Craig Golby On Building One Of Britain's Most Distinctive Up And Coming Microbrands
There are plenty of British microbrands producing good watches, but very few have developed an identity as recognisable as Golby Watches.
Inspired by the Cornish coastline, the husband and wife team behind the brand have quietly built a loyal following through colourful, practical watches that never seem afraid to do things differently.
From the dual time Aquareef to the compact Coastal and the latest Skipping Stone collection, every release has followed the same philosophy: produce genuinely capable watches with plenty of personality, in limited numbers and at sensible prices.
We caught up with founder Craig Golby to talk about British design, building a family business, why colour matters, and what comes next…
The Wind Up: Golby Watches has always felt like a brand with a very clear identity. Was that deliberate from the beginning?
Craig Golby: Very much so. From day one we knew exactly what we wanted our first watch to look like and the DNA we wanted the brand to establish. Every release since has stayed true to that original vision while evolving and improving.
The Wind Up: Golby is very much a family business. How does working alongside Sarah influence the watches?
Craig: It's a great balance. Sarah initially supported the original Aquareef project before becoming completely immersed in the business. I tend to focus on the technical side of development while Sarah brings colour, creativity and flair. That combination works brilliantly for us, and people often comment at watch shows how refreshing it is to see us both so passionate about what we create.
The Wind Up: Cornwall seems to influence almost everything you produce. How does that translate into the design?
Craig: Colour, texture and depth are at the heart of every watch we make.
The Coastal collection takes inspiration from Cornwall's colourful beach huts, while the Skipping Stone collection uses more natural seaside tones like Seashell, Sandy Shore, Aqua and Sunset. Texture plays an equally important role. The wave patterns on the Aquareef and Coastal mimic the movement of the sea, while the Skipping Stone dial recreates the ripples left behind by stones skimming across the water.
Even details like the skeleton hands are inspired by the Mevagissey lighthouse. Alongside all of that, practicality is essential. Sapphire crystal, anti reflective coating, robust stainless steel construction, quick release straps, adjustable bracelets and genuinely useful functions all form part of the package.
The Wind Up: Your watches are always produced in relatively small numbers. Has that become part of the brand philosophy?
Craig: Initially it was simply the reality of being a new microbrand. As we've grown it's become a deliberate decision. Customers really appreciate the exclusivity of numbered production runs, and it also gives us the freedom to be more adventurous with colours and designs.
The Wind Up: The Aquareef remains the watch most people associate with Golby. Why was that the model you wanted to launch with?
Craig: I'd wanted to design a diver with a countdown bezel for years because, for me, it simply makes more practical sense. Pairing that with dual time functionality without needing a fourth GMT hand created something genuinely different at this price point. The success of the Aquareef really laid the foundations for everything we've achieved since.
The Wind Up: What lessons did you take into the Aquareef 40?
Craig: Every first watch teaches you something.
We upgraded the movement, improved the lume, redesigned the bracelet with more removable links, moved the date to six o'clock for better symmetry, slightly reduced the case size and introduced completely new colour combinations. Despite all those improvements we were determined to preserve the original design language.
The Wind Up: The Coastal surprised quite a few people with its 36mm case size.
Craig: We felt there was a genuine gap in the market for a proper compact diver. We've never tried to follow trends. We simply make the watches we'd genuinely like to wear ourselves, and the Coastal is a perfect example of that.
The Wind Up: Even your smallest watches maintain serious specifications.
Craig: That's absolutely fundamental. Whether someone is wearing one in the office, on holiday or actually diving into the sea, we want every watch to perform properly. They're designed to be worn every single day.
The Wind Up: Colour has become one of Golby's signatures. Where does that confidence come from?
Craig: Quite simply because we love it. The coastline constantly inspires us, and we aren't afraid to experiment. The important thing is that every colourway has to be something we'd happily wear ourselves. That's our benchmark.
The Wind Up: Your caseback artwork has even involved family members.
Craig: Keeping the brand personal is incredibly important. Many of our ideas come together during family holidays by the coast. My niece designed one of our casebacks and even our eleven year old has created dial designs that may well appear in future collections. It's something we'd never want to lose.
The Wind Up: Golby seems to offer a specification list that punches well above its price point.
Craig: We hear that all the time. The truth is we started this because we love watches. Sarah and I both have full time jobs, so maximising profit has never been the priority. Instead we'd rather build great watches that people genuinely enjoy wearing.
Our watches include Miyota 9 Series movements, sapphire crystal, BGW9 lume, anti reflective coating, micro adjust clasps, screw pins and bespoke components throughout. Almost everything is designed specifically for us, from the case and hands through to the bracelet and crown. We also include both a bracelet and an additional strap because, as collectors ourselves, we never liked having to choose.
The Wind Up: You still inspect and ship every watch yourself. Is that sustainable?
Craig: At the moment absolutely. We tend to launch in batches which makes things manageable. If the business eventually grows beyond that, we'll involve other family members who already share our enthusiasm for the brand.
The Wind Up: Who buys a Golby watch?
Craig: Honestly, there isn't a typical customer. Our watches are unisex and designed to be practical for everyone. We've sold watches to customers as young as ten years old right through to experienced collectors.
The Wind Up: Customer feedback seems to influence each new release.
Craig: We genuinely value it. If feedback improves functionality, like adding screw pins or increasing bracelet adjustment, we'll absolutely take it onboard. Ultimately though, we build watches we love. That's always been the guiding principle.
The Wind Up: Has building Golby changed your own watch collection?
Craig: Definitely. Not because my design tastes have changed, but because I've found myself buying far more microbrands. The creativity, value and willingness to push boundaries in this space is fantastic.
The Wind Up: Looking ahead, where does the brand go next?
Craig: The immediate focus is the Skipping Stone collection, which introduces an entirely new compressor style case along with fresh textures and colours.
Beyond that we have several projects underway. Some build naturally on what we've already created, while one will really break the mould while remaining unmistakably Golby. There isn't a rigid roadmap. We design when inspiration strikes, but whatever comes next will always carry the same Golby DNA.
The Wind Up: Could you ever leave dive and tool watches behind?
Craig: Watch this space.
The Wind Up: Finally, how would you like Golby Watches to be viewed in five years?
Craig: Exactly as we are today. A brand producing creative, practical watches that offer outstanding value and stand apart from the crowd.
Winding Things Up
Speaking to Craig, it's immediately obvious that Golby Watches hasn't been built around chasing trends or squeezing margins. Every decision seems to come back to making the watches that Craig and Sarah genuinely want to wear themselves.
That authenticity shines through in the products. Whether it's the colourful Cornish inspiration, the impressive specifications or the commitment to keeping production deliberately limited, Golby has carved out a distinctive place within the British microbrand scene.
With the Skipping Stone collection already generating excitement and more ambitious projects waiting in the wings, it feels like this is only the beginning of the Golby story. If the last few years are anything to go by, we'd suggest keeping a close eye on what comes next.
