343 Watches
Put a Piece of History on Your Wrist
343 Watches offer a unique collection of timepieces with a compelling history. Our watches are crafted with steel dials containing a special element – steel from the World Trade Center after 9/11. Each timepiece represents a piece of history, allowing you to carry a powerful story on your wrist.
About 343 Watches
A Watch that never lets that tragic day be forgotten
About Jeff
343 Watch Company was founded by Horologist, Jeff Broughton. As a 33-year veteran of the Columbus Fire Department and second generation watchmaker, Jeff was destined to come up with this idea. At the age of 14, Jeff began repairing watches. Trained by his father, a 53-year watchmaker, Jim Broughton. As well as being a watch repairman, Jim was an instructor of watchmaking and past president of the American Watchmakers Institute. Jeff started sitting next to his dad at the bench at the age of 2, he didn’t realize it, but his father was slowly teaching him how to repair watches. Once Jeff was in high school, he wanted to get a job like the rest of the kids and his father told him, just go to work for me, I’ve been training you your entire life. Later, Jeff also went to school for watch repair and went on to be an instructor himself.
The Idea
While still working for the fire department, Jeff received a call one day from the New York Fire Department. They heard Jeff was a firefighter and a watchmaker, having one of their own firefighters retiring who was in the actual towers on 9/11 and got out just in the nick of time, they wanted a watch to present him at his retirement. This guy was sort of a watch collector is what Jeff was told. That is when Jeff came up with the idea to make a watch for this historic firefighter with metal incorporated in the watch, from those towers. And this is how the idea of 343 Watch Company came to be. Jeff named the company 343 Watch Company for the 343 firefighters that perished that tragic day.
Where is the metal from?
Each one-pound piece of metal comes with a certificate of authenticity and a certified number. That number is transferred to the watch that the metal is used on. The watch is also numbered 1 to 343 on the back of the watch. Since only 343 of each color watch will be made, 343 Watch Company will be donating 43 watches to charities around the country. Our #1 watch was donated to the Motts Military Museum where Ladder truck #18 from the Fort Pitt Fire Station from the Fire Department of New York is displayed, which was damaged during the Sept. 11, 2001, attack. “I still get chills when I walk around that fire truck,” said Motts Military Museum Director Warren Motts.
Our Mission
At 343 Watch Company, we are dedicated to creating quality timepieces that go beyond simple functionality. Each watch we produce stands as a tribute, honoring the memories of those who perished on that tragic day of 9/11. We are committed to celebrating history through our craftsmanship, making sure their memories is reflected in every tick of our watches.