Brathwait is a watch brand founded by Henrik Torp. Like many brands who either wanted to close a gap in the market or felt the need to provide luxe pieces without the exorbitant markup, Torp started Brathwait with transparent process.

Named after Richard Brathwait, a British poet who introduced the idea of the gentleman in the 1600s, the brand uses quality materials like other high-end timepiece brands but offers their products at affordable prices. Like many savvy brands who have embraced the e-commerce boom and bypassed the middleman, the watches are sold from US$150.

The timepieces come in three ranges – classic slim, classic slim steel and automatic minimalist. All three ranges have a classic and masculine silhouette and you can add extra, interchangeable straps to mix and match with your outfit. 

Italian leather, sapphire glass, Swiss quartz movements and Japanese Automatic movements are used in production and the watches are made in China by expert hands. The face measures in at 40mm in diameter and is lightweight, which provides an easy and comfortable fit for the wearer. The watch is also water resistant to 100 metres.

You can find the costs of the materials and manufacturing on their website, something the brand felt was important. While mens watches can sometimes be marked up as much as five times, Torp was uncomfortable with the discrepancy and introduced fair pricing on luxury instead.

I chatted to Torp about how it all started, his vision for the brand and got some advice on what to look for when choosing a mens watch.

– Tell me about the brand and how it all began.

I started to research the cost of materials going into luxury watches out of curiosity in 2013. At that time, I had no intentions of starting a watch company. However after discovering how inflated prices were I wanted to do right by the consumer and introduce fair pricing of luxury quality.

– The name Brathwait came from Richard Brathwait. How has he inspired and shaped the brand?

I wanted to create a company based on the characteristic of a gentleman – honesty, moderation and being fair. This directly translates to our transparent business model and direct to consumer approach.

– What makes Brathwait stand out compared to other mens timepiece brands?

We are sparing no details in introducing transparency to modern watchmaking. 

– What advice would you give when choosing a watch?

Durable materials, then design. Look for top grain leather, sapphire glass, 316 stainless steel and a water resistance of 100 metres plus. If it doesn’t say you, you are probably looking at the wrong brand.

– Where do you see the brand in 5 years?

You caught me off guard here! Hah! Still being a fantastic place to work and hangout with coworkers.