ABOUT US
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The Winton Watch Company was born following a chance meeting on a train ten years ago, and created over many hours of a regular commute from North Yorkshire to London.
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Both watch fans, Simon Hebb and Chris Holder set out to build a British watch brand to offer hand assembled Swiss-made watches that are engineered for urban adventure, but discrete enough to wear everyday - whether that’s in the boardroom or taking the kids to school.
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The company takes its name from the village of Winton in North Yorkshire, along with some unsung British pioneers and adventurers who have quietly changed the world without getting the recognition they deserve, including Alexander Winton.
The inspiration behind the brand - Alexander Winton
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British born, Alexander Winton made his name in the United States, building his first motorcar in 1896, then driving it on a ten-day trip from Cleveland to New York City to demonstrate its endurance the following year.
He then went on to make the first sale of a regularly produced American motorcar – the Winton Six. The most powerful and technologically advanced vehicle of its day, the Six was the first car to cross America coast-to-coast. And, despite losing out on investment to Henry Ford (which allowed him to create the Ford Motor Company), Winton continued to innovate.
On September 16, 1902, he drove his ‘Bullet’ racing car ten miles in ten minutes and 50 seconds, averaging 55.38 miles per hour. Then in March the following year, he drove a Bullet over the distance of a mile in 52.2 seconds (averaging 68.96mph), setting a world speed record.
While most motor manufacturers moved over to assembly line production, every Winton motorcar was custom made, and it’s that small-scale production combining with customer service, quality and innovation that the Winton Watch Company emulates.