So behind it all is Tom, a 26 year old from Nottingham (turns out he lives only 20 minutes away from me!) who studied business at University, and from there launched into starting his own company, diving into the world of watches!
The clear theme whilst chatting to Tom at Blenheim was quality. Morris Richardson’s passion for creating a watch that ticked a number of boxes to do with sustainability, fashion, durability and price, has led to what I believe to be a brand that is going to be unstoppable in the years to come.
The Business
Tom shared with me the hardships of being a young business owner, of which I could also understand, and we spoke about how it’s such a sacrificial but equally rewarding task of becoming your own boss.
Tom has however, spent the last 2 years growing a business which is fast becoming a well known and renowned brand in the rural and country lifestyle market. He has focused on keeping quality at the core, and as a result, has a product which pretty much sells itself!
The Watches
I had the luxury of being able to look at each and every watch they had on display, and witnessed a number of customers also ooing and aahhing at the range available. Some couples even bought watches together! So I’ll start by just telling you all about all the many straps that are available to choose from.
Morris Richardson have the most lovely selection of colours to choose from. Suprisingly I found myself drawn to straps that hadn’t caught my eye online, so I would 100% recommend heading to their stand at their next event (view their social calendar here) and having a look for yourselves at their colours.
I discovered that all their tweed is made from Harris Tweed, and to prevent any irritation or itchiness that could come by having it on your wrist, a super soft lining of beige leather is stitched onto the back. I loved how they had thought about this aspect!
Of course another feature is the interchangability of all the straps. I for one could not decide which was my favourite so it makes the whole decision making a lot less stressful. By using the quick release button, the straps simply pop out and can be switched with ease. Tom even told me about someone who bought a half of two straps so they could have a two tone watch!
The little touches don’t stop there either, the watch face features a scratch resistant sapphire crystal glass, as well as a Swiss made quartz movement and even 316L marine grade stainless steel.
As if that wasn’t enough little touches, I particularly loved how much the Morris Richardson brand was featured on the watch. I personally feel that a lot of brands could learn a lot from this – they have a strong brand identity which is communictaed across all aspects of the product! Branding is featured on the watch face both front, side and back, on the inside of the straps, and on the buckle.
All in all, it’s a truly lovely brand, ran by equally lovely people, and one which I’m sure is going to grow into a great success story! I love watching new businesses flourish, and think it’s so great to see innovation in the rural and country industry.
Head to their website (button below) to pick up your very own watch and strap of choice – prices start at just £189 which is a great price to pay for such a quality and timeless product.
*Oh and did I mention the packaging is just as great?!
