About us
Dear Watch Lover
Welcome to Innes & Iyer!
We are delighted that you have come to this part of our website, apparently wanting to know more about us and our watches.
You are, we like to imagine, a person who has a penchant for the good life and you will most certainly appreciate that our watches are created not only with a passion for design and a genuine respect for traditional craftsmanship but also with a large dose of Joie de Vivre!
You will also most certainly appreciate that when you put an Innes & Iyer watch on your wrist you will realise that our work has resulted in a timepiece that makes you feel good. Dressed.
You will also realise that our watches are perfectly suited for evenings. Never-ending evenings. Downtown.
Photo: Innes & Iyer Ref. 1602 Equilateral Square
Never heard of Innes & Iyer?
We started off in the mid-1970s when Clockmaker John Innes and I (at the time I was a very, very young design aficionado and watch lover) started building bespoke, handmade wristwatches with mechanical movements for connoisseurs and collectors.
Unfortunately, we launched our very expensive line of watches during a time when the traditional craft of watchmaking was ravaged by the quartz movement crisis and we were, so to speak, “rudely interrupted”. But just for a few decades, or so!
Today, as you can see, we are back - with twelve dedicated people involved - as modern technology (yes, you guessed it – quartz movements!) has made it possible for us to develop our original watches to make them attainable also for a wider, but still discerning clientele of customers - such as yourself.
If you have some spare-time you can read more about us in this Interview (FOR THE LOVE OF WATCHES) and on our pages Design, John Innes’s Biography and Quality, but, for starters, here are the three essential parts of our company’s “soul”:
Photo: The Design Inspiration for Innes & Iyer's Square Collection.
Brooch by Swedish Silversmith, Court Jeweller, Mr Wiwen-Nilsson (1897 - 1974)
Swedish Grace Design – Beauty in Everyday Life
An Innes & Iyer watch is an embodiment of the Philosophy of Swedish Grace Design and its set of values. This design transcends trends. Simple (as in "uncomplicated") and stylish. Nothing to add, really. Complete.
First used by the British journalist P. M. Shand, the expression “Swedish Grace” was coined by him to describe “the intriguingly simple, yet refined, elegance” of Swedish Art Deco from the golden and stylish era of the 1920’s and 30’s.
100 years on, Mr Shand’s opinion still stands and, interestingly, the values of many of the Swedish Grace items produced in the 1920’s and 30’s to bring Beauty into Everyday Life have sky-rocketed at today’s antiques auctions. DESIGN
John Innes’ Craftsmanship
Master Craftsman John Innes (1932 - 2016)
British precision instrument-maker cum clockmaker.
John Innes, fondly remembered by us, mastered so many of the crafts involved in creating a mechanical timepiece that he was able to make every part of a watch by himself, except for the springs and the glass. He had very strong views on craftsmanship and quality. Views that still have a huge impact on Innes & Iyer’s watchmaking. JOHN INNES' BIOGRAPHY
Photo: Case back of Innes & Iyer 33,0 x 33,0 mm Ref. 1602 Equilateral Square
Quality
Our watches have, as you would expect, Swiss state-of-the-art quartz movements, and are all precision-made from thoroughly vetted sustainable and durable materials. Stainless Steel 316L. Sapphire glass. CE mark. All the quality you want. QUALITY
Perfect gifts still need (just in case!) a great Return policy
Watches make perfect gifts (why not a gift to yourself?) but choosing could always be a bit tricky. If your gift is not as expected please take advantage of our 30-day hassle-free no-questions-asked free UPS return policy. Just change to another model or get your money back.
New models and versions
More models and versions are planned to follow and you can catch up on our developments by signing up to Innes & Iyer's newsletter, issued quarterly.
Work in progress in Innes & Iyer's design studio
Invitation
We sell our watches exclusively through our own web-shop, but you are most welcome to visit us at our miniscule showroom* in Gothenburg. Please make an appointment first. (*MAP) 57,695913, 11,972273
Gothenburg, Sweden, Autumn 2023
100 years on from the 1923 Gothenburg Jubilee Exhibition (the “cradle” of Swedish Grace Design) and 50 years after 1973, when Clock Maker John Innes and I started off with bespoke watchmaking. Time flies!
Very best regards
K. R. Stenström
Founder