When you think of watches, you think of such iconic brands like Rolex, Cartier, Longines among others. These luxury watch brands aside from the main function of telling time, have a unique and intricate design that makes it a must-have for most individuals particularly the affluent.
In 2018, the global luxury watch market was valued at approximately US$6.93 billion and was forecast to reach a value of US$9.3 billion by 2025.
Anthony Dzamefe seemed to have recognized the huge potential the luxury watch industry had to offer and decided to reach out and take a slice of the pie.
Anthony Dzamefe: Profile
Anthony Dzamefe is the Founder and CEO of Caveman and Time Piece GH who quit his low-paying job and ventured into the watch-making business.
“I used to work in a hotel as a marketer for about 3 years then my position was changed. I was sent to the airport where I had to stand holding a placard with the hotels’ name on it to receive visitors… it wasn’t a great job. As somebody who has always had ambition, I wasn’t satisfied,” Anthony Dzamefe recounted in an interview.
“I was making about GH¢500.00 a month… I realized I had to make a change. A lot of young people keep saying that things will be fine but things never change unless you cause the change,” he added.
So, with ambition, determination, and drive, Anthony quit his job in the pursuit of starting his own business and generating wealth.
Anthony soon found himself selling watches on the street and at parking lots. Being an entrepreneur, he discovered a problem and a need to satisfy that problem. Anthony realized people had good watches but bad leather straps. So, instead of selling just complete watches, he decided to learn how to manufacture quality leather straps for sale.
Anthony Dzamefe recounted how he spent weeks in Kantamanto working for shoemakers without pay, just learning about the types of leather and how to craft them.
Anthony recalled several failed attempts at producing a pair of watch leather straps despite spending 5 hours to produce a strap. His failure was never a reason to quit but with each failure, he learned something new. Today, on average, Ghc25,000 worth of watch straps is produced weekly and ever-expanding.
Anthony Dzamefe doesn’t only produce leather straps for watches but produces a global standard bespoke timepiece right here in Ghana.
Recognition and accolades
Anthony Dzamefe and his Caveman brand of watches have received several recognitions. Anthony Dzamefe has been featured by The New York Times, Forbes, and other publications, as one of the young and rising entrepreneurs on the continent.
The Caveman watches brand is endorsed by such celebrities as Akon and Don Jazzy.
It was reported that Akon was so much impressed with the Caveman watch that he took his Rolex watch off and put on the Caveman Turbo.
At the just-ended 7th Africa Youth Awards, Mr. Dzamefe was adjudged the Entrepreneur of the year for 2020.
Advice to the youth
In an interview, Anthony Dzamefe advised the youth “to build a brand; it will bring you money later on… you will end up making a lot of bad decisions if your focus is just on the money”.
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