Our Name
So why Edward Christopher?
The answer is simple.
We're a British company making watches designed by British people. And our name is inspired by two brave and modest British men, Edward and Christopher, who embodied some of the old style British values of quiet courage, determination and selflessness.
These were men who each saved a child's life...which, for one of them, cost him his life, as you can now discover by playing this short video...
Edward
Named after my great uncle Edward who fought in the trenches on the Western Front in the First World War of 1914-1918.
My grandmother (his sister) recounted how, not long after the war, he jumped into a bitterly cold river to save a boy who was drowning.
Edward had somehow survived the slaughter on the Western Front. But, because of the terrible conditions he'd endured while fighting, his previously robust health had declined.
He would have probably known that his actions that cold winter day could lead to his death. And the bravery that saved that boy from the cold water weakened Edward's immune system even more, making his health more fragile.
And, tragically, his selfless actions led to him dying from influenza not long after The Great War (as his generation called it).
Christopher
Named after my father, Christopher, who bought me my first ever watch, a Seiko, aged 10, which started my love of and fascination with watches.
Like my great uncle, he also saved a young person's life. His calmness and quick thinking saved a young girl who'd stopped breathing after a terrible asthma attack in a quiet location in the countryside. I was a boy and I remember it vividly. Because he too was an asthmatic, my father luckily had his (turquoise blue) nebuliser in the boot of his car as well as some spare medication. He gave this to the girl and it saved her life.
My father, who tragically died from pancreatic cancer, was also a keen advocate of educating and supporting children and young people, being involved with numerous organisations and schools that he believed in because they supported the development of children & young people.
Our Motivation
Working With Young Criminals
I believe in helping children & young people as much as possible in very real terms - for two main reasons:
One is public and the other is much more personal.
And I speak as someone who's done voluntary charity work trying to rehabilitate teenage criminals who've been guilty of some of the most serious crimes, from grievous bodily harm to armed robbery.
Damaged Childhoods
The first reason is that, as someone who was in very tough British boarding schools from the age of just 8 years old...
I've witnessed first hand the often lifelong damage done to children & young people when they don't get the psychological, practical and physical support and encouragement we all need to not just survive, but also cope with the challenges of growing up.
But, when we do get this support and encouragement in our younger years, then we have a greater chance of thriving as adults.
A Lost Fatherhood
The second reason is that I really wanted to be a father. This was not because of the usual societal or familial expectation so many experience and feel pressured by, but because I really wanted to become a dad - and, I hoped, a great dad, at that.
But this heartfelt desire to be a dad was thwarted just months before my child was due to be born.
So, Edward Christopher is a way of being a father figure to those children & young people who desperately need one, as much as it's about giving them the support, encouragement and protection they so need, but aren't receiving.
Big-Hearted Business
Therefore, by blending charity with commerce, this is my way of doing what I can to...
Create and grow a big-hearted business that produces beautiful watches in beautiful colours, that are beautifully crafted and that have a beautiful purpose - watches that resonate profoundly, joyously and rewardingly with our customers....
While, with your help, also making a consistent and life-enhancing real world difference to the lives of as many children & young people around the world who need our support, encouragement and protection.
Seán Edward Brickell - Founder of Edward Christopher