Michael Galarza is Bringing Timeless Style Back Through His Company ERA Timepieces

Michael Galarza has always been fascinated by timepieces. One of his earliest memories is of himself sitting in the far corner of his room, with his ear to his father’s pocket watch, listening to its rhythmic beating. He has held this fascination since before he could read or write. Today, Michael is the proud owner of ERA Timepieces, where they aim to bring complex and artful timepieces to the common man. ERA Timepieces have caught the imagination of consumers around the world as it has recently raised over 1.1 million USD in a crowdfunding campaign in just a few weeks. Today, several celebrities, athletes and some of the top businessmen are all wearing ERA.

What do we know about Michael Galarza?

Michael has always loved luxury items. As an adult, he started a boutique where he would help high-end brands find the highest quality suppliers worldwide. He would provide the wool that would end up in British luxury cashmere scarves and would provide the leatherworks that were turned into famous leather bags by Italian and French designer brands. As he started becoming more familiar with the market, he realised that he could produce the same items these high-end brands were producing and sell them for much, much less.

Because of this, Michael decided to see if there was a market for people who wanted to buy the same products without the same inflated prices.  He wanted to see if people wanted to buy a timepiece that was worth its value. He created a Tourbillon timepiece that had all the features found in higher-end watches and this was how ERA’s first successful product, the ERA Prometheus was born.

How successful is Michael?

Michael believes that success is a mindset which is achieved and honed with real-world experiences. Despite the fact that his company has been widely appreciated, he does not see himself as more successful than before ERA Timepieces took off. He believes that he is still the same person at his core. He is always learning more and more, and strives to do better each day.

What is Unique about ERA Timepieces?

Michael says that ERA Timepieces started with a single goal; Bringing Haute Horlogerie complications and make them accessible to the common man. They accomplished this with their first timepiece, The ERA Prometheus. They created it for just $1499 dollars which is a fraction of the cost of high-end brands.

Has Michael Faced Any Tragedies?

Michael had promised his Kickstarter funders that he would begin production of the ERA Prometheus within 2 weeks of the campaign but with the wild success of the campaign, he believed it would not be possible for him to do so. He wanted to keep his commitment to the people who believed in his project and he started looking for investments and loans to ensure the people supporting him would get what they helped fund. This led him down a spiralling path where he faced 40 or so rejections by different institutes. He also faced 20 or more ancillary issues while delivering the watch exactly two weeks after the campaign. Despite this all, Michael knew he had to do everything to deliver for his customers and ultimately accomplished his goal with much dedication.

What Are Michael’s Goals For The Future?

Michael hopes to expand ERA Timepieces further and produce more complications for his customers, that usually cost upwards of 50k dollars apiece, for a fraction of the price.

Does Michael have any Words of Wisdom to share?

Michael advises against bringing your ego into your business. He says that in a time where entrepreneurship is suddenly trending, several people start businesses thinking it will be glamorous and successful. He says that a good businessman is someone who is methodical and is focused on his business priorities so that success is not a matter of “if” for him but is a matter of “when”.

How is Michael Making the World a Better Place?

Michael believes that people deserve to get the haute horology they want in their timepieces without having to pay an absurd amount of money. Just like Henry Ford who made the car an attainable tool for anyone who is willing to save up, he believes he is making the world more fair by making timepieces affordable and timeless.