about
Alkin is an independent watch company founded in Bristol, UK by furniture designer and watch collector Charlie Fowler. Alkin was born out of a long-held desire to build a watch brand uncompromising in its core values of high quality, democratic design that will stand the test of time.
During his career as a designer Charlie has become increasingly passionate about products that are built to last and go on a journey with you, but understands that it’s often hard to make this available to everyone. As a result, it was his key aim to develop accessibly priced mechanical watches designed with simplicity, functionality and longevity firmly in mind.
The cases, dial and hands are all designed from scratch by Charlie, while the Arabic numerals are designed by British typographer Gareth Hague. The pared-back style of an alkin watch reflects Charlie’s passion for form and function in equal measure, while still retaining a unique character and identity. All elements have been distilled to create simple, visually balanced pieces that offer maximum utility and versatility.
The product development journey for the watches can take many months, with numerous prototypes and revisions made to ensure that each watch is just right. From the start, Charlie has sought to build strong working relationships with his suppliers to ensure that the very best standards of quality, consistency and attention to detail can be delivered in production. For this same reason, the automatic movements are sourced from world class suppliers in Japan, renowned for their robust build quality and outstanding reliability. The Watch heads themselves are made in the far east, while our veg-tanned leather straps come from a manufacturer in the black forest in Germany, that has been making leather good for generations.
Follow this link to a recent YouTube interview Charlie did with WatchGecko magazine to find out more about alkin and Charlie's vision for the brand.
Thank you for taking the time to visit and please do get in touch if you have any questions.
