10 years ago I started a watch company… here’s the story:

It took 6 months from ideation to launch on the 1st of May 2014. I was 17 and had just started my final high school exams. The next 5 years would be a whirlwind of highs & lows (mostly highs) making for the best learning experience I could’ve asked for.

Why Watches?

I wanted a cool watch but didn’t want to spend a lot. At the time I couldn’t find anything for £100 that didn’t look cheap. This made me ask why?

In my naive youth, I started emailing 100s of watch manufacturers asking if I could get a watch made for cheaper. Most didn’t reply or rejected me. With each conversation, my knowledge of watch manufacturing grew. By the end, I knew exactly what I wanted and what to ask for.

Eventually, I found a manufacturer that would work with me. They could make the watch face in my budget and more importantly, they would help me design it.

After the watch faces, sourcing packaging & straps was a breeze. After 2 months of emailing in broken English, I placed my first order.

I paid upfront for the watches, transferring ‘Cathy’ my entire life savings. Still to this day, I don’t know how or why I did this. It baffles me.

A month later, by a miracle, the watch faces and straps arrived safe & sound.

My first order was for 200 watches. I knew if I could sell at least half I would break even so that was my goal. We started with 2 faces and 4 variations of nato straps. 

While I was waiting for the watches to arrive, I set up the website & social media accounts stating the 1st of May launch date!

(I bought way-north.com in Jan 2014 for £1.29)

The watches arrived days before the 1st of May. I quickly photographed them (badly) and got them on the site. I then realised I didn’t even have boxes to send them in.

Enter Dominos Boxes

I found wooden Domino’s boxes from Poundland which I could use. Every other day I would have to go to the shop & buy all of their stock. For each box, I sanded off the ‘Domino’ by hand and stamped the box with a WN stamp. (This took hours upon hours and now realise was crazy)

Launch day came, armed with a shoddy website, bad photos, £0 marketing spend, and domino boxes it didn’t even cross my mind that it wouldn’t work.

… and it did work.

I started posting photos of the watches on Facebook, and Instagram, and the word spread.

After the first month, Waynorth broke even. In June it turned a profit and I immediately placed another order to Cathy.

What Happens Next?

Read Part II

(Sorry Part 2 isn’t written yet)