Watts & Co.

What Watts & Co. does

Watts & Co. is a London-based ecclesiastical craft house founded in 1874 by architects associated with the Gothic Revival movement, including George Frederick Bodley. The company designs, weaves, and hand-finishes liturgical vestments (chasubles, copes, stoles, dalmatics, mass sets, mitres), church furnishings (altar frontals, antependia, processional banners, church silver), altar linens, clerical wear, and metalware. Its technical foundation is a proprietary fabric library of historic designs — including Bellini, Shrewsbury, Holbein, Pugin Gothic, Goya, and Comper Cathedral patterns — woven at an 18th-century mill to the company's own specifications, supplemented by in-house hand embroidery, conservation, and restoration work in a London workroom.

The firm operates a dual GTM: a direct e-commerce storefront (wattsandco.com) for stock/off-the-peg items and made-to-order products, plus a physical showroom at 7 Tufton Street, directly behind Westminster Abbey, for bespoke commissions booked via Calendly. Revenue is generated primarily through one-time sales of stock vestments ($392–$4,463), discounted bespoke samples ($2,049–$14,811), liturgical fabrics sold by the metre (e.g., Shrewsbury at $351/m), accessories ($2–$1,231), and fully bespoke commissions (custom-priced, 8+ week lead time, 60% non-refundable deposit). Distribution is global via DHL/UPS/FedEx/DPD/Royal Mail; clerical wear ranges are routed through a sister-company relationship with J. Wippell & Co.

Customers are predominantly Anglican/Episcopal and Catholic churches, cathedrals, and individual clergy, with occasional high-end institutional and royal commissions. The company has 24 employees, is privately held (Watts & Co. Ltd, registered in England), is GDPR-compliant, and currently has no disclosed funding, M&A, or leadership-change activity.

Name

Watts & Co.

Legal name

Watts & Co. Ltd

Website

https://wattsandco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1874

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Watts & Co. is a London-based, 150-year-old ecclesiastical craft house that designs, weaves, and hand-finishes liturgical vestments, church furnishings, and historic fabrics for Anglican, Catholic, and other Christian churches and clergy worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ecclesiastical Vestments and Church Furnishings

NAICS

Broadwoven Fabric Mills (313210)

SIC

Broadwoven Fabric Mills, Man Made Fiber & Silk (2221)

akta.pro primary industry

Multi-category Luxury Maisons (Jewelry/Watches/Leather/RTW) (CRAKAFAA)

Keywords

• Liturgical vestments
• Church furnishings
• Ecclesiastical textiles
• Bespoke vestment making
• Clerical apparel

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Stock Vestments and Products: Pre-made off-the-peg vestments, church furnishings, altar linens, metalware, clerical wear, and accessories sold at set prices through e-commerce and showroom.
2. Bespoke Vestments: Fully custom-made vestments crafted to client specifications. Requires 60% non-refundable deposit before work begins. Bespoke items are non-refundable but may be altered for additional cost.
3. Made-to-Order Items: Items made to order rather than kept in stock, with standard lead time of 6-8 weeks. Requires deposit before production begins.
4. Fabric Sales: Sale of liturgical fabrics by the metre, including silk damasks and tapestries. Fabrics sold with minimum purchase of one metre.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Watts & Co. handcrafts ecclesiastical vestments (chasubles, copes, stoles, mass sets, mitres) and church furnishings (altar frontals, antependia, processional banners, church silver) in both bespoke and off-the-peg stock ranges. The company weaves silk damasks, brocades, and tapestries to its own historic Gothic Revival designs and offers hand embroidery, vestment restoration, and made-to-order altar linens. Operations centre on a London workroom and showroom near Westminster Abbey, with international shipping.

Product overview

Watts & Co. is a traditional ecclesiastical vestment and church furnishings company founded in 1874, offering both bespoke (made-to-order) and stock (off-the-peg) product lines. The core offering centers on liturgical vestments (chasubles, copes, stoles, maniples, dalmatics, tunicles, mass sets, mitres) and church furnishings (altar frontals, antependia, processional banners, church silver), complemented by bespoke cassocks, clerical frock coats, and hand embroidery services. The company is renowned for its exclusive liturgical fabrics woven to historic designs, including Bellini, Shrewsbury, Holbein, Pugin Gothic, and Goya patterns. Additional product categories include altar linens, metalware, clergy shirts and collars, mantillas, trims and tassels, and vestment samples. The company also offers restoration and repair services, and for large commissions, completely custom silk damask fabrics can be designed. Products are crafted in England with a focus on quality materials and traditional craftsmanship.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bespoke Vestments Handcrafted custom liturgical vestments including chasubles, copes, stoles, maniples, dalmatics, tunicles, mass sets, and mitres, made entirely to client specifications with choice of fabrics, trimmings, and sizing. For churches, cathedrals, and individual clergy.
• Stock Vestments Ready-to-purchase off-the-peg vestments including chasubles, stoles, maniples, dalmatics, tunicles, copes, burse & veils, humeral veils, mass sets, and mitres in set patterns and fabric combinations. For churches and individual clergy.
• Bespoke Church Furnishings Custom altar frontals, antependia, processional banners, and custom church silver crafted to specification for churches and sacred spaces.
• Altar Linens Large altar cloths and small altar linens made from Fine Irish Linen with options for plain or embroidered designs including Bodley Cross and Chi Rho Cross patterns.
• Bespoke Cassocks Perfectly tailored bespoke cassocks crafted by garment specialists, available for customers visiting the London showroom. For individual clergy.
• Bespoke Clerical Frock Coat Made entirely to specifications, practical and exceptionally smart bespoke frock coats with minimum 8-week lead time. For individual clergy.
• Hand Embroidery Services Expert hand embroidery services including metallic and silk threads, with specialized conservation services for existing embroidered items. For churches and clergy.
• Vestment Restoration & Repairs Restoration and repair services for existing vestments to maintain and preserve handmade pieces for generations. For churches and individual clergy.
• Liturgical Fabrics by the Metre Exclusive ecclesiastical fabrics including silk damasks, brocades, and tapestries woven to historic designs and sold by the metre. Includes Bellini, Shrewsbury, Holbein, Pugin Gothic, Goya, Comper Cathedral, and other patterns. Minimum purchase of one metre.
• Custom Silk Damask Fabric Completely bespoke textiles designed for large commissions to celebrate individual churches, with custom colours, patterns, and specifications.
• Church Metalware Church metalware including silver-plated items, chalices, ciboria, and pectoral crosses.
• Processional Banners Custom processional banners for church ceremonies and processions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Vestments designed to last generations with proper care
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• J. Wippell & Co.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSister company that now handles many of Watts' clerical wear product ranges. Browse clerical wear ranges on Wippells website including Custom Cassocks, Clergy Apparel, and Choir Wear. Watts continues to offer bespoke cassocks and frock coats.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• E&R Church Supplies: US ecclesiastical supplier of vestments, altar linens, candles, and metalware. Adjacent positioning to Watts' offerings but skewed toward US Catholic parish market with broader commodity-grade catalog.
• Sudbury Brass (Aluminum Bronze Company): UK church metalware specialist producing chalices, ciboria, and processional items — directly competing with Watts' metalware line (chalices, ciboria, pectoral crosses) serving the same ecclesiastical buyers.
• Hayes & Finch: UK-based ecclesiastical supplier of vestments, church furnishings, and metalware; one of the few comparable heritage liturgical brands competing head-to-head with Watts across fabrics, vestments, and fittings.
• Vanpoulles: UK church furnishings and vestments specialist. Direct competitor in church metalware, altar frontals, vestments, and clergy wear, serving overlapping Anglican/Catholic customer segments.
• Slabbinck: Belgian liturgical vestments and ecclesiastical textiles maker with similar heritage craft focus. Comparable in producing chasubles, copes, and damask fabrics for Catholic and Anglican markets across Europe and beyond.
• J. Wippell & Co. Sister company explicitly named as a channel partner handling many of Watts' clerical wear product ranges. Direct peer across vestments, cassocks, clergy apparel, and choir wear for Anglican/Catholic markets.
• Cathedral Corporation: Major North American church supply house offering vestments, furnishings, and bulletins. Comparable in serving Catholic/Anglican parish markets, though more commoditized and larger scale.

Emerging players

• St. Joseph's Workshop: Smaller custom vestment maker focused on the US Episcopal/Anglican market; comparable bespoke church-embroidered vestments and furnishings niche with younger positioning versus Watts.
• Societas Rosetti (Liturgical Arts): US-based ecclesiastical designer producing vestments, altar frontals, and hangings with custom embroidery. Comparable in bespoke liturgical textile craft though smaller scale and US-centric.

Broad incumbents

• Gorham Silver (specialty ecclesiastical line): Heritage American silversmith with an ecclesiastical metalware line including chalices and patens. Wider luxury silver focus but directly competes for church silver commissions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@wattsandco
• Facebookfacebook.com/wattsandco
• Instagraminstagram.com/wattsandco
• Pinterestuk.pinterest.com/wattsfabrics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/watts-and-company

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Watts & Co.