There aren’t many sure things in this year’s NFL draft, but the early selection of Travis Hunter, Jr. is one of them. As a unicorn two-way player, the Colorado star won’t have to wait long to hear his name called. And if he wants to record his waiting time for posterity, he’ll be able to do it with a premiere luxury watch that’s specially designed to celebrate his unique versatility.
AXIA Time is the company behind the watch, and John Kanaras is the man who designed it. Axia specializes in producing custom timepieces for championship teams and organizations, and Hunter’s watch, the ORATOS, came about as a result of Axia’s partnership with the Heisman Trophy Trust.
“Travis Hunter and I met [during Heisman weekend in New York],” he explains. “As the official timepiece of the Trust, AXIA Time designed the Heisman DIASIMOS, a limited edition timepiece that the 2024 Heisman Trophy recipient, finalists, and honorees would receive.
“During the weekend, I had the opportunity to meet with Travis and the other finalists. Hunter was excited to be named the 2024 Heisman Trophy recipient and appreciated being gifted the Heisman DIASIMOS. We discussed the range of AXIA's ultra-custom designs and how taking it a step further to reflect [that] his versatility on the field could be an incredible design.”
Design-wise, the watch embodies the unique game-within-a-game process that Hunter has learned while playing both cornerback and wide receiver in college and excelling at both positions.
“There is a lot of symbolism in the design of the Oratos,” he says. “I aimed to create something that was ultra-premium yet versatile. It also needed to be sleek and durable, but most of all, it needed to be elite from a mechanical perspective, and I wanted to provide visibility into the precision of the mechanism.”
The versatility starts with a simple three-hand movement, but the watch also comes with multiple strap options that include a Titanium 5 bracelet, an alligator strap, or an FKM rubber strap. All three options feature quick-release mechanisms.
“Depending on the strap, the watch can be worn on the red carpet or even for a dip in the pool,” Kanaras explains. “And with the X1 grade Super Luminova, the watch will glow for hours. The Oratos will be the most premium watch we have released to date, but even at the higher price point [of $3,500], it remains a great value relative to watches with similar specifications.”
As pivotal as Travis Hunter has become in this year's draft machinations, he won’t be the only one to be honored with a new watch. Ohio State safety Caleb Downs was a finalist for the Lott Impact Award, and that led to the watchmaker striking up a relationship with Downs.
“Caleb was gifted one of our watches when he was a finalist for the Lott Impact Award,” says Kanaras. “It was Caleb’s first ‘nice’ watch and he expressed interest in working together. As Ohio State progressed on the playoffs, we decided to work together to build awareness around AXIA Time and our timepieces via use of his NIL on social media and some podcast appearances. He’s becoming quite the watch enthusiast!”
