Ryan Torres is an American entrepreneur and watchmaker best known as the co-founder of Vaer, a California-based watch brand. His journey into the horological industry began in late 2015 in Venice Beach, where he and his co-founder Reagan Cook first conceptualized the idea for a new kind of timepiece. At the time, Torres was working for a technology company and spent his mornings surfing. He identified a gap in the market for a watch that was durable enough for adventure sports yet aesthetically refined for a professional office environment, all at an accessible price point.

Torres and Cook founded Vaer in 2016, investing their collective life savings to launch the independent venture. The first year was dedicated to rigorous product development and testing, during which Torres oversaw the creation of prototypes that could withstand extreme conditions, from surfing and free diving to high-altitude exposure in the Himalayas. This commitment to functional durability led to the implementation of high-end features like screw-down crowns and sapphire crystals in their entry-level models.

Under Torres’s leadership, Vaer officially released its first watches in early 2017. Following the brand’s initial success, Torres made the strategic decision in 2018 to move watch assembly to the United States. This move established Vaer as a prominent figure in the revival of American watchmaking, with the company eventually becoming the largest independent watch assembler in the United States.

Throughout his tenure, Torres has remained deeply involved in the complete lifecycle of the brand’s products, from initial design and marketing to customer service and assembly. He has championed a business model centered on sustainable growth, independence from external funding, and transparency. Today, Torres continues to lead Vaer from its headquarters in Venice Beach, focusing on expanding the brand’s technical capabilities with solar-powered movements and complex mechanical complications while maintaining its core mission of producing functional, high-quality everyday wristwatches.