FEATURE
GLEN-ANTHONY WATCHES
Mother of Pearl-Jewel Numbers-Cream Leather
Strap-White-Warm Face
options, I don’t think a bigger
company would be able to. I
have the opportunity to spend
more time with the customer,
show them all the options. If they
wanted something like a bespoke
bezel I can make it for them.
How long does it take to make
one of your bespoke watches?
From the beginning it took about
18 months to create the design
for my first watch. But today to
actually make a watch it only
takes around two days with the
machinery I have. Although I
can only make around 15 to 20
watches per month, and I am
hoping to double that amount
year. Although I want to stress
that is as far as I want to go
with the amount I make, I would
Titanium Honeycomb-Mesh Strap copy
28 JEWELLERY FOCUS
Honeycombe-Mesh Strap
rather make 20 watches a month
and make them to my customer’s
bespoke ideas than make 50
watches that don’t.
I am not really going after the
big, mass production market. I
want to really focus on unique
designs and enjoy doing that for
the rest of my career. The market
is swamped with watches from
abroad, so making something that
is really different takes a lot of
time and that is why getting to this
point took so long.
Were there any difficulties in
starting the business?
I had to teach myself CAD design,
which took a while. Actually
selling was a huge learning curve,
I had to build myself a jewellery
showroom, which is something
‘‘
The plan for
the next few
years is to
get some new
machinery in,
more staff,
promote our
products
and try and
meet more
customers
interested in
what I have to
offer
‘‘
Walnut Metal-Brown Leather Rally Strap
I hadn’t really foreseen at the
beginning. I originally thought I
would have just been selling them
on the website, but that wasn’t
the case.
How many staff do you employ?
It’s just me and my wife, that’s it.
I do everything, although it means
I don’t get much sleep. I do want
to get somebody in to help us,
someone who is already at college
doing engineering and who wants
to learn a new craft.
How do you see the next 10
years of your career?
The plan for the next few years
is to get some new machinery in,
more staff, promote our products
and try and meet more customers
interested in what I have to offer. I
would like to eventually design my
own movement system if possible,
so I can really design my watch
around that.
The trouble is I am getting a
little bit older now, I am creeping
towards 50, and to learn how to
make your own movements takes
a long time, so I may need to get
somebody in to do that with me.
Although I have already met a
great jeweller who is interested in
making a watch together with me.
The plan is to come out with some
solid silver watches with a bit of
vintage look between us.
August 2018 | jewelleryfocus.co.uk