Matt Herd is a British designer, product developer and Co-founder & Director of Beaucroft Watches, which he established in 2020 alongside Karim Faisali. With a degree in Product Design & Technology, Matt brings extensive experience in product design and development, having worked as a chief designer and product developer for major brands across the consumer and medical industries, with projects ranging from coffee machines to medical robotics. His passion for horology comes from a lifelong fascination with the objects and tools people treasure. Watches, in particular, have always held a special place in his life. His first watch was a Swatch Flik Flak, which he received at the age of five. Today, he regularly wears the first-edition prototype of the Beaucroft Element Ocean Blue or his Nomos Metro neomatic. At Beaucroft, Matt leads product design, development and customer experience while contributing to the many aspects of running an independent watch company. A fan of Nomos, the brand that first drew him into watches, his dream timepiece is the A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Minute Repeater.

Creative, adventurous and curious, Matt lives by a simple philosophy: “Stay curious.” Away from watchmaking, he once spent a summer working as an animated frog at a theme park.

Could you tell us how your design career led to Beaucroft Watches?

I've always been fascinated by how thoughtfully designed objects can improve everyday life. My career in product design gave me the opportunity to work across a wide range of industries, from consumer electronics to medical devices. That’s really where I learned the importance of balancing aesthetics, engineering and user experience.

Watches always held a special place for me because they're unlike almost any other product. They become part of people's stories, marking milestones and accompanying them through life. That emotional connection is something I'd always wanted to design for. Founding Beaucroft gave me the opportunity to combine my experience as a designer with a lifelong appreciation for mechanical watchmaking, creating watches that are both beautiful and genuinely meaningful to own.

What design philosophy defines every Beaucroft timepiece?

Our philosophy is built around purposeful simplicity. Every line, surface and proportion should have a reason for being there. I don't believe in adding complexity simply for decoration.

The goal is to create watches that feel timeless rather than fashionable. I want our pieces to look as relevant in twenty years as they do today.

Great design often disappears into the background because everything simply feels ‘right’, and that's always the benchmark we work towards.

How has Cambridge influenced Beaucroft’s design language?

Cambridge has a unique ability to blend centuries of history with world-leading innovation, and that balance has definitely influenced our approach.

Walking through the city you notice an incredible attention to detail, whether it's the proportions of historic colleges or the craftsmanship found in architectural details. At the same time, it's a place that's constantly looking forward through science, technology and engineering. We try to capture that same balance by designing watches that respect traditional watchmaking while feeling contemporary and refined.

Could you walk us through your design process—from the initial sketch to the finished watch?

It usually starts with an idea rather than a specific feature. I'll think about the feeling I want the watch to evoke and the experience it's trying to create for the wearer.

From there, I begin sketching proportions and experimenting digitally before moving into detailed CAD models. We prototype extensively because even tiny changes in lug shape, dial depth or case profile can completely change how a watch wears. Once the engineering and aesthetics are working together, we refine countless small details before production. It's a long process, but those iterations are where good designs become great ones.

What are the biggest challenges in balancing distinctive design with everyday comfort?

Comfort often comes down to details that people rarely notice consciously. Case thickness, lug curvature, weight distribution and the way the strap integrates with the case all have a huge influence on how a watch feels throughout the day.

At the same time, you want a watch to have its own identity without becoming overly styled. Finding that balance between recognisable character and understated elegance is probably the biggest challenge. It’s also the most rewarding part of the design process.

Which Beaucroft collection best represents your vision for the brand, and why?

The Arc - It brings together the design DNA we have refined since the start of the brand, our love for elegant design, expressive use of colour and considered details that keep you looking, discovering and noticing something new.

How do you balance timeless aesthetics with modern trends in watch design?

I try not to design around trends because trends inevitably pass.

Instead, we focus on strong proportions, quality materials and restrained detailing. Modern manufacturing allows us to improve precision and finishing, but visually I want our watches to feel enduring rather than tied to a particular moment. If a design still feels relevant a decade from now, we've probably made the right decisions.

Is there a subtle Beaucroft design detail that is especially meaningful to you?

One of the signature details our watches are becoming most known for is our contoured case profiles, which are inspired by the curves of the bridges of Cambridge. When shopping for watches for myself I often found the side profile of a watch was plain or generic. For Beaucroft I wanted to create a case profile with its own identity and tie to our origins in Cambridge.

What would your dream Beaucroft watch look like with no creative or technical limits?

That would be very dangerous! I actually really like having these constraints as they frame the opportunity for the watch and give you the boundaries to be creative within... But if these were taken away, I'd love to explore Beaucroft's take on a minute repeater.

How do you hope Beaucroft shapes the future of British horology?

It's an exciting time because British watchmaking is developing its own identity rather than trying to imitate anyone else.

I'd like Beaucroft to contribute by showing that British design can be sophisticated, contemporary and internationally respected. If we can create watches that people wear for decades and associate with important moments in their lives, then we've contributed something meaningful to that story.

What advice would you give to aspiring designers who dream of creating their own watch brand?

Make a start and enjoy the adventure. Don’t be afraid to learn, make mistakes and share with others who inspire you.

Looking ahead, what areas of design or innovation are you most excited to explore?

We are really enjoying the early exploration of new case materials, unique dial finishes, and collaborations with other artists who inspire us.

What does mechanical watchmaking mean to you in today's digital world?

I think it's important to have one item that brings you joy and doesn’t bombard you with notifications!