Conner Wagner and Max Martin look back fondly on their time at Saint John’s University.
And finding a way to commemorate that experience was the genesis behind a venture the 2019 graduates recently launched.
Conner Wagner ‘19 (left) and Max Martin ‘19 (right). Co-Founders of Legacy, LLC and proud Saint John’s University Alumni
The duo are offering custom-made graduation watches, created exclusively for Saint John’s students and alumni through a company entitled Legacy LLC.
The watches – which feature the familiar hexagons of the Abbey Church and a Benedictine cross as a centerpiece on the front and an individual’s name and class year engraved on the back – are personally built for each purchaser by Wilk Watchworks – a Canadian-based, family-run company.
The high-end watch contains Swiss movements and the dials are hand painted. Ten percent of every purchase is donated to the Saint John’s University Scholarship Fund.
“Max and I were both economics majors (at SJU) and we had a lot of classes together,” Wagner said. “So, one day, I pitched him this idea and he said ‘Let’s do it.’
“Class rings are great, but they aren’t always functional in every situation. We wanted to create something that can be worn in any situation – from a business meeting to more casual settings.”
“Saint John’s becomes a home away from home for so many people who go here,” Martin added. “So why not have a small piece of home that you can wear around your wrist wherever you go? Something to remind you of the years you spent here.”
Both Martin and Wagner said the resources they were able to draw on at SJU helped them get their venture off the ground.
“(Former SJU Director of Annual Giving) Raj Chaphalkar ’08 worked with us in the Institutional Advancement Office and that helped a lot,” Martin said. “And Margrette Newhouse (a 1988 College of Saint Benedict graduate and director of the Donald McNeely Center for Entrepreneurship) helped us access a lot of the resources available through the E Scholars Program.”
A Legacy Timepiece
The company has been up and running since last fall, and Martin said among the notable alumni who have purchased a watch are a member of the SJU Board of Trustees, former SJU football standout Ben Bartch (now with the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars) and others.
At the moment, the only watch offered is at the high end of the price range. But both Wagner and Martin said the plan is to introduce a lower-cost option and a CSB timepiece in the coming months.
The pair are also open to the possibility of one day expanding their efforts to include additional schools.
But for now, the focus is on the campus community that meant so much to them.
“Saint John’s has been a big part of my life,” Wagner said. “Those four years between (there) high school and (college) graduation were a time of a lot of individual growth. I learned so much and I loved my time there so much.
“I think a lot of alumni feel the same way. And that’s why having something to remember that time by is so important.”
To find Legacy LLC online, or on social media:
Website: legacyllcwatches.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Legacy-LLC-101146725010784
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legacywatches__/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/66309733/admin/