A London plastic surgeon is using the precision he practices in the theatre to design luxury watches.

Established in 2018, founder of Hawchester Watches, Dr Shehab Jabir, 35, combined his passion for the history of British watchmaking with his family roots in the jewellery and watch trade together with his love for precision and ingenuity inspired by his profession as a plastic and reconstructive surgeon to develop Hawchester.

The collection is the result of his labour inspired by this holy trinity of factors.

“From the 16th to the 18th century, British clock and watchmakers pioneered several aspects of this industry and were regarded as the best the world over,” Shehab said. “Our watches are a dedication to the legacy of great British watchmaking – designed in a quintessentially British style, taking inspiration from all that is British.”

Shehab was inspired by the contributions to watchmaking made by British watchmakers throughout history. He said: “We named our first-ever collection the Clerkenwell collection as a dedication to the golden age of British watchmaking in the 16th-18th century which was focused in and around Clerkenwell, London.”

Shehab’s father was a top gem and jewellery tradesman, meaning he’s always been surrounded by an appreciation for intricate accessories. Being the youngest of four boys, his brothers asked him when he was going to get a ‘proper watch’ with a price tag to match.

“I have always been ambitious and the process of buying an expensive watch off the shelf didn’t seem ambitious enough for me,” he said. “At this point, I had already been inspired by my reading into the British history of watchmaking and my amateur watch collecting foray during my childhood. This query was the event that triggered the cascade of events that spurred me on to learn the processes involved in designing and manufacturing my own timepiece and eventually set up Hawchester.”

Using his roots of a childhood steeped in the appreciation for jewellery and watchmaking, Shehab pursued a career that appreciated the same attention to detail and quality which was sharpened by a dedicated work ethic.

“As a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon, I practice my passion for precision every day,” Shehab said. “I believe now that it was my love for the intricacies of how things work and pursuing the perfection of my craft that drove me to take on the challenge of developing Hawchester.

“I’m inspired by the legacy of this incredible instrument and our collection of luxurious timepieces represent the past, present and future of the pursuit of perfection in our everyday lives.”