A WATCHMAKING firm has quit England for a new base in Scotland as a result of Brexit.
Bosses at the Marloe Watch Company said the move was part of a planned expansion strategy but was also influenced by Scotland’s support for the EU.
Co-founder Oliver Goffe said the company’s values are “much more in line with Scotland than the rest of Britain right now”.
He and Gordon Fraser – who is originally from West Lothian – founded the company back in 2015, aiming “to reinvigorate the world of mechanical timepieces”. According to the company’s website: “Both were intrigued by design, the slow-living counter culture, and beautiful mechanical watches.”
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Goffe spoke out after the firm moved from Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire to Perth – where it plans to recruit new workers. The possibility that Scotland could become independent and rejoin the EU was said by the firm to be an “important trigger” in the relocation.
“As a business, we are certainly pro-Remain so a Scottish base sits better with our values,” Goffe said.
“We want our children to grow up in a global world, not one that’s ring-fenced.
“Our values are much more in line with Scotland than the rest of Britain right now.”
He added: “Brexit certainly closes some doors for British business and there is concern about how the effect on trade and recruiting EU talent will be managed.
“As a business, we would have preferred to remain and, post-Brexit, this is more likely to happen for Scotland than for the rest of Britain.”
The firm has long had a connection to Scotland. According to their website, the two co-founders first met to discuss the business in a hotel lobby in Edinburgh. And after the company launched, Fraser continued to work remotely from his home in Scotland.
READ MORE: Brexit uncertainty to blame for sluggish Scottish economy
Previous collections include the Lomond Chronoscope – “named after one of Scotland’s most famous lochs”. The Lomond was a limited edition, with only 1000 made. It completely sold out after only a few months.
The Morar watch is named after Loch Morar, the deepest body of water in Britain. The company’s first dive watch, the Morar can withstand depths of 310 metres.
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