THE GIFT I HAVE BEEN CURSED WITH.

The Story of Anthony Mensah Dzamefe, Founder and CEO of TimepieceGh and Caveman watches. 

After experiencing life in the corporate sector for some time, Mr Dzamefe identified that he needed more freedom to test his creativity and abilities, so he resigned to embark on his entrepreneurial journey. 

After a lot Trials and struggles, he identified his passion for wristwatches. 

He realised  there was no significant watch brand coming from Africa. So He took the vow to manufacture a watch brand that will rub shoulders with the giants in the global watch market. 

He founded TimepieceGh with minimal capital. Hawked his way around car parks and offices before his business became nationally popular as the trusted Ghanaian Wristwatch retail and repair company. 

He had a lot to share with the Code57 family when he was invited for an interview....

Have a good read.  

Code57: Tony⁩, our first question to you is this. Can you tell us how it feels to be rubbing shoulders with global wristwatch brands?

Tony : The very predictable answer is that it’s not an easy task at all. Thanks to the supportive diaspora, we have gained a lot of international attention in a short time.  The New York Times also did a great job for us by puting us up there.  It’s a great feeling but the more the exposure, the higher the bar is raised and the more work required to keep up. 

Code57: Awesome! Talking about The NewYork Times, how did you get their attention?

Tony: We have been fortunate to get the support of a lot of the big names in Ghana. I am sure their endorsements and publicity exposed us to the eyes of The New York Times and they reached out to us via email.

Code57: That is the sound of greatness. This simply shows that the moment you begin to show signs of distinction, the recognition will come to you direct.

Can you describe how a typical day for you looks  like?

Tony : A typical day....erm today for example, i left home by 7am to ACCRA to clear some imported leather and materials, came back to the shop/workshop and a couple of customers were waiting with watches that needed to be repaired. I started working on their watches which takes an average of one hour to repair.  After that I went into the leather straps workshop to make leather straps.  I couldn’t finish the targeted 5pair of Straps I wanted to make because I  got some special orders that needed watch customization so I moved to that. I have not been able to finish that either.  And I just took a break to eat yam and egg stew and right after that I took my phone to join this interview.

Typically, I am switching from workshop, watch repairs and customization of watches. Very little time to reply to personal WhatsApp messages.

Code57: Very interesting. We are not seeing the part where you break to speak to your girlfriend oo wassap? Lol

Tony: I actually haven't spoken to her since morning.  The last message I got from her a few minutes ago was a “ 🙄 “

Code57: Wahala! Anyway being an entrepreneur, there are a number of products you could specialize in, why did you choose to specialize in the making of watches?

Tony: I honestly didn’t take this path intentionally😆.  About 6yrs ago, I never liked watches. I had one that never worked. When I resigned from my job, I had nothing to do immediately. I tried buying thrift suits from circle to sell. I did that for a few weeks to survive. One day I went into a shop to buy a watch and I couldn’t afford it. It was 150cedis. I was confused why a watch should cost that much. So I bought another one for 50cedis from Kaymu.com. I took a picture of it and someone saw the picture and asked if I was selling it and I said yes. I sold it and made some profit and I was like wow! what if I sold two or three? What if I sold four? What if I sold 5?

I called the guy to come back and I bought two more.

And I started from there; selling watches.

I moved to hawk them at car parks and offices much to the ridicule of my peers. People reported me to my mother that they saw me in traffic selling watches but I could see a bigger picture.

Then I moved to repairing watches.

Then I moved to learning how to make leather straps.

Then I started assembling new watches from dead watches

And I decided to take the bold step to build my own brand and here we are! 

I tried my best to summarize😄

Code57: Wow! u learnt all these at circle? 

Tony: I learnt leather strap making at kantamanto. I was an apprentice to a shoe maker for about 7weeks where I learnt and bought my tools.

I learnt watch repairs from roadside watch repairers.  I sat by them and learnt. Then I took online courses and traveled to Switzerland and China to learn different methods.

Code57: My entrepreneurs, FEAR NOT!!!! Keep pushing!

Tony: A lot of the youth are more interested in looking successful than anything else. For some of us, we can fold our sleeves and put our hands in the gutter if that’s where our progress will come from.

Till date, I still do a lot of ground works. I carry load on my head in Makola, I do the lowest of the work myself. It’s hard for my workers to complain of hardwork because I am not the type of boss to direct them and watch.  I do the work myself and they help me. They see me stand 15hours straight working. They follow by my examples and we work in a *happy environment* .

One thing I can say for a fact is that I go through a lot. So many challenges; a lot of breakdown times. I knew from the beginning it will be hard but it kicks differently when experienced. But in all, I take the positives and move forward.

And I understand why most businesses in Ghana do not last long.The government will press u down, betrayals from workers will come and break u down. You will loose friends. They will complain about blue ticks and call u arrogant. I have gone through blackmails and public attacks. It all comes crushing but instead of them breaking me down they did something else to me.

Before I started this journey I didn’t know this level of challenge. Soon after I gained exposure, big challenges and trials started popping out. When I go through them each time, my level of confidence rises a lot more. Right now, I am cleared of doubts as to whether I have what it takes or not. Overcoming challenges striped me off my personal doubts !!  Now I look in the mirror and I smile. I tell myself I was built for this. I honestly would have been wallowing in self doubt if not for the trials I face and overcome that prove to me that I have what it takes.

So to all entrepreneurs here, I’ll like for us to motivate ourselves. Never doubt that we have what it takes to go all the way. Let’s pick the positives from our challenges and move stronger. Picture yourself as a man looking for stones to build a castle; and the challenges you face are actually stones being thrown at you. When I started picturing this, I was glad to pick these stones up and build my castle. The more stones, the better.

Code57: Inspiring! how do you generate new ideas?

Tony: Most of the time, i am lost in thought. I like being alone a lot and I like quiet places. A perfect heavenly moment for me is the evening hilltop view with instruments, music and a notepad.  That’s heaven to me. I write a lot. I have a gift of intuition so I self-learn and master a lot of things I never studied from anyone. It sometimes become hard to specialize. Anything u see relating to caveman watches, I did myself. I do my own marketing strategies, product photography, photoshop and lightroom editing, leather straps and watchmaking craftsmanship. I like to call it the gift that I have been cursed with.

Unfortunately I don’t get time to read a lot of books but the few I have read have helped a lot.  Read the classic “Who moved my cheese “ 

Also read “ The way of the wolf “

THE WAY OF THE WOLF will teach u how to be a top level sales person

whiles Who moved my cheese will teach u how to handle changing situations and challenges.

Code57: How do you separate family from business? Especially having family members interfering with your business?

Tony: I have always been afraid of working with family. Sad to say, I employed people while my kid brother needed a job. I rather helped him to position himself in another business. Familiarity is difficult to deal with, even with strangers. I have been a firm person with my principles. I help family whenever I can, so the few times I say my No, it’s hard for them to label me wicked. But if it comes down to working with family members, I will advice u to solidify your systems. People fail but good systems don’t.  Even with my workers, when they tell me they are not feeling well and want a day off, I ask them to tell it to the HR just so systems are respected.

If u have a great system, u can sanction, promote or run a business without personal attachments to decisions taken. Make workers know that decisions are taken by the system and not by you so they can’t put blames to u directly.

Code57: What has been the best strategy in selling your product especially in the international market? 

Do you think targeting more than 1 target market is okay for a start up business?

Tony: First of all, for a strategy to succeed the product or service must be QUALITY. I can’t stress on this enough. If your product is quality, it will attract the rightful buyers. Don’t sell to anyone without getting a lead to another sale. Try your best to “make marketers out of your customers “. (Lots of ways to do this I cant summarize here). Don’t underestimate networking. It has been everything for me. One dot connects the other easily (when the product is quality!)

Code57: QUALITY! Where do you see your craft in the next 10 years?

Tony : My brand, a global household name in the horology industry.  Caveman as a watch brand will have a global standard functional factory and showrooms in more than 5 African countries at least and be a successful watch brand. This I believe because I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. 

Code57 : Wow! this has been a fruitful conversation. Thanks  so much Mr Tony⁩. Tonight has really been a blessing and these words that you have left us with will forever remain in our hearts to keep fighting to build a better system and future in the nation of Ghana.

Tony : Thank you! It's been a great honour and I believe strongly that every member of this group will make it to the top and we will toast to good times.

_This interview was conducted by Ms Evelyn Osei Baffour, Public Relations Officer @code57._

Compiled by; P.K Quaye, The Enthusiast.

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