In just the last 20 years, work as we know it has totally changed, but our tools haven't.

Backpacks have become ubiquitous as the everyday carry of the knowledge worker but offer no particular benefit to this talented segment besides convenience. We're here to change that.

Borne out of the tech communities of San Francisco and Toronto, our customers' needs differ greatly from hikers, students, and travellers. We make it possible to arrive to work energized, not sweaty. To look put together yet modern and innovative. And we offer data-driven optimization in a crucial part of our day that has previously been overlooked. Billions of dollars are spent every year to optimize your ride to work or your inbox, but what about the cumulative days you waste each year looking through your bag? What about the first impression you make before you have a chance to speak?

WATSON is about optimizing our belongings for their modern purpose.

Switching from a regular backpack to a WATSON is akin to going from ear bus to air pods. Or hand luggage to rolling luggage. Just read our customer reviews.

We’re on a mission to redefine modern luxury. We knew that owning the means of production would be essential in order to innovate in manufacturing and maintain the highest quality standards - both in our products and the jobs we create. This is why we handcraft our Packs in Canada, use only renewable and fair-trade materials, and are pursuing a neutral carbon footprint by 2020. We see a future where this is not a "nice to have" philosophy, but table stakes.

• WATSON has conducted over 10,000 hours of first-hand user research to identify the most persistent pain points facing modern professionals. Backpacks aren't built for the experience age: they tip over, lose their shape, get hot, let rain in, have breakable zippers, are disorganized and can feel childish. WATSON solves all of these issues and more.
• WATSON is carried by a roster of C-level executives and Managers from tech's highest growth companies (Airbnb, Facebook, Google, Autodesk, Uber, Linkedin, Dolby, Disney, and more.)
• "Enclothed cognition" (how you feel in your clothes) has been scientifically attributed to an improvement in cognitive performance of up to 50%. Source. 90% of consumers polled admitted to feeling unprofessional or childish in their existing backpack. Alternatively, WATSON's minimalism and polish starts conversations and helps make meaningful connections.
• WATSON products are designed and handcrafted in Toronto, Canada.
• Founded in 2017 in Toronto, Canada by former SUITS (television series) stylist Val Crisp.

What do you get when a SUITS TV stylist makes a backpack for a visionary tech founder? Refined magic.

Founder Val Crisp was itching for a creative side-project while working as a stylist on the hit television series SUITS.

“I thought terrible backpacks in the workplace was symptomatic of poor taste but it quickly became clear this was a real pain point in the category. There was no one looking at backpacks in the modern space in which they’re now ubiquitous - work. Rucksacks and book bags aren't serving a professional's purpose. We've rebuilt the Pack from ground zero to transform how you work and how you show up.”

Just read the Pack’s reviews and you’ll see WATSON’s early adopters espousing that intangible feeling.

As an outsider to the tech world, Crisp was completely unbiased in her designs building a robust set of user data using the scientific method and first-hand observations. The team amassed over 10,000 data points from first hand user observations and scraping hundreds of product reviews. That’s when the aha moment came. In order for a backpack to service modern work (read laptops, electronic devices), it needs to stand upright. It’s such an obvious problem but not that simple to address. In pursuit of the stand up pack the team developed a patented hardshell architecture and one-touch access mechanism. This, in turn, set off a landslide of never before possible elements. Features like the waterproof gasket seal, two-factor latch, concave breathable back, and hardshell lens case are all byproducts of the shift from soft to hard shell.

EditSeven - #FounderFiles - Meet Val Crisp and her game-changing Pack

Epic Woman - Interview - Founder of Watson, Entrepreneur, “Wonder Woman”

Borne out of the tech communities of San Francisco and Toronto, our customer’s needs differ greatly from hikers, students, and travellers. They value smart usability, quality of materials, comfort, and design. We launched WATSON because we wanted to explore the edges. We wanted modern everyday tools that were truly assets, not just ho-hum. WATSON is about optimizing our belongings for their modern purpose. We are on a mission to transform your life’s work.

We’re on a mission to redefine modern luxury. The only kind of physical goods company we can feel good about building is one of transparency, sustainability, and craftsmanship. This is why we handcraft our packs in Canada, use only renewable and fair-trade materials, and are pursuing a neutral carbon footprint by 2020.

• WATSON has conducted over 10,000 hours of first-hand user research to identify the most persistent pain points for modern knowledge workers.
• Founded in 2017 in Toronto, Canada.
• 70% of our customers are in major cities across the USA with the highest concentration in the San Francisco Bay area.
• WATSON products are designed and handcrafted in Toronto, Canada.
• We offer a 1-year warranty, which is uncommon for a new product category.

Please use these assets for press purposes.

EditSeven - #FounderFiles - Meet Val Crisp and her game-changing Pack

Epic Woman - Interview - Founder of Watson, Entrepreneur, “Wonder Woman”