William L. is the creation of entrepreneur Guillame Laidet, who began his horological career at Zenith before moving to Jaeger LeCoultre and then leaving to launch his own company.
A round of crowdfunding last year raised €192,000 in a month and caught the eye of a Paris-based angel investor who pumped in an additional €1 million.
The investment and support allowed Mr Laidet to put 40 SKUs of a debut collection into production and start speaking to distributors, which led to a partnership with AFH Distribution in the UK.
The watches are inspired Mr Laidet’s love of a 1950s vintage chronograph, and led him to create a modern chronograph collection based on the vintage design.
They compete in the sub-£199 market, and appeal to people looking for retro design watches at bargain price points.
Models include two sizes of chronographs, a vintage calendar and a vintage chronograph.