A Conversation with Matt Watson, Founder of High Quality, Affordable Eyewear Brand: Bullion Eyewear

Bullion Eyewear is an eyewear brand that focuses on offering unique, high-quality products at an affordable price. The slogan ‘raising the bar’ embodies brands’ drive to be the best and Bullion Eyewear is working to build a community of trendsetters, livewires and high-flyers to travel.

How did you come up with the idea for the company?

The brand idea started when I was looking for a new pair of sunglasses of higher quality, but at an affordable price in case they got damaged or lost on vacation, which many couples usually do. However, all the sunglasses I found all seemed to be £120+ which I didn’t want to pay.

After looking around online and in various stores, I found that there was a big gap between cheap and expensive sunglasses and there wasn’t much in the middle. I decided to explore how feasible it would be to create a brand that offered top quality sunglasses that looked unique and luxurious, but at a price in the mid-range, around £50-70. I started by designing a few different pairs and then looked to suppliers to have samples made.

It was hard to work full time and then spend long evenings researching and teaching myself how to create a brand. After I built the foundations of the brand and had a few samples, I started getting feedback from friends and sunglasses stores. All feedback was very positive and gave me the confidence that there was a gap in the market for the brand. It was then that I decided to take the plunge and use my savings to order my first bulk order of sunglasses and go for it.

How has the company developed in recent years?

It’s been a big learning curve for me in the first few years since the launch of the brand, as I previously had very little experience with all aspects of running a business. Each month that passes, I build my knowledge in every area to help the brand grow.

Since its launch we have evolved with new products and ranges, most recently we partnered with Digby Edgley from Made in Chelsea to design and launch his own sunglasses range in collaboration with Bullion Eyewear.

What can we hope to see from Bullion Eyewear in the future?

As the world becomes more aware of the efforts needed to help mitigate the impact of climate change, so am I. The future for Bullion Eyewear will be to focus on durability and product longevity. We are working on a plan to use recycled materials to minimize the impact on the planet. We’ve already worked to ensure our products last a long time as we’ve put them through several long-term testing programs, but there’s always room for improvement, so we’ll continue to work on this as well.