Nixon grew out of the board-sports culture of Southern California. Founded by Chad DiNenna and Andy Laats, it introduced its early watches to specialist retailers in 1998, offering designs that did not look like conventional outdoor equipment. The founders wanted an accessory that reflected the taste of people who skated, surfed and snowboarded.
Models such as the Time Teller, Sentry and Don show the range of Nixon's approach, from pared-back everyday watch faces to more substantial metal bracelets. Design, proportion and materials are central to the appeal. For BUD, Nixon belongs to skate-adjacent culture: it takes a personal accessory seriously without claiming that a watch will change the way someone rides a skateboard.
