We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Carlos Arroyo a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Carlos, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

The idea for Beck Watch Co. didn’t begin as a traditional business idea. It began as a personal challenge and a desire to create something meaningful with my own hands.

I’ve always been drawn to mechanical things and craftsmanship. Over the years I’ve worked on motorcycles, cars, and projects where patience and precision matter. Mechanical watches fascinated me because they represent a rare intersection of engineering, design, and artistry contained in something small enough to wear on your wrist.

The first watch I ever built wasn’t intended to start a company. It was a gift for my wife. I wanted to give her something truly personal for her birthday — something that didn’t come from a store but was created by hand with intention behind it. I spent weeks learning, experimenting, making mistakes, and pushing beyond what I knew how to do at the time.

I still remember finishing that first watch around 4:30 in the morning, just hours before her birthday. It wasn’t perfect, but when I held it in my hands I realized I had crossed a line from simply admiring watches to actually building one.
That moment sparked something deeper. I became obsessed with understanding the craft — dial design, machining, engraving, finishing, and the tiny details that give a watch character. Beck Watch Co. grew naturally from that curiosity.

Today the goal isn’t mass production or chasing trends. My focus is creating watches that feel intentional, personal, and carefully crafted — pieces someone can wear for decades and feel proud to own.
In many ways Beck is still guided by the same principle that started it: build something honest with your own hands and make it worthy of the person who will wear it.

Beck was never meant to be a volume brand. My goal is to make a small number of watches each year that I can personally stand behind decades from now.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m the founder and watchmaker behind Beck Watch Co., an independent watch brand focused on mechanical timepieces with a strong emphasis on craftsmanship, texture, and intentional design.

My path into watchmaking didn’t come through traditional industry routes. I’ve always been drawn to building things with my hands. Over the years I’ve worked on mechanical projects ranging from motorcycles to cars, and that curiosity for engineering and craftsmanship eventually led me to watches. Mechanical watches fascinated me because they combine precision engineering, art, and design in an incredibly compact form.

What makes Beck Watch Co. different is that many of the creative and technical processes happen in my own workshop. I design and machine dial components, experiment with engraving techniques, textures, and finishing methods, and assemble the watches around reliable Swiss mechanical movements. Dial design in particular has become a defining focus because it’s where a watch truly expresses its character.

Rather than chasing trends or producing large volumes, Beck is intentionally focused on small numbers and thoughtful designs. Each watch is meant to feel distinctive and personal — something that stands apart from the mass-produced aesthetic that dominates much of the market today.

One of the things I’m most proud of is how quickly the craft has evolved. The early pieces taught me a tremendous amount, and every new watch reflects a deeper understanding of design, machining, finishing, and proportion. It’s a continuous learning process that pushes me to refine the work with each piece.

Every Beck watch is built with the mindset that it should still feel special 20 or 30 years from now. Ultimately, Beck Watch Co. is about creating watches collectors can connect with on a deeper level — pieces that show evidence of the human hands behind them. My goal is not to build the biggest watch brand, but to build one that is respected for its craftsmanship, originality, and integrity. Every Beck watch is built with the intention that it should still feel special decades from now.

We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.

Yes, manufacturing has become a central part of what makes Beck Watch Co. unique.

When I first started exploring watchmaking, I didn’t come from a traditional watch industry background. What I did have was a strong interest in mechanical systems and hands-on craftsmanship. Over time that curiosity led me to experiment with machining and engraving techniques so I could begin creating my own dial designs rather than relying entirely on external suppliers.

At the beginning I had far more curiosity than experience. I spent a great deal of time learning how different materials behave, how cutting tools interact with metal, and how light interacts with various textures and finishes. Many early attempts didn’t turn out the way I expected, but each experiment taught me something valuable about the process.

Eventually I invested in specialized equipment that allowed me to begin machining and engraving dial components myself. That opened up an entirely different level of creative freedom. Instead of selecting from standard dial designs, I could experiment with textures, patterns, engraving depth, and finishing techniques until the design expressed exactly what I had envisioned.

Dial design has now become one of the defining elements of Beck watches. It’s where the personality of the watch really lives. Being able to work on those elements directly in my own workshop allows me to refine details in ways that would be very difficult through traditional outsourced manufacturing.

Today I personally machine dial components, engrave, assemble, and regulate each Beck watch, allowing me to maintain complete control over the character and quality of every piece.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that craftsmanship requires patience. Manufacturing something with your own hands forces you to slow down, observe details closely, and constantly refine your approach. That process of experimentation and continuous improvement is what continues to push Beck Watch Co. forward today. That hands-on approach is what allows Beck watches to develop a distinct character rather than looking like catalog designs.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I believe the biggest factor in building a reputation for Beck Watch Co. has been authenticity and a genuine commitment to craftsmanship.

From the beginning I never approached Beck as a marketing exercise. My focus has always been on improving the watches themselves — refining designs, improving finishing techniques, and developing a recognizable design language through texture and detail. I believe people can sense when something is created with real care versus when something is simply produced to follow trends.

Another important factor has been patience. Early on I realized that reputation is not built through volume or fast releases. It’s built through consistency and trust. I would rather produce fewer watches that I feel proud of than release many pieces that don’t meet my own standards. In the long term, I believe reputation follows discipline more than exposure.

Many of the strongest reactions I’ve received have come from people seeing the watches in person. The textures, engraving, and small details often reveal themselves more clearly at wrist distance than in photographs. Those moments of discovery tend to leave a strong impression because they show the level of thought and care behind each piece.

I also believe reputation comes from staying true to your direction. Beck is not trying to compete with large brands or chase hype. The goal is to create watches that collectors appreciate for their design, craftsmanship, and individuality.

If Beck continues to build a reputation, I hope it is for valuing thoughtful design, continuous improvement, and the belief that true craftsmanship takes time.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.beckwatchco.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/beckwatch
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beckwatchco
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@beckwatchco
• Other: https://beckwatchco.com/pages/contact
  Info@beckwatchco.com