About Us

"To make people hear music"

Founded in 1985, Watson Records has grown to become the largest supplier of fine classical vinyl records in the UK today. The company continues to prosper both locally and abroad, especially in the Far East, where it has exported thousands of records over the last ten years.

Watson Records remains a privately owned family firm: Alistair Watson taking over the running of the company from his father Jim in 2009.

Jim began collecting 78rpm records in 1973 and, by the late ’70s, began trading records. By this time he had also started collecting LPs of various orchestral and chamber music. In 1985 Jim published his first sales catalogue and sent it to collectors worldwide. The idea was a success and, in 1992, he decided to run Watson Records as a full-time business.

Alistair joined his father in 2002 and moved the focus of the company online. Through e-commerce, Watson Records made an immediate impact in the Japanese and South Korean markets. Also around this time, the company began trading in vintage audio equipment.

Watson Records now trades exclusively online - the sales catalogue was last published in 2008 - and the company continues to seek and sell vinyl records to collectors throughout the world.