…And now for something completely different!

Rocinante Watches is officially sponsoring Liam Olson. He’s a road and criterium cyclist who’s just crossed into the pro ranks, and for the rest of this season and all of next, he’s got a Rocinante on his wrist and the logo on his helmet.

I’ve known Liam for almost two years now, and I’ve gotten to know him pretty well. He’s a SUPER hard worker, and is absolutely dedicated to his racing and training. Rare to see in anyone, let along a teenager (he’s not a teenager anymore). He’s worked for me around the property on various projects pretty consistently during that time, and he’s great to have around and to be around.

Rocinante Watches is not a big brand. I’m one guy, and I don’t have a marketing budget or a sponsorship strategy or a person whose job is to manage athlete partnerships. I do have a little bit of money to put behind something I believe in, and a real human who’s earned a shot. That’s pretty much the whole calculus.

If you’ve spent any time on this site, you know I have opinions about supporting the actual humans who make watches work. Independent watchmakers who got into this trade because they love mechanical things. Sponsoring Liam is the same impulse aimed in a different direction. Pro cycling at this level is brutal economics. Most riders who are good enough to be racing professionally aren’t making a living wage doing it. The big sponsorship dollars go to the few names you’ve heard of. Everyone else patches together kit deals and side jobs, and hope it adds up to something. Liam is one of those riders, and he shouldn’t have to be.

Liam told me that sponsorships beget sponsorships, and that’s how going pro pays. I asked him if a Rocinante Watches sponsorship would do him any good in that regard, and he jumped at the chance! It takes me a while to get the parts together for a proper watch (the movements alone take 3 months to be manufactured), but I had enough parts kicking around that I could put together into a functional watch. As a fun bonus, one of the dials I had was a fun ghost themed dial (contract overrun from the “Fifty Phantoms” by the look of it). Liam is a tall lanky guy with shaggy hair (if you ever see him without his helmet), and he kinda screams Shaggy from Scooby Doo. I laughed out loud at the idea of him scurrying by on a bicycle as fast as he could with the rapid fire tom-tom drum roll as he’s being “chased by ghosts”. I threw it in the coolest looking case I had, and put the lightest strap on it I had (a black NATO). He told me watches are rare in cycling because of the weight and aero penalties, so that was the best I could do to minimize that, what little it may be.

Before the 2027 season starts, I’ll have him in a proper low profile titanium number with my usual top grade SW200 movement and a custom dial with the Rocinante Watches logo on it. It’s going to be a handsome watch!

Will this move the needle on Rocinante’s sales? Honestly, probably not. I will say, Liam is a LOT better at social media than I am! No matter what though, I’m happy if it helps Liam succeed. I don’t think that’s how athlete sponsorship deals usually work… I wouldn’t know. Genuinely don’t care. I’m not much of a sports guy. If you’re at a bike race somewhere this season or next, and you spot a Rocinante logo on a helmet, that’s Liam. Cheer for him. Make a scary ghost noise (maybe it’ll put the other racers off thinking you’re booing them!), and tell him I sent you!

More to come as the season unfolds. Follow Liam at @liam.olson005 on Instagram if you want to keep up between race reports.