The Cambridge watch shop, reimagined with the help of the world’s best gin

Not your typical watch shop

What do you think of when you think of a Cambridge watch shop, or any watch store? A high street or shopping centre shop, glass windows packed with an array of watches? Standing at a counter under the fluorescent lights with your shopping at your feet and outside of the glass other shoppers looking in?

What you might not think of is a grade II listed building, nestled down a cobbled street away from the crowds, set in the style a master distiller’s lab. With oak panelled walls, sleek stainless steel counter tops and shelves of knurled metal hardware and scientific glassware, is the Cambridge Gin Laboratory; home of the Beaucroft watch shop Cambridge experience. 

What is it like at the Beaucroft Cambridge watch boutique, at the Gin Lab?

From the moment you step into the Cambridge Gin Lab on Green street you start to relax, you feel like you’ve popped into a master’s study. With warm and low lighting, chilled music and welcoming hosts, it’s a break away from the bustle of the Cambridge market, just a few streets away.

You’ll discover Beaucroft watches presented in domed bell jars, mechanical movements turning slowly under antique magnifying glasses and an array of diverse strap materials to explore.

Here you can freely try the watch that catches your eye, hear about Beaucroft’s Cambridge story and the details that inspired the designs from our Lab hosts.

A Gin and Watch shop - a perfect Cambridge combination?

Back in 2020 we were about to launch our first watches and were looking for the right retail space. The slight complication was that we were in the midst of the pandemic and shops were struggling to stay open. It was an immensely stressful time for businesses, but for those who had the headspace to think, it was time to do things differently and a great opportunity to get innovative about the shopping experience.

We were in a unique position - our launch calendar, once filled with plans of shows, pop-ups and events was now bare with everything cancelled. We knew how important it would be to meet people face to face to share our passion and as a watch is such a physical product, we knew many customers would want to try before they buy. 

An opportunity emerged from a chance meeting with our talented friends, William Lowe and Lucy Lowe, the amazing team and family behind the world renowned Cambridge Distillery. Lucy had followed our journey since the beginning and was a great supporter though social media, William and Lucy shared with us the story of their own starting point and the distillery they set up in their front room to get things off the ground. Always an innovator, William suggested creating a home for Beaucroft within the Cambridge Gin Laboratory and we began crafting this experience together with Matt Winter-Holt their Head of experiential.

The Gin Laboratory is an interactive space in the centre of Cambridge, dedicated to the appreciation of gin and has been voted the no. 1 thing to do on Tripadviser for many years. It is an immersive place where customers can shop, taste and even blend their own Gin in one of the many private classes they host.

So selling mechanical watches and gin in the same space, does that work? Thankfully we have learnt it works brilliantly!

A few years on, the Cambridge Gin Laboratory remains our Cambridge Watch Shop and the relationship has flourished; we have our full range of watches in the shop to try, buy and experience.

Our appointed watch guru Jamie brings the experience to life, and we offer a unique private watch fitting where our customers can sit down with an expert and find their perfect watch whilst sipping ice cold gin and tonic. For us it’s a perfect blend of two Cambridge brands sharing passion for excellence, meaningful experiences and well crafted products.

A private watch fitting in a master distiller’s bar - A watch buying experience like no other

Buying a new watch is often a big decision and an experience to savour. For many of our customer’s the watch they are buying has significant meaning for themselves or their lucky giftee; big birthday’s, graduations and anniversaries are great milestones to mark with a great watch. We also hear moving stories of love and loss, and how the watch’s purpose is to spark happy memories of the good times in Cambridge.

To us this means the choosing and buying experience is almost as important as the watch itself. With this in mind we created the personal watch fitting gift experience.

In this unique gifting experience, your lucky giftee will be treated to a private watch fitting with their family or friends, and hosted by one of our fabulous watch gurus. During the fitting the giftee can explore the full range of Beaucroft watches and straps in their own private session, allowing them to select their perfect combination whilst sampling some of the Timekeepers blend; a unique gin blend created by Beaucroft to perfectly accompany the fitting experience.

Find out more about this unique gift experience

We’d love to welcome you at the Gin lab and show you our unique Cambridge watch boutique, drop in to see us anytime at 10 Green Street and make yourself at home!

Cambridge Gin Laboratory  
10 Green Street, Cambridge, CB2 3JU