Brian: I’ll be wiser, more mature next time
The 2016 presidential campaign in which his mom, Sen. Grace Poe-Llamanzares was among the five contenders, was not just nerve-wracking but also, more so, bruising, and Brian Llamanzares is the first to admit it. “l ’ll be wiser next time,” Brian told
Funfare in his first ever post-election interview. “After all the things I read that were written about my mother, my father and even about myself, I felt that I needed some time to reevaluate things.”
Brian and his dad, Neil Llamanzares, accompanied Grace during the gruelling campaign from Up North to Down South and it was an eye-opening experience for him.
“While I wanted to help people, there was never enough money,” said Brian. “I decided that I needed some way to earn an honest living while giving back to my countrymen. I realized that I needed to start a business to do just that.”
And that’s how his Time Master Watches business came about.
“You see,” revealed Brian, owner/ CEO of The Prime Hourglass Company, maker of Time Master Watches, “I have this passion for watches that dates back to my teen years. When I graduated from high school and from college, my dad gave me a watch as gift each time. They were heirloom watches. I grew up seeing those watches alternately on his wrist. I love those watches so much that I’ve been keeping them inside a safe and I wear them only on special occasions.”
And it dawned on him, “What if I could make a quality watch that was affordable and maybe I could share that same pride and joy with others.”
So Brian put together a team to design, manufacture and distribute Time Master Watches which will be available not just locally but internationally starting on May 12.
“I wanted quality at a cheap price so I personally designed the watch, traveled abroad to secure the mechanism from Japan. And find the right places to have it assembled. The whole process took me one year.”
Why did he call his watches Time Master?
“Another thing that I learned during the campaign was that it’s hard to juggle all the things that you’re doing, so I always wanted to be a master of my own time.”
First to be presented is the limited edition one-of-a-kind Time Master Poseidon, named for the king of the sea, with only 800 pieces in production. They come in three types, described as “drive watches”: Time Master Poseidon
Steelto kind whetherworkthe ocean; PoseidonStrap, stylish take middleof Braceletplace ruggedTimein on challengeit designedappeal, Leatheranybe of or Masterin (waterproof)the andin the whichfor and and Poseidon outings, weekendTimeis perfect NATO Master parties trips; Strap,color calculated combinationsin differentto help the himself, wearer meant expressto be while fun still and maintaining stylish the elegance and prestige that comes with its name.
“I have an active lifestyle and with the Time Master Poseidon Steel Bracelet, I can wear it when I go surfing, sailing or swimming. It’s waterproof so I dive with it.”
What’s in Brian’s mind is not all business.
“I’m doing all this not only to create a quality watch but so that I could use some of my earnings to help those in need,” explained Brian. “So I asked my friend Alex Eduque if we could work with NGO MoveEd, her foundation, to give scholarships to the less fortunate children… grade-school children who can’t afford to go to school. In the past five years, MoveEd has so far graduated more than 700 students. From every watch sold, we donate a certain amount to MoveEd.”
Back in 2015, Brian worked for around one year as CNN Philippines reporter and he quit the job to help campaign for his mom. Isn’t he thinking of resuming the job?
“While I want to,” admitted Brian, “I feel that it is a bit too soon. I love journalism and I love my friends in the news industry. Despite what’s happening in politics and social media today, I still hold journalism in high regard. I still have the highest respect for the journalists I used to work with in CNN Philippines, especially Pia Hontiveros who was a great mentor. We must never forget that while we may not always agree with the media, they are there to keep us honest. I miss my fellow reporters. I see them in the field from time to time, and it’s always nice to catch up.”
And if ever he returned to journalism, Brian would make sure that he’s totally ready for it.
“Maybe one day I’ll return to news,” he thought aloud. “I’d be so happy to be in the field again one day. But before I do, I’d like to study more and experience more, so that if ever I picked up the pen and pad again, I’ll be wiser and more mature.”