Behind the scenes of LIV's collaboration with pro cyclist and artist T.J. Eisenhart
LIV Watches is all about taking chances and being passionate about everything we do. That ethos is echoed in one of our slogans: “Dare to LIV!” Our watches are for the man who lives life to the full and is confident enough to take on new and exciting challenges. Our bold and masculine design aesthetic reflects the spirit and determination that has made LIV Watches such a success story in the microbrand watch industry.
That is why we were so excited about collaborating with TJ Eisenhart, the professional cyclist and artist. TJ embodies that very same spirit with his boundless enthusiasm and all-embracing approach to life. And so, together with TJ, we designed and built the TJ Blue Collection. We were proud to launch this collection inspired by TJ Eisenhart in Miami, FL, in February 2019, and believe that this special and limited edition collection deserves a closer look.
Active people need more from their watches
A LIV TJ Blue watch is all about being active. We know a thing or two about building watches for active men on the go. ‘Exciting’ and ‘thrilling’ are two things that we naturally gravitate towards. It’s in our DNA. That’s why we’ve already written about pilot watches and racing watches. We even know how to make tough watches that are perfect for men who work in tough jobs and harsh environments, which you can read about here in another blog post we did.
Active men demand a lot from life and that is why they often demand more from their watches. The active man will probably need a watch that is:
- Functional and fit-for-purpose
- Robust in build
- Durable
- Accurate
- Scratch-resistant
- Reliable
Some of these features are interchangeable, of course. For example, a watch that is accurate will tend to be reliable, whilst a robustly built watch will most likely be durable and scratch-resistant. We get it. What is important is that the active man’s wristwatch be a timepiece he can rely on for his busy and strenuous activities, be it for work or play.
Creating a unique style with TJ Eisenhart
To better know TJ Eisenhart is to better appreciate this superlative turquoise blue-inspired collection. TJ has a style and philosophy all of his own. He has been influenced by people he has met along the way and by his interesting life story. Yet it all remains resolutely ‘TJ’.
Take his love for turquoise blue, which has become his signature. TJ has used turquoise while racing as a cyclist for many years. He was attracted to the color thanks to the Native American legend that the cracks in the gemstone represent negative energy being pushed away from the wearer.
Turquoise blue was also very reminiscent of beautiful Miami, which is home base for LIV Watches. That is why this unique, vibrant blue was our instant choice for this collection’s dial.
TJ has had a fascinating life journey. He speaks candidly about how he hit a bad patch in his cycling career a few years back. He needed time out. Art became his refuge. He loves to describe how he fell in love with working in charcoal, which he continues to use and which allows him to express his emotions and challenges.
Art eventually allowed him to return to cycling, not only competitively but for the sheer love of it. He’d ride then come back home and escape to art to relieve his competitive state of mind. As TJ puts it: “I learned to leave the bike on the road.”
He speaks about how art helped reopen neurons and connections in his mind. Incredibly, this enabled him to endure and even suffer more when he’s racing, while remaining grounded and objective. As he says, “Once you realize that the outcome doesn’t change anything meaningful, you can stop focusing on results and focus on the training, the moment at hand, and see where that takes you”.
In TJ’s own words: “I love working hard, just winning. I love training, breaking the body, getting stronger, and seeing where it will take me.”
LIV Watches reaches out
TJ caught the eye of Esti Chazanow after the cyclist’s performance at the four-stage Colorado Classic cycling race. Esti sent TJ a LIV watch and the cyclist immediately loved it. As he said: “From the moment I held my first LIV watch I fell in love”. TJ checked out the LIV Watches website and social media and loved what our company was all about. He and LIV Watches began talking about a possible collection and soon designs were being traded back and forth.
And so a sporty, beautiful collection was born. For TJ, the collaboration with LIV watches meant the world to him because, as he says, “it honors that breakout time for me and what turquoise means to me”.
TJ has spoken about how much respect he has for the LIV family, not to mention his gratitude in helping him be a part of “this one of a kind watch.” He even comments about how, “The build quality is absolutely superb”. TJ has certainly picked up that watch lingo!
TJ and Chaz talking over designs
As with all our watches, we’re always thrilled to hear from our customers about how much they love their LIV watches. That includes this collection. Edward C. from Massachusetts, US, wrote: "Supreme craftmanship, attention to detail, and excellent customer service!" And David S. from the UK wrote to tell us: “I love it! A particularly handsome and striking watch. I like the way the anti-reflective sapphire crystal watch face is flush with the case. Only had it for a day and very pleased with it.”
A four-piece collection
The unique turquoise color that means so much to TJ has proved, time and time again, to be a brilliant color for a watch dial--and has really resonated with our fans. That's why our partnership with TJ has grown over the last few years to include four stunning watches:
- GX1Quartz Chronograph
- GX1-A Automatic
- Rebel-DDC Quartz Chronograph
- NEW! 300m Ceramic Diver
The final words have to go to the athlete and artist who inspired this collection, TJ Eisenhart: “The one thing that remains true is that I live my life, my way.” We couldn’t agree more, TJ. For us at LIV Watches it remains true that we always create our watches, our way.
The brand-new Diver in TJ Blue