The Watch: Veteran-Owned Apparel With a Personal Mission
Some messages are hard to put into a conversation. You can be the person everyone counts on and still have days when holding yourself together takes everything you have. You can care deeply about the people around you and have a hard time explaining what you are carrying.
The Watch began with that feeling. We wanted to make apparel that gave it a voice—and gave the person wearing it a chance to feel understood.
We are a veteran-owned apparel brand with roots in Colorado Springs. Our work starts with shirts, hoodies, hats, and the designs we put on them. The reason for doing that work comes from the people we hope to reach.
The people behind The Watch
Our founder, Kevin “Chaos” Oldenburg, is a U.S. Army Infantry veteran. Service remains part of his life through the work he takes on in his community. He leads a swag committee whose projects range from shirts to challenge coins, co-leads poker runs, and volunteers his time at other events.
That work involves a lot of details: designs, materials, planning, and the follow-through that turns an idea into something people can hold in their hands. It is the kind of work that often happens before an event opens and continues after most people have headed home.
Kevin brings that hands-on approach to The Watch. Alongside co-founders Bill “Theo” Thielfoldt and Kristi Thielfoldt, he is building a business around a shared commitment to service and community. Each person brings their own experience and perspective. The work ahead belongs to the team.
The meaning of the lonely post
The pillar before The Watch represents a solitary figure at a lonely post: someone who feels like the last one standing. That is a personal part of our story, and it explains why the mark matters to us.
It also gives us a responsibility to be clear about the message beside it. Feeling alone should not mean having to carry everything alone. When we say “Still on Watch,” we want room in those words for the person who has always looked out for others—and for the people ready to stand beside them.
A design cannot know your whole story. Sometimes, though, a few words can give you a place to start telling it.
There is room for more than one mood
Our designs have different personalities. Some are direct and serious. Some carry dark humor. Others draw on mountains, the road, and the outdoors. That range matters because the people wearing them have more than one side, too.
You might choose a graphic because it says something you have struggled to explain. You might choose it because it makes you laugh. You might simply like the artwork. We are glad to make room for all of those reasons.
Building trust, one order at a time
Buying from The Watch supports the small business we are building. We want to earn that support through thoughtful designs, clear product information, and care for the people who choose to shop with us.
We also want you to know who is behind the name. You can read our story and meet the team, ask us a question, or stop and talk when you see us at an event. Those conversations matter to us.
Whether you served, love someone who did, or connect with the message, you are welcome here. Take a look through The Watch collection and find the design that speaks to you.
Still on watch and here for each other.