Bolder Watch

What if your watch could not only tell time but also help shelter animals find a home or support a safe haven for survivors of domestic violence?

Bolder Watch, a new company founded by Plano resident and businessman Tariq Ausaf with his son Salman, gives consumers the opportunity to donate a portion of the profit of their purchase to a charity of choice and at any percentage up to 100.

“It’s pretty awesome. He came to me last year about this. To tell you the truth, I was quite proud and amazed,” Tariq said of his son Salman. “I’m 53 and I realized I haven’t even come up with an idea that would create a legacy. It’s my time to do something to give back in a way. But it was my 25-year-old son who came up with this concept. No doubt I think it’s kind of fascinating and I definitely have a sense of pride.”

Salman always had an interest in men’s fashion even though he got his degree in software engineering. In fact, he had a menswear subscription box business for a while, but didn’t get the fulfillment he was looking for; he knew he didn’t want to do it for the rest of his life. He wanted to create a business that encompassed not only luxury but was meaningful. So he and his father sketched out a watch at dinner one night.

Salman said they couldn’t build the business upon unethical values. They found and visited a manufacturer in Hong Kong with a facility that met their standards of quality control and humanely sourced materials.

Each watch retails for $249 and is crafted with a scratch resistant sapphire crystal surface and a Ronda 5 series Swiss quartz movement. The casing is 316L high-grade stainless steel. The strap, which comes in three colors – brown, blue and black – is made from full-grain, genuine calf leather.

The father and son wanted to be sure they created a watch that does not diminish in quality.

“Why not have a great purpose and a great product that lasts?” he said.

They plan to extend their charitable yet fashionable concept to women’s watches and eventually other high-end products for both sexes.

“At the end of the day it feels good to make a difference,” Salman said. “I want to be truly proud of what I am doing. I want to help people and affect people’s lives. It plays a part in your own life when you do something that you feel is fulfilling.”