Handmade Watches

The Legacy of WT Author

The independent microbrand that designs and builds limited edition, handmade watches from our workshop in Shropshire, UK.

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We collaborate with talented CNC toolmakers, leather artisans and sustainable print studios to assemble bespoke handmade watches full of character, meaning and originality.

Each watch is built-to-order and acts as much as an eye-catching talking point, as it is an incredibly functional timepiece.

Handmade Watches that are authentic


We build watches to order in our workshop. Nestled in the heart of Shropshire, here in the UK, we do things the old-fashioned way, using our hands.

Every component is thoughtfully designed, every aspect is painstakingly contemplated.

After forty-five individual watch releases, spanning seven collections, our goal has always been about authenticity and innovation.

exhibiting at the most prestigious events


We have shipped our products to over thirty countries, spanning four different continents.

For seven years we have travelled across Europe, exhibiting at the most prestigious events in our industry.

For us, it’s not just about the watches. It’s about making new friends. It’s about getting to know our customers on a personal level. These physical interactions open our eyes to important causes.

Charity auctions have become a staple of our yearly calendar, having raised over £3,500 in the last two years alone for The Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal and Mission Motorsport.

british watches wt author jon shakespeare watchmaker

Jon SHakespeare, THE WATCHMAKER


Jon meticulously builds each watch in our workshop before being sent to all corners of the globe.

Every item is assembled in-house, signed, packaged and wax sealed before being shipped.

He leads our incredible after-sales support centre and photography studio, allowing us to be incredibly reactive and responsive to our customers.

british watches wt author sam holland designer

Sam Holland, THE WATCH DESIGNER


Sam is the embodiment of creativity.

He gets under the skin of every design to give each component the opportunity to evolve.

Year after year, he creates collections that are authentic, innovative and full of meaning, right here in our studio.

He instils a sense of individuality into every watch, to pull away from anything else on the market.

british watches wt author movement

Handmade watches with a Story to Tell


We encompass all of our handmade watches with a unique character that is individual to the legacy.

Every object is full of meaning and symbolism to intrigue the wearer.

Each year we release another Chapter moving onto another decade of inspiration.

british watches by wt author watch assembly hand setting

We are Unique


The perfect way we’d hope a wearer to experience our products is as an eye-catching talking point, knowing that the person next to you is never going to be wearing the same watch.

british watches by wt author watch assembly dial component

Handmade Watches that are Independent


WT Author was founded by Jon Shakespeare and Sam Holland in Birmingham, UK. It is entirely independent meaning we have no investors to answer to.

Every creative element from the website to the handmade watches is produced in-house.

british watches by wt author watch assembly movement

We are Original


Each component has the opportunity to evolve allowing us to get under the skin of the object and pinpoint the aspects that need presenting.

WT Author is self-sufficient and relies on creating originality instead of creating an alternative style from an established name.

Our ideas are never diluted and rather than design Chapters for the sake of being a “bestseller”, we are more concerned with pushing a notion based on what we think is right.

Handmade Watches that are Built-to-Order


Each product is assembled around a highly-reliable movement to give you the ability to maintain the watch with us directly or with another service.

Every Chapter is limited to a specific number allowing you to select from a designated quantity (whether it is limited up to 125 or just 25 pieces).

Each package is wax sealed and shipped to you for free, at the same price wherever you are in the world.

Every corner of the globe


Our leather watch straps are handmade in Britain using a variety of buffalo and Italian cowhide.

Everything from the product, the book, the screen print, and the package is brought together in our Workshop from every corner of the globe – from USA to South America, Asia to Switzerland and of course, Britain.

The Workshop is located in a disused Royal Mail sorting office where we build and photograph everything for WT Author.

Handmade Watches that are Limited


Exclusivity remains at the heart of WT Author.

Our products are bespoke as we take pride in individuality and keep everything highly personal.

Our handmade watches are accompanied by a signed and numbered print to match the specific item.

We are Collaborative


Get A Grip Studio, a Birmingham-based studio to produce the limited edition screen prints that accompany every Chapter.

Pinegrove Leather, a renowned leather goods manufacturer based in Hebden Bridge to make the watch straps for Chapters Nº 1934, Nº 1940 and Nº 1953.

Mark Wilkinson of Bear Industries, a Lincolnshire-based precision engineer to make all of our custom tools.

Handmade Watches with a Sense of Individuality


Our products are built in Britain with British and imported parts.

The group is highly creative with a sense of individuality to pull away from anything else on the market.

We act on inherent cultural quirks and peculiarities to take our followers by surprise.

We Tour Europe


Our unfiltered passion behind every Chapter is allowed to manifest itself at every exhibition by speaking directly to each individual involved in the making of the product.

Check out the latest dates to see if our exhibition is near you right here.

Our exhibition includes all sold out options, so visitors will always have the opportunity to view those that are no longer available.


Contact the Workshop

Get in touch with WT Author using the contact form:

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    Send Us An Email

    Send us a message and you won’t be placed into a queue. We’ll get any issue fixed as fast as humanly possible – so you’re in good hands.

    We are not going anywhere!

    workshop@wtauthor.com


    Give Us A RIng

    Our workshop is open from 09:00 to 17:00 every weekday (except Bank Holidays and other seasonal times throughout the year). If there is no answer immediately then leave us a message. We’ll get back to you.

    +44 (0) 333 006 2496


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