Ontic grew out of a simple frustration with the watch world. I love watches, but too many come with unnecessary fuss, fragility or theatre. I wanted to make something simpler. A watch built around reliability and function, that you can wear every day without having to think too much about it.

I live in the hills above Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire, where the weather doesn’t mess about and neither do the people. I used to volunteer with Mountain Rescue before life pulled me in other directions, and I’ve got huge admiration for the people who still head into the wild when everything else has to wait.

My time on the team taught me what kit you can trust and what’s just along for the scenery. When you’re in a storm halfway up a hill, you don’t want something ornamental on your wrist. You want something that works. No drama. No distractions.

That’s why I started Ontic. Not to make a statement pieces, but proper tool watches

We’re not for everyone. Just the people who know good kit and expect it to outlast the marketing.

Why the name? The word Ontic comes from philosophy. It means real and tangible, not imagined or abstract. It felt right for a watch built to be used, not dressed up in myths or marketing.

Real watches, made properly.