BY GARY GIRDVAINIS
First Came The Knives
Matt ( William ) Conable and his business partner Michael ( Henry ) Honack founded William Henry in 1997 with the belief that there was a potential consumer base for fine knives situated between the work of individual bladesmiths and mass production . They were right .
WILLIAM HENRY
TIME MACHINES
HAVING PRACTICED HIS KNIFEMAKING ART UNDER HIS OWN name for almost a decade prior to launching William Henry , Matt Conable developed an appreciation of exotic and unusual materials for his craft . Today , William Henry incorporates exotic woods , fossilized dinosaur bone , mammoth tooth , semi-precious stones , corals and other unusual materials into handles . Frames , blades , bolsters and other metal elements are crafted in a variety of functional , semi-precious , and elegantly forged metals .
Unlike mass production , William Henry combines the talents of expert individuals around the world to bring each design to life . Bladesmiths work Damascus and other exotic steels , metalsmiths create Mokume Gane while a host of specialist engravers work their craft to embellish handles and bolsters in their individual style .
I ’ ll admit that I often lament the overuse of “ unique ” when describing unusual designs , but each William Henry knife is in-fact unique . No two are exactly the same . The Damascus pattern , the grain of exotic woods , the striations of color in a fossilized mammoth tooth , or even the Widmanstatten patterns of meteorite all lend themselves to this distinctive individuality .
NEXT , THE ACCESSORIES Following the success of their blade-bearing beauties , Conable and company expanded the stable of offerings from knives to a host of other high-end men ’ s ( and a few women ’ s ) accessories including bracelets , necklaces , cufflinks , money clips , writing instruments , and more . In each product line , the ethos and feel of the William Henry design was clearly evident .
Seeing this evolution into new product lines I had always wondered – and had actually asked the leadership at William Henry “ why not watches ?” Vague answers intimated they were clearly considering the idea , but I never got a confirmation - until now .
FINALLY , THE WATCHES In reality , the connection between knives and watches is not that great a leap . Both have ostensible functionality that justifies their existence , and both can be elevated beyond functionality and become works of art crafted in metal and other exotic materials .
For William Henry ’ s new “ Legacy ” timepiece collections , its first foray into wristwatches , five variations perfectly exemplify the spirit of William Henry .
From the brand : “ William Henry is a studio that tells stories through timeless pieces , and our first watch design is a testament to that intention . The Legacy watch collection is a perfect blend of form and function , built around the extraordinary materials that have defined us . “
Entering the luxury watch market can be a risky thing . Unlike jewelry - or even knives , mechanical watches house a complex engine perfected and refined over hundreds of years by trial and error . For their own launch watches , William Henry
SPRING 2023 | INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH | 31