Dutchman Nicolaas Johannes van Putten arrived in Australia in 1960 with business ambitions and a talent for watchmaking. Nick turned his hand to jewellery, developing a precision process to create earrings, which he exported worldwide. In the 1990s he diversified into tap making, employing 55 staff.

Today Sussex is in the capable and caring hands of Nick’s family. For the new Sussex generation customisation and the expression of individual tastes are exciting motivators for continued innovation. Yet while they have an eye to the future, they uphold Nick’s legacy of quality and precision.