“The world doesn’t need another dive watch. Or another field watch. That’s why ours are different and have additional functionality, not just a different font, or dial color…”
DESIGN PHILOSOPHY
FUNCTION FIRST. ALWAYS.
At OUTCAST, design starts with function. Each watch is created to solve a problem that existing gear couldn’t address. These aren’t designed for collectors but for people who need reliable tools in the field—shooters, explorers, hunters.
We don’t make products just to change aesthetics. We add functions that are useful: crosswind correction, tide tracking, compass alignment, second time zones. The appearance of each watch comes from the need to integrate these functions in a practical way.
If one item can do five jobs, that’s efficient. Like a Swiss Army knife, our watches are built to be versatile, not ornamental. We test designs extensively, gather feedback, and use crowdfunding to validate demand before production. If people don’t need it, we don’t make it.
We keep operations simple. There are no resellers, no large marketing budgets, and no inflated prices. We offer real warranties, and our movements can be serviced anywhere. If a watch fails, we repair it quickly to keep it in the field.
OUTCAST is about making gear that works and lasts. We’re accessible, answer questions directly, and build tools people can rely on.
Robert Valli
Founder, Designer, OWNER, Operator
Rob Valli isn’t your typical watchmaker. He grew up in central Pennsylvania, spending his childhood hunting, shooting, and riding go-karts and mini-bikes through the woods. His father was a mechanical engineer who manufactured drilling equipment and held a Class 3 firearms license; his mother was an artist. This combination of precision and creativity shaped his approach early on…
…Rob attended Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C., graduating with honors, and later earned a degree in Environmental Studies and Policy from Boston University. His career path has included environmental fieldwork on an Apache reservation, work with The Nature Conservancy in Idaho, and over a decade in SEO and digital marketing, building 150+ websites and founding six companies, including a nonprofit.
He graduated with honors from Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C., and later from Boston University with a degree in Environmental Studies and Policy. What followed wasn’t a straight career path—it was a long arc of building, testing, learning, and adapting.
He lived and worked all over the western U.S., including a year in a two-man tent on an Apache reservation doing endangered species fieldwork, and two stints with The Nature Conservancy on one of Idaho’s most legendary trout streams.
By 1995, Rob was also working in SEO and digital marketing—building over 150 websites and founding six companies, including a nonprofit. That work paid for what came next: over a decade of competitive dog sled racing.
He trained in Alaska under a 7-time world champion sprint kennel, then launched his own team and backcountry outfitting company in Park City, Utah. He set multiple records on the Colorado Mountain Musher circuit, including a 10-dog mid-distance championship. In 2004, he won a bronze medal for the U.S. in a 200-mile World Cup race in far eastern Siberia, racing around five volcanoes in under 72 hours. His company led high-end tours for clients like VISA, IBM, GE, and NBC, and he was featured on The Today Show and Wild On E! during the 2002 Olympics.
After retiring from racing in 2007, Rob moved to Florida and opened a firearm company, designing modular Glock conversion kits and gas-piston auto revolvers. He continued building systems—digital and mechanical—for startups, product companies, and his own ventures.
Today, Rob remains an active outdoorsman, fly-fisherman, camper, and deer hunter. He holds a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and tests gear the same way he approaches training: it has to prove itself through use.
OUTCAST began when Rob needed a watch that didn’t exist. He built one that worked better for his needs, then continued with additional designs to solve real problems in the field.
That mindset is what led to OUTCAST.
Rob didn’t create the brand to chase trends—he built the first watch because the gear he needed didn’t exist. His time on the trail showed him the limitations of the tools that were out there. So he made something better. First the Field & Sea, then the Marksman Dial. Each watch has a function-first design that solves real problems in the field—whether that’s timing a sled heat, tracking tide shifts, or calculating wind holds at long range.
