Traditional watch maker Marloe quits England for Scotland because of Brexit

Traditional watch maker Marloe has quit Henley in England for Perth, Scotland because the founders want to stay in the EU.

The Marloe Watch Company was launched in 2105 after kindred spirits  Gordon Fraser and Oliver Goffe met on an online watch forum and decided to turn their shared love for heritage timepieces into a business. They discovered their mini renaissance in mechanical watches created huge interest among the public and soon they were catering to growing demand for traditional crafted watches.

Founders Gordon Fraser and Oliver Goffe wanted to craft traditional mechanical mechanism to lovingly create heritage timepieces

The burgeoning brand received £600,000 in crowdfunding last year and saw profits grow 488 per cent between 2015 and 2018.

The new move away from England is part of a planned expansion strategy was swayed by Scotland’s position on remaining in the EU. The company wanted to get into Scotland before it got too hard, according to co-founder Oliver Goffe. “We want our children to grow up in a global world, not one that’s ring fenced,” said Goffe.

Though Scotland doesn’t necessarily have a brand image that’s better than England, Goffe said, it does have geographies and locations that resonate with the brand and its direction. “We are all about adventure; seeking it out and enjoying the open world, and through the shared pursuit of adventure connect with people of all backgrounds, origins and mindsets,” said Goffe.

While I’m sure we all wish them well in this venture – they do create beautiful watches – I’m not sure about the parting shots.

At the time of going to press, both Scotland and England were in Europe, no markets were ring fenced and the world remains global. The government has announced no plans to block any backgrounds, origins or mindsets.