It isn’t often that a present sparks a business idea, but for Nawaz Razaq, that is exactly what happened when his brother, Fiaz, made him a card case.  While both brothers had always enjoyed crafting things, this innocent gift laid the ground for the creation of INRO London, a business that today specialises in making bespoke handmade luxury leather goods.  Best-known for their custom watch straps, we made an appointment to speak to Nawaz to discover more about this enterprising endeavour….

When did INRO London first begin as a brand?

Our adventure began in 2010 on the cobblestone streets of Leadenhall Market in London.  It all started with our love for design and craftsmanship and our passion to bring our clients’ stories to life, so we set up our stall.  The rest is history!

What makes the service you offer so unique?

Whether you’re a seasoned watch collector or just starting out with a passion for watches, your quest for interesting watch straps is never-ending.  Well, fear not – with INRO London, your search ends here!  We pride ourselves on our workmanship and our high level of customer service.  We also cater to clients who have watches where an off-the-shelf solution won’t work – and we have clients who had previously tried in Geneva and Basel before they came to us!  We’ve had clients who had been told their idea was going to be impossible to pull off, but we’ve made it happen, as well as clients with an heirloom or something emotionally valuable that they wanted us to recreate.  In those instances, our pieces are perfect gifts for special occasions or for reaching an important milestone in life.

Can you tell us about the passion and craftsmanship that goes into the products you make?

We create custom watch straps for leading luxury brands such as Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe and Panerai, as well as vintage Cartiers and independent brands like Roger W. Smith, F.P. Journe, and Philippe Dufour.  Bespoke speaks to people, and craft embodies what makes us human.  It imbues something unique into an object, a shared experience between us and the client.  It’s about a relationship between people.

Which other brands have you worked with?

We’ve collaborated with businesses like hotels, tailors and watchmakers, as well as auction houses such as Sotheby’s and Christie’s, and independent jewellers such as Asprey and S.J. Phillips.  We previously collaborated with Harry Fane to restore his vintage Cartier watch collection.  This led to international exhibitions with Comme des Garçons and Dover Street Market clients in London, New York, Los Angeles, and Tokyo.

What materials do you use and where are they sourced?

Our most popular materials are calf and alligator, followed by lizard and silk, while some men prefer our Piano Black Silk Grois Grain bespoke watch straps.  All materials come from the UK, France or Italy.

What are the most unusual pieces you have made?

These orders fall under our Special Orders.  One example is Stringers of London – who are specialists in string instruments – who asked us to design a sleeve presentation pouch for their precious violin and cello bows.  We also had a jewellry and high fashion aficionado came to us with a request to design a collection of silk chokers that would perfectly match her stunning jewelry collection.

If a customer could have just one bespoke accessory made by you, what would you suggest they should have?

It must be our bespoke watch strap.  Clients can experience this offering either in person at our Marylebone studio, or remotely if they’re unable to visit us.

Can you give us an indication of how your pricing works?

Our watch strap service starts at £425 for calf and £575 for alligator.  Meanwhile, our Special Orders start from £1,250.

For more information and advice, go to www.inrolondon.com, or call +44 (0)207 998 3947.