At Balance & Barrel, the owner and watchmaker himself, Tyler Angioli, is bringing a centuries-old craft into the modern era, one repaired vintage timepiece at a time. A longtime enthusiast, he became more deeply immersed in collecting around 2020. Hoping to make high-end pieces more accessible, he figured he could buy a broken watch, learn to repair it, and give it more life.
The process of taking a watch apart and learning how it worked sparked a passion. What began as a way to expand his collection became the foundation for Balance & Barrel, his independent watchmaking and service business in Conway, South Carolina.
Before focusing on watches full time, Angioli earned a business degree in Upstate New York and spent roughly a decade in property management and overseeing real estate after pursuing real estate at Coastal Carolina University. Watches were an interest in his childhood, and watchmaking developed alongside his property management career.
The transition from serious interest to a watchmaking and watch repair business came after he recognized that property management was taking a toll on his physical and mental health. Leaving a stable career, shortly after becoming engaged and buying a house. But Angioli knew he didn’t want to remain in a demanding career because it was familiar.
After about a year and a half ago, Angioli decided to make and repair watches full-time.
“It was a huge leap of faith,” he said.
Learning watch repair can take several routes: self-teaching, formal schooling or an apprenticeship. Angioli already had a degree and was self-taught, but wanted to pursue apprenticeship to receive hands-on guidance. He approached watchmakers in the area repeatedly. At first, the answer was no. Some didn’t want competition in the area, and others didn’t have the time to train someone. A local clockmaker, Brad Solomon, helped him gain a foothold into the watchmaking industry by connecting him with a watch shop and with people who could support his development.
Those relations continued to matter. Modern watchmaking can be difficult to navigate because brands and manufacturers often closely guard technical information and parts. Angioli said the connections he built over the years helped him find resources and expertise when unfamiliar challenges arise.
His advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is to take the leap into entrepreneurship, but to not do it solo. “Surround yourself with the right people,” he said. Friends, family, and professional contacts helped him find the tools, supplies, and practical support needed to grow the business.
Watchmaking has traditionally been local; customers bring a vintage piece into the shop, leave it in repair, and return to collect it. Balance & Barrel keeps that personal service at its core while reaching beyond its storefront. Through online platforms, social media, and video, the business has acquired customers across the country and is not limited to South Carolina.
Angioli’s work spans vintage and modern watches. He says vintage pieces remain a familiar part of the repair trade — hearing from customers about a parent’s pocket watch or a grandparent’s wristwatch is common — but modern watches bring their own demands. As watch technology advances, adapting to new designs and accessing the right technical information are essential.
Balance & Barrel also buys and sells watches. Angioli is interested in acquiring older pieces, including pocket watches, then restoring them so they can be appreciated again. The idea is to give a neglected watch a second life: repair it, preserve what makes it distinctive and put it back into someone’s hands.
He wants Balance & Barrel to pair an old-school craft with a contemporary, accessible approach — and to earn a reputation for honest service in a field where customers may not always know what a repair requires.
In October, Balance & Barrel celebrated its grand opening with the mayor, and Angioli’s vision extends well beyond a single location. In the next five years, they’d like to expand to Myrtle Beach and surrounding areas within South Carolina. Another goal would be to grow in the Southeast, more specifically, North Carolina and Georgia markets. That growth, he shared, could also create a home for independent watchmakers and graduates who want to practice their craft outside large corporate brands. For now, the mission remains grounded in the work itself: serving customers, repairing watches, and keeping a specialized craft alive.
Balance & Barrel is built on the belief that a watch can be more than a timekeeping device. It can carry family history, mark a milestone, or simply deserve a chance to be revived.
To learn more about Tyler Angioli and his watchmaking and watch repair business, Balance & Barrel, contact him through the company’s website, https://www.balancebarrel.com/
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