It started with a broken light
Navigator started, rather unexpectedly, in a small antiques shop on the Sussex coast.
Laurie, one of our owners, was handed an old light to look at. He dropped it.
Having broken one light, he did what any sensible person would do and bought several more.
Among them were solid-brass nautical fittings. They went home with him to be restored and, after spending rather longer than intended in his workshop, two eventually found their way onto the wall of his dining room.
‘Where did you get those lights?’ became a regular question from friends and family.
That was the beginning of Navigator.
Maritime heritage runs deep
The lights that caught Laurie's eye weren't delicate, decorative pieces. They were solid, purposeful fittings shaped by a life around the sea.
That same influence runs through Navigator today.
Our lights are crafted from solid brass in Greece, where the sea has shaped everyday life for generations. Brass has long earned its place in marine environments because of the way it withstands salt air and seawater.
That maritime influence can be seen in the materials, designs and even the names of the Navigator collection.
Solid brass. Made to change.
Cold to the touch. Heavy in the hand.
Left outdoors, its surface will gradually change. Rain, salt air, sunlight and time all leave their mark, creating a natural patina unique to its surroundings.
We don't see that as deterioration. It's part of the material.
Built for a longer life.
We don't believe an outdoor light should become disposable because one component eventually needs replacing.
Navigator fittings are designed so individual components can be replaced, allowing the fitting to be maintained and kept in use rather than discarded.
The brass can weather and change with time while the fitting itself continues doing the job it was made for.
Lights worth keeping.
A family business.
Navigator is part of the same family-run business as Lampfix, with more than 50 years' experience in lighting, components and restoration.
Today, Navigator is stocked and supported from our Hertfordshire base, where our team also hand-finishes selected products in antique brass.
While the business has grown considerably since the box of antique lights from Sussex, the principles haven't changed much. Choose good materials, know the products, look after customers and make things worth keeping.