With perfect timing The Camden Watch Company’s funky fusion of past, present, place and price has turned it into a brand tour de force attracting fans from all over the world.
Known for its elegant analogue and automatic timepieces as well as accessories, their old-school styles chime with today’s hip vintage trend and beyond that evoke other cultural spirits too.
These centre on Camden itself, the north London district famed for its punk and rock lineage, vibrant alternative communities and Victorian industrial heritage.
Founded by power couple Anneke Short and Jerome Robert in 2014 as a pop-up that never looked back, the business designs in-house, makes in Switzerland and China and sells both online and through its flagship shop in Camden’s iconic Stables Market.
Its best seller is its Memento Mori range, from £169, which features an intricately patterned display with a strong Gothic aesthetic while its message – that death is inevitable – also captures the ultra-positive reminder of “carpe diem” – seize the day.
So beguiled are some customers who have got tattoos based on the design.
For the company, which has a team of seven, prospects are certainly upbeat as it aims for a turnover close to £3 million by 2025.
“Slow and steady wins the race,” says Short, who met Robert in Switzerland where she trained as a watch designer.
“Being designers has a huge impact on our end product and so too has being present in the shop so we can discuss with customers. Over the years we have expanded to include an automatic range and plus silver jewellery.
“Being affordable is very important to us and we have never seen digital big brands as competition as we are so different. That’s why it is so hard to pin down our customers – they are so wide-ranging.
“We have women buying men’s watches, teenagers and families looking for a special gift for a grandparent. They could be locals or from Australia, the US or India. It’s a melting pot just like Camden itself.”
Constantly looking for ways to innovate, she adds: “We’ve run a click-and-collect service offering a free coffee and also a murder mystery event alongside our Memento Mori launch, as well as collaborations with a cyclist, a barber and tattoo artists. We had one watch that sold out before it even landed on the shop floor.”
A new collab coming up next year will be with chef Tom Brown of Michelin-starred modern British restaurant Cornerstone in Hackney Wick.
The couple are also in talks about opening a second shop in central London.
Now producing more one-offs and specials, the company’s Frankenstein edition comprises small batch or single watches made up of spare parts and honours illustrious local author Mary Shelley, creator of the fabled monster.
Camden’s inclusiveness was a big draw for Jerome and Short, outsiders once who are now at its heart and have helped introduce it to many others.
And as for their immaculate timing, it’s not just confined to their business as Short explains: “Even our son Oscar was born on his due date.”
