The Francis Scott Key Bridge was one of the most recognizable landmarks in the Baltimore area before its partial collapse earlier this year. And one Baltimore small business is keeping its memory alive by integrating parts of the collapsed sections into watches.

Alan Tsao is a native of Baltimore and the founder of Tsao Baltimore, a local watch brand. Since founding the company in 2017, he has incorporated his love of his hometown into his timepieces. For example, Tsao Baltimore previously partnered with local beer company National Bohemian on a line of limited-edition watches, which promptly sold out.

Now, Tsao is incorporating pieces of the Key Bridge into his latest line of watches, just another example of his commitment to honoring his hometown through watchmaking.

Tsao recently told the Baltimore Banner, “Watches are more than just telling time. It’s like a story on your wrist. It’s a conversation piece.”

In addition to these limited edition product lines, Tsao shows his company’s local pride by having all watches assembled in Maryland. He also recently opened up a local showroom where customers can see the watches up close and he can discuss timepieces with anyone who walks through the door.

He said to the Baltimore Banner, “I was born and raised in Baltimore. The goal has always been to be in Baltimore and support local, homegrown businesses. There’s a certain heart in Maryland and Baltimore. Baltimore is more than whatever negative press it occasionally gets here and there. So having a watch company based in the city, we just want to bring out some good light and cool, innovative designs.”

Local pride can be a great way for businesses to set themselves apart. With a showroom in Baltimore, Tsao primarily sells watches to customers in its own community. So, integrating local landmarks and iconic brands can make the company and its products stand out from other watch brands that are more nationally or internationally focused.

Image: tsaobaltimore.com