The Greenwich Meridian line marks the starting point of every time zone in the world. With no daylight savings, Iceland is permanently on GMT or ‘Greenwich Mean Time’, making it literally the land where time begins…and a particularly suitable backdrop for three Icelanders who are passionate about design and the enduring pleasures of a finely crafted timepiece.

The collaboration of a watchmaker, collector and designer has produced the JS Watch Co., one of the world’s smallest manufacturers of stylish, quality watches. Founded in November 2005 it is already attracting a discerning clientele. The Company’s location – in the heart of the capital’s trendy downtown ‘101’ district – is reflected in its latest line of timeless wristwatches: the “Reykjavik 101” for men and women.

The name for the 101 watch also represents the next step in a growing business explains creative designer Grimkell Petur Sigurthorsson. “We started out by assembling 100 watches at our workshop and store. Word quickly spread that the JS Watch Co. was the place to come to for personal service and classic wristwatches. Before long we had sold out. The 101 line marked our 101st sale.”

The seed for the new venture was planted when Julius Steinar Heidarsson, himself an avid watch collector, was picking up a vintage model that had been repaired in a local father-and-son workshop. The son in this equation was Sigurdur Bjorn Gilbertsson. He and Julius used to spend many a happy hour discussing the merits and the minutiae of what makes a truly classic watch.

Functionality and design are paramount according to Julius. “We felt very strongly that wristwatches sold in Iceland say 50 years ago were generally of a higher quality than they are today. We wanted to recapture the beauty and precision of those more classical pieces, so we produce our watches in the manner that they would have been made before the era of electrical watches.”

The movements of each watch are mechanical and produced specifically for the Company in Switzerland. The high quality steel cases made in Germany incorporate sapphire crystal on the front and back, allowing the mechanics of the watch to be visible, while the straps and steel buckles are produced in Austria. Sigurdur has 15 years’ experience in his craft and has never been more proud of his work. “Our designs promote a contemporary simplicity.

There is a strong focus on functionality and classic mechanisms, but at the same time the aesthetics are beautiful. We deliberately chose to combine our workshop with the retail aspect so that our customers are served by the person who assembled their watch. Our aim is to offer a personalised service; connecting people with a timepiece that we hope will bring them and future generations a great deal of pleasure.”

Boosted by word-of mouth recommendations, the relatively new business is flourishing under the watchful eye of master watchmaker Gilbert ‘O Gudjonsson (the father in that aforementioned equation). A watchmaker since 1966, Gilbert has been running a watch store for more than thirty years and was the natural choice for the Company’s Quality Manager.