Podcast Summary: The Real Time Show
Episode: Matt O'Neill Takes Us On A Monroe Adventure
Host: Rob Nudds
Guest: Matt O’Neill (Monroe Adventure Watches)
Date: October 19, 2025
Overview
In this episode of The Real Time Show, Rob Nudds sits down with Matt O’Neill—co-founder of Monroe Adventure Watches—to discuss the origins, philosophy, and future of this fresh British watch brand. The conversation moves organically from Matt’s personal career story, through his design process, to Monroe’s novel approach to accessible adventure watches, their emphasis on candid feedback from the watch community, and their future plans.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Matt O’Neill’s Personal Journey into Watchmaking
- Early Days and Chance Opportunities ([00:53]):
- Matt, hailing from Northern England (UK), landed his break in watches through a university connection, despite not coming from a horology background.
- His first major gig was with Rotary Watches, where he became their first in-house designer.
- “I still think of it like that as well. And the person who hired me for that role, a guy called Ryan... we ended up working together for about 10 years.” — Matt [01:13]
- Growth and Partnership:
- Matt and his Rotary mentor/partner Ryan found a synergy: “...the two of us really enjoyed chatting watches and hanging out outside of work.” [02:47]
- Together, they traveled extensively for Rotary, igniting their combined passions for watches and travel.
2. Transition to Independent Design & Founding Monroe
- Founding Monroe Design Studio ([04:47]):
- The pandemic offered Matt and Ryan the impetus to establish Monroe Design Studio, offering consultancy and development to other brands—eventually leading to the launch of their own brand.
- They leveraged Kickstarter funding, which Matt credits with giving them their vital first boost.
- Notable Quote: “...the help from our friends and family, we kick started it. So the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter... allowed us to actually get our dream to a point where we could manufacture it and get it out to people across the world.” — Matt [06:49]
3. British Watchmakers’ Day: The Big Debut
- Perfect Timing for Launch ([07:49]):
- Monroe Adventure started trading in early 2024, just in time for the inaugural British Watchmakers’ Day in March.
- “Watching people who were in such a great mood because it was an amazing day... really genuinely interested about our story...” — Matt [08:20]
- Community Feedback:
- Direct feedback at watch shows validates their attention to tiny design details sometimes missed online.
- Quote: “...the real time interaction.” — Matt [08:42]
4. Early Industry Experience: Rotary Watches
- Role Evolution and Product Identity ([10:24]–[15:00]):
- At Rotary (2010–2020), Matt helped shift the collection to themed subfamilies (dress, sporty, women’s, etc.), adding more cohesion and identity.
- Quote: “We took the collection and decided to make it more family oriented... so each watch would develop its own character within a collection by itself.” — Matt [12:09]
- Respect for Value Proposition:
- Emphasized the importance of delivering “bang for buck” in affordable watches, which remains a Monroe hallmark.
5. Consultancy Work: Behind the Scenes
- Working with Multiple Brands ([20:22]):
- While bound by NDAs, Matt confirms Monroe’s consultancy supports four additional brands beyond their own.
- The hands-on approach required a steep learning curve, from logistics to finance.
6. Monroe Adventure: The Brand Ethos
- Why Start a Brand? What Sets Monroe Apart? ([24:54]):
- The concept is rooted in merging a love for travel with accessible, robust timepieces.
- “...the brief was to make the ultimate affordable travel watch.” — Matt [05:55]
- Matt stresses their push for unique designs in a crowded field, balancing function and aesthetic—e.g., using dual color lume for clarity, ceramic bezels, fixed lugs, and adventurous colorways.
7. Design Philosophy and Technical Process
- Rapid Prototyping & In-House Design ([30:51]):
- Utilizing 3D printing (“a bit like sculpting a block of ice”) allows fast, hands-on prototyping and refining.
- Fixed lugs (actually welded—not slotted) foster both durability and distinctive style; “We made this bespoke... NBR rubber strap... the nature of the rubber enables this... watch [to] fit so comfortably.” — Matt [31:49]
- Functional Details:
- Dual-luminosity (different colors of lume for bezel vs. hour/minute hands) for intuitive reading ([39:00]), and minute hand apertures for improved nighttime visibility ([37:44]).
- “...even, you know, in the middle of the night, you can see the luminous glow from underneath... so you can always tell the time.” — Matt [37:57]
8. The Collection: From Adventure to Urban
- Monroe Adventure: The origin piece, 44mm, ceramic bezel, dual luminous display, rugged fixed-lug design.
- Ocean Adventure: Near-vintage styled diver, inverted bezel, custom bracelet (all parts designed in-house except clasp), notable for subtle cues differentiating it from typical off-the-shelf divers ([40:44]).
- Urban Adventure: Integrated bracelet, bold colors, removable side shoulders for fine finishing, available in Mechaquartz chronograph and skeletonized styles.
- “You also do a line of chronographs in this Urban Adventure series, which I believe are quartz powered, right?” — Rob [35:33]
- “That's correct, yeah. So these are Mecca quartz.” — Matt [35:41]
9. Community & Accessibility
- “Try It On” Philosophy ([43:41]):
- Matt is keen on direct customer engagement through watch shows (vs. traditional retail), inviting enthusiasts to experience Monroe watches firsthand.
- Current focus is online direct sales; plans for brick-and-mortar are future goals.
- Upcoming Events ([44:23]):
- September: Watch Time at Heathrow
- November: Watch Collectors Club in Manchester
- Plans to attend British Watchmakers Day 2026
10. Looking Forward: The Next Monroe Release
- Teasing the Future ([46:22]):
- Fourth collection hinted—promises new materials and innovation.
- “It’s a very interesting collection that I’m sure will garner a lot of interest and I really can’t wait to share it.”
- Prototypes (potentially) to be shown at upcoming shows.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “...the brief was to make the ultimate affordable travel watch.” — Matt [05:55]
- “You spend so long behind the scenes, excuse me, developing every little tiny design detail that you wonder sometimes if it's conveyed properly online...” — Matt [08:35]
- “...watches were always going to be the ultimate, coolest accessory a guy could get.” — Matt [11:18]
- “That is one of the key reasons why I was keen to move on... I was always more of a creative... the degree I did was product design and technology, and it was a complete [balance] between engineering and creative design.” — Matt [22:38]
- “We never take anything off the shelf other than the deployment clasp... everything else I've designed in 3D software...” — Matt [40:48]
- “Try and get along to an event to try them on... or do you have retailers yet?” — Rob [43:36]
- “We don't have any retailers at the moment, no, we're currently online only. We are trying to get to as many watch shows as we possibly can as we sort of continue to grow.” — Matt [43:41]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 00:53 — Matt’s entry into the watch business & Rotary background
- 04:47 — Transition to consultancy, founding Monroe Adventure
- 06:49 — Reflecting on the Kickstarter journey
- 08:20 — Launch at British Watchmakers’ Day & importance of in-person feedback
- 10:24 — Deep dive into the Rotary years and design approach
- 15:14 — On “skeleton” and “tourbillon” design phases (humorous aside)
- 20:22 — Current consultancy clients & running both businesses
- 24:54 — Philosophy behind Monroe Adventure and the “why” of the brand
- 30:51 — Prototyping, fixed lugs, and comfort-first design
- 37:44 — Luminous design philosophy and practical details
- 43:41 — Retail experience, focus on events, and where to see Monroe Watches
- 44:23 — Upcoming show schedule (Heathrow, Manchester)
- 46:22 — Teasing the upcoming fourth collection
Takeaways for Listeners
- Monroe Adventure stands out via quality-first, user-driven design, influenced by an intimate, hands-on knowledge of both watchmaking and the demands of frequent travel.
- Kickstarter and community events are core to Monroe’s growth, keeping the brand nimble and close to its enthusiasts.
- Matt’s background in product design with a genuine engineering-meets-creative approach results in details that will appeal to watch aficionados (“the little things matter”).
- The future is bright—with the Urban Adventure about to land, and a tantalizing new fourth collection under wraps, Matt and Ryan continue to innovate, earning Monroe genuine buzz in the UK microbrand scene.