What Makes Orazza Watches the Perfect Everyday Luxury?

What do Cebuanos say when asking for the time?

The answer means something more than small talk to Chantal Venezuela, founder and owner of watch and jewelry brand Orazza. Something that brings to life her entrepreneurial dreams and gives precedence to the needs of a local market with a growing taste for finer things.

Orazza is the result of demand met without compromise. Goods of premium standard with prices just shy of matching competitors who offer a similar quality. In other words, it’s a brand that ticks off the boxes of the everyday Filipino seeking out the occasional luxury.

Orazza was an answer that came to Venezuela almost naturally after a visit to a family friend who was already in the watchmaking business in Hong Kong, not to mention the accessibility and exposure provided by an even closer connection in her father, who was also in the industry as a supplier of watch dials.

“It’s the Visayan word for time,” Venezuela explains. “Whenever we ask for the time of the day, we say, ‘Unsang orasa na?’”

So when locals with an Orazza timepiece are asked about the time, they can point to their watch to check the ‘Orazza’ literally, stylized Visayan and all.

Orazza’s accessibility, its bid to go toe-to-toe with luxury names in all but price tag, goes back to the brand’s aim for inclusivity. Venezuela says, “Orazza stands for timeless elegance and inclusivity without breaking the bank. The brand prides itself on creating premium quality watches incorporating style and function.”

And style and function Orazza not only incorporates, but harmonizes. Since the brand’s launch in late 2019, Orazza has expanded its main line of timepieces to include jewelry; particularly, jewelry sets that serve as coordinates for their watches, like “an ‘arm candy’ package,” as Venezuela touts them. She remarks, “Innovation and diversification are very crucial to survive the ever-changing market, especially the trendy Gen Z market.”

This move toward diversification may be an instance of good business strategy, but it’s also a measure of adaptation that Venezuela had to learn while Orazza was in its infancy. The brand was just a few months old, in fact, when the COVID-19 pandemic paralyzed the world and turned global markets upside down.

“It was tough to navigate the changing customer behaviors, especially since buying a watch wasn’t seen as a necessity at the time,” she recalls. “To overcome this, I focused on adapting my marketing strategies to reach customers online… I also prioritized flexibility in the designs to meet shifting trends. This helped Orazza grow during a challenging time.”

Perhaps that’s how Orazza’s inclusive model has fared so well. At the core of the broader Filipino market, price is king. To better put it, affordability is king. But a luxury watch brand for Filipinos that is affordable—what does that mean?

“Affordable means cheaper than those of established brands, but the quality is there,” says Venezuela. “My goal is to offer premium quality timepieces perfect for everyday wear at an affordable price.”

Orazza watches go for upwards of ₱2,000 and as much as ₱6,000, and their jewelry collection can be had for just below that range apiece.

This price tier offers function, style, quality, and beyond—including local heritage. Making Filipino roots a part of Orazza’s design identity lends the brand’s inclusive approach a more cultural aspect along with the socio-economic.

“The designs at Orazza are a mix of modern aesthetics and integrating a part of Cebu’s cultural heritage,” says Venezuela, who was born and raised in Cebu. “Each timepiece reflects local design elements that celebrate our roots while appealing to the contemporary taste. For me, Orazza represents a pursuit of commitment to making premium quality watches accessible, allowing everyone to wear a piece of our story on their wrist.”

Classic style and modern design, bold and minimalist, classy yet approachable. Each design resonates not just with Venezuela, but with the 21st century consumer who wants a taste of everything. Take the Araw watch, an Independence Day special release that features a collaboration with weavers from Benguet and Isabela. The traditionally sourced fabric is crafted together with what Venezuela deems the “minimum material requirement” for each Orazza timepiece: stainless steel, sapphire crystal, and a Japanese movement (sometimes a Swiss movement).

Orazza’s strict standard is what merits Venezuela’s confidence. It’s a hard-earned confidence, too, having been a one-woman team since Orazza’s launch until just last year, when she finally brought on her own graphic artist and photographer. Since then, it’s been a steady journey for Orazza Watch. The brand has been showcasing its collections in bazaars in Manila and Cebu, occasions that provide an alternative to its usual online-only channels on Lazada and Zalora.

Over time, through both their e-commerce stores and in-person events, Orazza has gleaned which among their designs customers favor most. These include the Shiloh in rose gold, the Kassi collection in leather (a bazaar favorite), and the Araw collection.

As Orazza takes on more designs and innovations in the future, its journey is one to look out for as it grows into its vision as a watch brand for Filipinos.

Find Orazza in upcoming local bazaars where you can see the timepieces in person and connect with the brand directly. Join them in Cebu:

Or come see them in Manila at the Noel Bazaar at The Filinvest Tent in Alabang from December 12 – 15.

Get updates from Orazza on Instagram and Facebook and shop their selections on Lazada and Zalora.

Photography Kyrra Kho