How we make our clocks
The Bramwell Brown Workshop: masters of making by hand
Every Bramwell Brown clock is assembled with care and pride by the extremely skilled team at our workshop in Hampshire. Take a glimpse behind the scenes in our video above.
The workshop is an appealing mix of space-age, dust-free, anti-static wizardry and good old-fashioned handmade dexterity. The team will work on a batch at a time – then test each clock extensively before sending it out.
The parts arrive from all over the world: the quartz clock mechanism is made in Germany; the frames are painted in Yorkshire. Whichever team member painstakingly assembles these parts together to create each finished clock, personally signs or stamps a certificate that goes into its box.
The one rule that keeps the team together? No radio: it causes far too many arguments. And they are surrounded by our clocks, so if anyone can vouch for the absence of any ticking, it’s them!
The founders: a brother and sister team
Who’s behind Bramwell Brown? That’d be us: Rob and Sarah. We’re brother and sister, London-based but proud of our Lancashire roots.
We trace our love of curious mechanical objects back to childhood – to Sunday afternoons, when dad would stand in the hall to wind the grandfather clock, then tap on the barometer to see what the weather might be up to that day.
Old clock mechanics and curious analogue time-pieces have a peculiar charm. At the heart of Bramwell Brown is a fascination with spinning cogs and whizzing parts.
It began at the kitchen table
We looked everywhere for a mechanical barometer in an appealing design – but couldn’t find one, anywhere.
So we decided to design one ourselves: at the kitchen table, surrounded by card, split pins and Sellotape, building what was a very basic initial prototype.
Far more technical prototypes ensued, once we’d found some expert engineering help. We refined and refined and refined again over the course of two years, and eventually we had the first Mechanimated Clock, which we launched in 2015.
Bramwell Brown Headquarters
Behind the scenes and outside of the workshop, Bramwell Brown are based in the creative community of Makerversity at Somerset House in London.
Makerversity provides Bramwell Brown with an incredible set of facilities for inspired design and clock prototyping. (Think curious electrical machinery and novel materials!) As well as neighbours from all manner of design backgrounds and creative industries.
This environment helps us raise the bar on our own level of inventiveness and cog-whizzing fun. You can keep track of any product developments as they are revealed in our monthly newsletter.
Our studio at Makerversity in Somerset House isn't open to the public, however, there are clocks exhibited by a collection of hand-picked independent coffee shops around the capital (and a few other locations), so that they, if so desired, can be seen in the flesh whilst sipping on a Flat White with your feet up. See this map of establishments that are home to a shiny Bramwell Brown Clock.
Gift Certificates: let the receiver decide
Our clocks make excellent presents – but if you can’t decide which one to give you can opt to purchase a gift certificate. The budget you choose can allow for all our different types of Weather Clock.
