HOW OUR KEN BEGAN

“If I could design one watch to wear for the rest of my life, what would it look like?”

With no experience in product design or any in-depth knowledge of the watch industry, the first Arken watch was a concept to create something purposeful and practical. Simply for myself.

I had spent my former years communicating stories for brands and businesses alike, utilising video/photography and various other creative skillsets. When the world went into isolation an opportunity presented itself for me to finally tell my own story through an unexpected medium.

Inspiration struck following a slew of restoration projects that were in place to grind down the lockdown timer and in October 2020 I spent a month learning new skills, sketching, creating diagrams and mockups. A whole catalog of references to ensure I could approach every potential manufacturer with an exact specification for every possible detail you could imagine. I documented this journey for friends and family on my social platforms and it started to dawn on me. What I was trying to do and why, had started to connect with people outside of my immediate social bubble.

At first, many manufacturers said my designs were too challenging and the specifications were impossible to achieve for a product entering at the entry level price point. Taking a risk on an unknown guy with no experience in the industry, who randomly decided one day, that he wanted to make the most capable yet affordable fully titanium tool watch, isn’t something that happens either apparently. Nevertheless, I added the setbacks to a list of objectives I would overcome, because I told myself from the very beginning that no matter what, I will find a way or make one. At the time, there was nothing remotely close to it on the market for anywhere near $500. Titanium was yet to make its inevitable splash as an available and accessible material option across the industry, so I set my sights on that target and I made a promise to deliver it.

After a year of building the website, photographing and videoing all of the assets and putting together a launch strategy, crowdfunded pre-orders for the Instrumentum opened on the 15th September 2021 for exactly $500. Within 10 minutes, it was no longer a fantasy idea, Arken was born.

To be able to make one wearable unit for myself is all I had initially hoped for when I set out on this journey. It was the kindness and support from the watch community that truly established the foundations necessary for me to grow a watch company. This brand represents my identity, my story, my approach to adversity, challenge and the desire to give and create capable products for people to enjoy. My only hope moving forward is that this passion and drive will continue to create more opportunities to learn and develop ideas long into the future.

- KENNETH LAM

DESIGNED TO ENDURE EVERYDAY ADVENTURES

The mission of Arken to offer premium aesthetics within practical and affordable tool watches. We hope to provide you with long lasting relationships and experiences with not only our products, but with us as a brand. As we evolve, so will our products and we expect our quality and execution to reflect that, especially as we learn more about being in this industry. Through our rough and ready approach, we aim to enable a freedom for the user. Overbuilt to explore, to challenge and to push boundaries with trust and without worrying about cost or caution.

Being here for you as a user, you can always relying on us to repair and reproduce the vessels that inspire you to go further. To do more, to live more, to be more. That’s not to say all adventures have to lead to Everest and not all accolades presented with medals of honour. We should recognise the achievements within our daily lives and the memories we scratch deeply into our timepieces.

Designed in Great Britain with our case housing and metal work currently sourced from varying suppliers in Asia, including the movements from Japan. Assembly, quality control and assurance, tolerance and performance tests are then completed here in the United Kingdom, before they are packaged up and shipped to your door. As an independently funded startup there are limitations to manufacturing on home soil but we aim to one day source more and more components from within the United Kingdom. However, we do not want to compromise our mission in delivering affordable high-quality products for bragging rights alone. In the same way we don’t want to create watches purely because of profitability. Arken was built on enthusiasm and it started as a brand that challenged expectations, pushed boundaries and we intend to keep it that way. It is an ambition and a process that we are actively working towards for ourselves, in hopes that one day we can have the best of both worlds and so can you.