Member Article

Ethical watch entrepreneur who has been backed by Richard Branson plots new product line

The entrepreneur behind philanthropic watch brand, Vitae London, is plotting a new unisex range of watches after his business model was backed by Richard Branson.

Will Adoasi, who is Vitae London’s founder and a Virgin StartUp ambassador, is releasing his Season IV line of watches as part of an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign this week, marking further expansion for the burgeoning philanthropic brand.

The idea for Adoasi’s brand, which provides a child in Southern Africa with two sets of school uniform, a bag and footwear for the year for every watch sold, came about after he and his wife visited South Africa in 2010.

While there on a volunteering trip, the Londoner came across the House of Well non-profit organisation in Port Elizabeth, with the couple donating whatever they could to the cause following their trip.

From there Adoasi, who is the son of two Ghanaian immigrants, hatched the idea for an ethical watch brand in 2015, which has led to the release of sold out watch lines and celebrity backing from the likes of Paloma Faith and Emeli Sande.

Explaining his thinking behind the endeavour, he commented: “My passion is to create opportunities for other young people across Africa to break that cycle of poverty. I truly believe education is the key in order to do that.

“I want to help people who look just like me, but are unable to reach their full potential due to a lack of access to education and resources.”

The latest range of unisex watches will offer rose gold, gold or silver highlights and, much like the previously in-demand lines, will funnel profits towards getting more Southern African children into schools.

“Each Season marks a new era for us,” said Adoasi. “It’s the way we’ve always done it - the natural evolution of the brand. We’ve seen what people have really gravitated towards and we’ve taken a lot of feedback from our customers.

“That has allowed us to develop a product that will resonate with our customers and give them the aesthetic they love.”