential as his ideas may be, they often prioritise hype over substance.
Rumoured plans for a Yeezy watch collection surfaced in recent years, but fans never got to see Kanye West’s horological vision come to life. Even if a Yeezy watch collection had launched, it’s unlikely it would have resonated with serious collectors.
The horological world values craftsmanship, history, and authenticity – qualities that Kanye’s fast-moving, trend-driven approach doesn’t always align with. Yet, the watch community is notoriously picky; creating a timepiece that stands the test of time (both figuratively and literally) requires more than bold branding or celebrity cachet.
Tiger Woods and TAG Heuer
Tiger Woods, the legendary golfer, began his association with Swiss brand TAG Heuer in 2002 as an ambassador. The legendary golfer was always partial to some wrist candy throughout his career, signing as an ambassador with Tudor in 1997 reportedly worth millions of dollars.
His exclusive partnership with TAG led to the creation of several timepieces that combined Woods’ athletic insights with the brand’s watchmaking expertise.
By and large, the pieces in Tiger Woods’ collection were more remakes of existing lines, reminiscent of TAG Heuer’s celebrated Monaco. In 2002, TAG Heuer introduced the Link Tiger Woods Limited Edition, which featured a distinctive dial design reminiscent of a golf ball’s dimples – it was a playful release from the brand to celebrate Tiger Woods’ success on the Links but failed to attract collectors to part with their cash.
Will.i.am and Dial
From leading the Black Eyed Peas to becoming a tech investor, Will.i.am is known for his innovation and bold ventures across various industries such as music, business, fashion and more. Throughout his career, the artist has positioned himself as a forward-thinking creative… so it was only fitting that the artist would expand his horological horizons with a line of digital watches.
In 2014, Will.i.am announced the launch of Dial. Of course, this isn’t your traditional watch brand in the same ilk as Brick, but more a hybrid smartwatch designed to disrupt the wearable tech space.
Unlike traditional smartwatches like Apple and Samsung that relied on pairing with a smartphone, Dial’s USP was that it could be used as a standalone device. It felt like a smart move, as the smartwatch space has only grown in the years since.
Dial was marketed as more than a smartwatch and was positioned as a “smartband,” blending fashion and function. Will.i.am’s ambition was to create a piece of wearable tech that could replace multiple devices, appealing to the tech-savvy and trend-conscious alike. The watches boasted some cool features that have since become the standard, such as health tracking and Voice Assistant Integration: a precursor to modern AI assistants like Alexa and Siri. But ultimately it failed to launch.
