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How the boy from Manchester Rose to the Top of the Media World. Meet Aaron Edwards

By Cator Sparks Published August 6, 2021

I’m a Mancunian (person hailing from Manchester, UK) transplant and I’ve been living in New York for around six years. Prior to New York, I was a financial analyst for five years at an investment bank, before leaving the big smoke (London) to team up with my partner in crime and sister Samantha.

The Charles (named after our great grandfather) is a creative agency specializing in immersive digital story telling for clients such as Cartier, WSJ, Bloomberg Media and Netflix. With humble beginnings, The Charles has grown from strength to strength with this year marking the arrival of new offices in Chicago and London and a new content division called Jane (named after our great grandmother).

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Bourne from an insatiable appetite for creative our goal is to reinvent the way our clients do business and align their strategic goals to our conceptual thinking and agile design process. With the arrival of our new content division, we now have the ability to extend our reach by bringing our interactive digital experiences to the physical world. I truly believe the convergence of technology, design and virtual reality is the future of brand marketing and advertising.

As for my personal style:

I’m really into mens fashion and have an obsession with these two Parisian twin brothers, Les Freres Jochaim. Their silhouettes are the epitome of cool for me and I love how they mix high fashion with street wear to create a look that’s applicable for any type of meeting. For me luxury is about being comfortable and wearing fine materials in a relaxed way

Jeans: Frame Denim and Fear Of God for more casual events.

Shirts: Comme Des Garcon Shirt, Lemaire

Pants: Juun J cropped black pleated pants

Suits: Boglioli and Barena are my go to for sport coats meetings and Raf Simons for dinners and parties.

Shoes: I have these bad ass super high top boots made by Anne De Meulemeester that I like to pair with tapered sweats pants or trousers and I have an unhealthy obsession with Rick Owens Ramones low and high tops and Common Projects.

Accessories: My Rolex Daytona is my go to everyday watch. It might sound like overkill but I believe expensive items are to be worn not locked away… plus there’s nothing better than wearing a vintage worn tee and some battered jeans and a nice classic watch.

Outerwear: Acne Charlie Coat

Favorite cologne: Tom Ford Tuscan Leather

Favorite app: Instagram

Favorite piece of technology: STASH a friend of mine Co-founded this investment app. I’m 3 months in and I’m making money from it so really happy about that!

Next style/gear purchase: Another Acne Charlie Coat

Former Former Digital Trends Contributor, The Manual

Cator Sparks was the Editor-in-Chief of The Manual from its launch in 2012 until 2018. Previously, Cator was covering…

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TAG HEUER returns to the Formula 1 Circuit with a bold new era

TAG Heuer reignites its racing legacy at Monaco Grand Prix 2025

TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph

As part of its role as the official timekeeper of the newly renamed Formula 1 TAG Heuer Grand Prix de Monaco, TAG Heuer has released three new watches. The triumphant return has the Swiss watchmaker doubling down on its legacy of premium luxury and motorsport precision. These three new pieces continue a rich tradition of excellence by encompassing the essence of Monaco’s racing spirit.

TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph x Gulf

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Breitling honors Scott Carpenter with platinum watch

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On May 24, 1962, Carpenter became the second American to circle Earth. He flew as part of NASA's Mercury-Atlas 7 mission. A special Navitimer was on his wrist. Breitling altered it for space travel. The work began with a personal letter from Carpenter—he requested specific changes. He wanted a wider bezel for gloved hands and a stretch metal band for his space suit. Most notably, he asked for a 24-hour dial. In orbit, sunrise and sunset happen every 90 minutes. A regular 12-hour display does not show time well there.

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anOrdain launches handcrafted porcelain watches

From fire to clay: anOrdain's porcelain revolution brings accessible artistry

anOrdain launches handcrafted porcelain watches

AnOrdain, a Glasgow-based company, built a loyal following—it made excellent hand-enameled watch dials and offered clear customer service. The Scottish maker then moved into a new material: porcelain. The company introduced its Model 2 Porcelain collection after three years of focused study. This collection gives customers a way to experience anOrdain's handmade dial art.
Work with porcelain began in 2022. At that time, anOrdain saw a need to broaden its selection. The company also wanted to keep its standards for handmade products high. Instead of buying porcelain dials from others, the company chose to learn this old art itself. AnOrdain's team spent three years with master potters from Stoke-on-Trent—a town known as a center for English pottery—learning how to make watch dials from English clay.
Making porcelain dials requires different methods than working with enamel. AnOrdain’s well-known grand feu enamel dials use glass powder on metal discs, which are baked at 840°C. But the new porcelain dials use English clay. Workers paint them with glass-like coatings and fire them at much higher temperatures, up to 1300°C. To achieve the black finish seen in the collection, the company experimented with many glaze mixtures, finally using a high amount of iron oxide.
After this hot firing, each dial shows slight differences. Small dips and dots appear as a sign of the handmade process. AnOrdain says these natural variations mean no two porcelain dials look the same. This celebrates the human touch in making fine watches.
The Model 2 Porcelain keeps the well-liked size and look of anOrdain’s enamel collection, but with some updates. The 39.5mm steel case holds the La Joux-Perret G101 automatic movement, which performs well. The hands have been significantly improved. White glowing material now fills loops that were previously empty, finished with fine gold frames. The seconds hand is more striking, with a bright red outer coat and a white tip.
Production capacity is small—anOrdain can finish about 30 pieces each month. The price is $2,440, which is $750 less than the enamel versions, even though they use the same cases and movements. The current wait time is six months, and customers can buy only one watch each. The Model 2 Porcelain shows anOrdain's commitment to preserving traditional crafts in modern watchmaking. It also offers affordable luxury through transparent dealings with customers.