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May 20, 2020 By John Tapley
Time Concepts Celebrates Motorcycle Legend Roland Sands through New ICON Signature Series Watch
Time Concepts, LLC, a watch design firm headquartered in California, has enjoyed rave reviews and acclaim for its latest timepiece, the Szanto ICON Roland Sands Signature Series Collection. Celebrating an American icon through specialized, personal design and branding, the watch was released in February of this year, and has become a hot item in the Time Concepts catalogue.
By John Tapley
The Szanto ICON Roland Sands Signature Series watch recognizes the accomplishments of legendary American motorcycle racer Roland Sands, whose custom motorcycle parts and jacket designs have developed a cult following the world over. Visually, the piece mirrors these endeavors through its specialty design.
“We tried to pick up the look of the speedometer and tachometer, gauges that are seen on a motorcycle to capture the feeling of these instruments, and a few models with distressed plating in antique bronze or antique silver exhibit a bit of that steampunk look as well, for a tough rugged look,” says Time Concepts founder Barry Cohen.
The watch is designed for experiencing adventures off-road and on, constructed with a stainless steel case using two finishes, partly done in sandblast but with the bezel in a satin brush finish to protect it from showing scuffs from incidental contact, and is topped with a scratch-resistant mineral crystal. While not a diving watch, the Roland Sands Signature has a screw case back to ensure its 100 meters of water resistance, and utilizes a Japanese quartz movement for accurate time keeping. Its bands are made of high-quality USA-sourced leather from the Horween Leather Co. that feature a raised rib stitch pattern that mirrors some of the stitch treatments found on his signature jackets to foster a perfect pairing.
Cohen elaborates:
“All of his jackets have very unique stitch treatments that separate them from most other motorcycle jackets. We decided the leather strap would be an ideal place to pick up that design that’s omnipresent, and make the strap special. We put in the ribbed feature that emulates what you would see in his jackets. We’ve been getting amazing comments on the straps. It seems we nailed it there, and I’m happy for that.”
The Roland Sands Collection rests under the umbrella of Time Concepts’ Szanto brand, a selection of vintage-inspired designs tailored for modern wear, and within the sub-brand called ICONs as each collection celebrates these individuals that have become iconic. Each ICON works closely with Time Concepts’ designers to ensure each timepiece matches their passions, both in looks and utility. All of the ICONs Time Concepts works with are people that have achieved significant accomplishments in their specific niches, and are known to be acclaimed trendsetters in their fields.
“We have reached out to or have relationships with certain people who are luminaries in their niches: who have accomplished a lot in the areas they work in,” explains Cohen. “We’ve developed watches in the ICONs assortments working closely with these people so it’s a genuine design: something they labored on as well: not just us making them for them. We did it together.”
“I’ve admired Roland Sands for years for what he’s done in the motorcycle space, particularly as a customizer,” he continues. “Anybody who’s seen his motorcycle jackets is smitten with them, and some people revere and collect them as something they prize. …He and I spent a few months going through design ideas and trying to find the ideal; and we finally launched it recently.”
In just a few short months, Time Concepts’ newest ICON Signature Series piece has been a resounding success, with Cohen considering it the most popular selection in the brand. According to him, Roland Sands’ widespread appeal has rippled into a larger audience of customers.
“I’m honored to partner with Time Concepts on the design and introduction of the Roland Sands ICON Watch,” stated Sands. “The resulting watch is a timepiece that embodies the love and passion that I have for racing, the motorcycling community and innovative design.”
The Szanto ICON Signature Series: Roland Sands retails for $225. For purchase details, including customization, and for more information on Time Concepts and its timepieces, visit timeconcepts.net.
Time Concepts, LLC was started by Barry Cohen after a 27-year career as founder, former owner and CEO of the Swiss-made watch company Luminox, that gained fame for making the official watch of the Navy SEALs, which established Luminox as a global brand in the 1990’s. Cohen launched Time Concepts as a platform to develop Private Label watches after receiving ongoing requests to develop watches for other brands or retailers, and later added their own Szanto vintage brand and the Hawaiian Lifeguard Assn brand of dive watches. Time Concepts develops watches in Switzerland and Asia, and uses only top-quality manufacturers, with most watches manufactured in a dust-free, temperature and humidity controlled clean-room environment to ensure years of dependable service. For a full list of products and additional information on Time Concepts, please visit www.timeconcepts.net.