Founders' Friday - A Conversation with Karim and Matt of Beaucroft

Beaucroft was born from friendship, a shared passion for beautiful mechanical watches and a love of Cambridge’s rich heritage. Founders Karim and Matt set out to bring classic watchmaking to a modern audience, focusing on clean, considered design and stories that resonate with today’s watch lovers. Proudly independent, their brand shapes every detail from scratch and offers a personal experience from first contact to long after purchase. Grounded in understated British design and built around lasting connections, Beaucroft creates timepieces that feel timeless and personal, inviting wearers to mark their own journeys with each watch.

I have followed their journey with keen interest since meeting them in 2024 and having got to know them better in the time since. I was eager to find out more still by asking them the same set of fifteen questions for this week's Founders' Friday.

Karim - My first “proper” watch was a 14k gold Eterna that my father gave me. It had been passed down from his father, and the sentiment attached to it was the true catalyst for my lifelong passion for collecting. It’s not a watch I wear today, nor is it aligned with my personal taste. My design influences lean more towards mid-century modernism; clean, minimal forms, continuous curves, and thoughtful splashes of colour. 

Matt - The first watch that gave me “all the feels” was a Nomos Metro Neomatic 38, which my wife (after a heavy number of hints) gave me for my 30th birthday. It’s a prime example of a watch with a few design details executed exceptionally well. It has so much character and personality despite a very minimal aesthetic, with playful pops of colour, great legibility, and it wears beautifully; all the essentials we look for in our own designs.

Karim - I started as a collector. A deep-rooted passion for watches was instilled in me from an early age. My father is Persian/Arab, and in that culture a watch is often the only piece of jewellery a man wears, a key expression of personality. There truly is a watch for every person and every occasion. 

Matt - I was working as a product designer, designing everything from coffee machines and hair dryers to medical devices. While I enjoyed the design challenges, none of those products carried the magic of a well-made watch, which I found myself designing and exploring after hours. Watches are still the only items I’ve designed or owned that can tell a story, connect you to a part of yourself or another person, mark a momentous occasion, or simply be worn for fun. 

Karim - Yes. Matt and I had talked about starting a watch brand for a couple of years, visiting Baselworld and other shows as fans, but nothing more. At the time, I was working at a London-based fintech startup, which was intense and involved constant travel. Then my son was born in 2017. I was on the 20:24 train home to Cambridge when I suddenly realised I wanted to be at home building something I was deeply passionate about, something he would grow up to be proud of. I resigned my directorship the next day, and the Beaucroft journey began. 

Matt - Similar to Karim, my daughter was born in 2020 and I took some shared leave to spend time with her. When it came time to reluctantly go back to work, it struck me that if I was going to be away from home (and her), I should be working on something I love. So I left my corporate design job and joined Karim to start Beaucroft. 

Karim - Is it too easy to say Roger Smith? He inspires me not only because of his unrivalled watchmaking skill, but because he is incredibly open, friendly, and supportive of smaller British brands. That balance is rare. Outside the watch world: Vico Magistretti, Alvar Aalto, Marcello Gandini, Gio Ponti and many more. 

Matt - Yvon Chouinard (founder of Patagonia) - he was a reluctant entrepreneur who built a business around what he loved, designed the tools he needed, and shaped a company culture grounded in principles true to him and his team. Dieter Rams - he set out amazing principles for what good, purposeful design should be which have always stuck with me. But echoing Karim, Roger is the man. 

Karim - It’s incredibly hard to get right. And attention to detail makes all the difference.

Matt - When it comes to watch design and manufacturing, you must always sweat the small stuff - having a decent design is only the beginning. 

Karim - I’m an emotional watch wearer, so the initial feel is everything. It’s hard to explain, but a key indicator is finding yourself repeatedly looking at the watch without actually reading the time.

Matt - If it makes you smile. 

Karim - It always starts in the same place: the story. Once we’ve defined the why, we begin exploring. Music is always involved, along with nature, textures, and, of course, Pantone charts.

Matt - It starts with a person, a time, and a place for me. I like to visualise a day in the life of someone with a certain lifestyle and imagine the watch that will heighten that experience and best serve their needs. This helps me capture the core feeling and function from the very start. For the Seeker we visualised a relaxed summer’s day gliding down the river in a Cambridge punt. The Element was conceived for a weekend adventure away from the city - sporty enough to survive a beating but elegant enough for evening entertainment. 

Karim - I’ve always admired how architects translate their skills into other forms, so incorporating historic Cambridge architecture into our watches was particularly exciting for me. The side profile of our Seeker range is modelled on the Bridge of Sighs, something most people don’t notice until it’s pointed out. 

Matt - The lumed pip on the Element’s second hand perfectly fills the unlumed portion of each metal hour marker as it sweeps past. I really enjoy little details like this. 

Karim - The challenges are relentless, but decision-making stands out. Matt and I make multiple decisions every day, each with the potential to shape Beaucroft’s future.

Matt - Balancing ambition with giving things time to nurture. As a designer you want to create and launch everything at once, but the best things take time to evolve. 

Karim - The microbrand space excites me, and the British microbrand space even more so. It feels inclusive and genuinely supportive rather than competitive, which is rare. I’m also encouraged by a shift in buyer behaviour. There’s a growing understanding that brand name and price don’t necessarily correlate with quality on the wrist. More choice and better education create more opportunity for brands like Beaucroft.

Matt - It feels like the British resurgence in the watch industry is just beginning - it has found its feet, and the next chapter will be bold and disruptive. I’m also excited by the number of talented, creative, and diverse people entering the industry. 

Karim - Rolex 

Matt - Nomos 

Karim - Hiut Denim Co.

Matt - Nike 

Karim - Mechanical.I enjoy the continual, hands-on interaction it requires.

Matt - For me the romance and magic is in the mechanical 

Karim - GMT; I find the at-a-glance second time zone genuinely useful.

Matt - Minute repeater; ridiculous as a complication and not needed today, but so charming to see (and hear)! 

Karim - Be positive. Be relentless. Build a process. (Advice I gave myself!)

Matt - Be curious and keep showing up!