Time + Tide, a recent Australian entity providing information on the world of watchmaking, recently held an event in their brand new Discovery Studio at Oxford Circus in London to celebrate brands and big names in British watchmaking.
A total of seventeen entities took part in the event, allowing visitors to gain insight into every aspect of the industry.

After the event, the creations of these big names remained on display for several weeks, giving the many fans the opportunity to see and touch these singular timepieces.

The event, in collaboration with British Watch & Clock Makers, gave enthusiasts the opportunity to be able to converse with the brilliant minds behind these watches, allowing them to espouse their philosophy and learn in detail about the features that make them unique.

But let’s find out some English brand names and what makes them unique.

Underd0g Studio

One of the most interesting British brands to have emerged from across the Channel in recent years is definitely Studio Underd0g, launched in March 2021 by Richard Benc, with the idea of offering something colorful and at an affordable price in the world of watchmaking, which he says has not evolved much more recently.

As the inscription on the dials of their first creations, the 01Series, reads, Studio Underd0g’s watches are assembled in the UK, offering fans the chance to add a fun and different timepiece to their collection, designed and created by British minds and offered at decidedly affordable prices.

Over the past year, the brand has continued to enjoy success: its collections, often inspired by the world of food (such as the recent Uneggspected Series dedicated to eggs or the Pizza Party made in collaboration with Time + Tide), have won over an increasingly wide audience. The most appreciated creations, however, were those presented at Geneva Watch Days last September, in collaboration with Moser.

The two-watch set, sold exclusively to just one hundred lucky enthusiasts, includes an 03Series, the single-pusher chronograph featured in Studio Underd0g’s catalog, and Moser’s Endeavour Perpetual Calendar, recognizable by its clean dial and ability to provide, though without counters, all the information of a perpetual calendar. Both models share the same color scheme: a mix of purple and yellow ochre, with a hammered finish in true Moser style.

The brand’s collections are released on a few occasions during the year, depending on production, and often become available again through restocks. With the exception of limited editions, you can also purchase previously featured models, but if you want to add one to your collection be careful: they sell out very quickly.

Christopher Ward

Another brand that aims to bring to watchmaking something different and of the highest quality, at decidedly low prices, is Christopher Ward.

The brand was born in 2004 from the idea of three longtime friends – Mike France, Peter Ellis and Chris Ward – eager to start an entrepreneurial project together. Reflecting on their shared passions, they first thought about soccer, but the prospect of breaking through in that field seemed rather complex. So they decided to devote themselves to the world of watches.

As soon as they became aware of the significant mark-ups imposed by watch brands, the three partners established some basic principles: sell directly to customers, exclusively through their own website; maintain a mark-up within three times the cost of production; and avoid the onerous celebrity-based marketing strategies so prevalent among Swiss brands.

Over the years, Christopher Ward has achieved tremendous success with its extensive catalog: it offers sports watches such as the Twelve, with an integrated bracelet, and models with rarer complications, such as the Bel Canto, which are hard to find at affordable prices nowadays.

In my opinion, the Bel Canto is the maison’s most interesting creation. Thanks to a special module installed on a Sellita SW200-1 caliber, in fact, the watch emits a sound on the stroke of every hour. At an expense of about EUR 4,500 – for models currently on pre-order on the site – it allows enthusiasts to approach the world of acoustic complications, which combine the fascination of sound with that of traditional watchmaking.

Bamford

Bamford is now an established business, active for years not only in the production of its own creations, but also-thanks to a dedicated department-in customizing every detail of watches made by other brands.

Over time, the brand has become an institution in the industry, often collaborating with prominent names to create limited editions out of the ordinary. Famous partners include TAG Heuer, Franck Muller, Chopard, and Zenith.

Although each custom watch can stand out for different reasons-from bright touches of color to beloved characters like Popeye or Snoopy-one recurring element is the black case, which has become a hallmark since the brand’s earliest customizations.

Vertex

Vertex perfectly embodies the link between watchmaking and British history during the 20th century, often marked by military requirements. The brand, founded in 1912 by Claude Lyons, devoted itself from its earliest years to the production of watches for the British Army, eventually becoming part of the twelve brands that supplied troops during those difficult years during World War II.

Vertex, in particular, was the only British manufacturer among those twelve, making 4,652 examples of Cal 59, each featuring at 12 o’clock, immediately below the mark, the iconic British Broad Arrow logo, an emblem used to identify British Army military equipment.

Today, the Vertex catalog features several collections that pay homage to the brand’s long tradition in military and professional watches. The M100 series, with a 40 mm case, pays tribute to historical models designed for the British Army, offering a design designed for military watch enthusiasts. The MP45 collection, on the other hand, is a contemporary take on the single-pusher watch commissioned in 1945. Finally, the M36 model, represents a modern interpretation of the famous “Dirty Dozen,” available in both steel and bronze, for those who want a patina that evolves over time.

Bremont

As the last brand in this roundup of English realities, we focus on Bremont, a brand founded in 2002 by two brothers, Nick and Giles English, who are passionate about watches but especially about airplanes and have often flown on planes from the 1930s or a rare 1942 Harvard example used during World War II.

The brand’s name is a reference to a French farmer, passionate like them about watchmaking, who in the 1990s helped them make an emergency landing after some problems with one of their airplanes.

Over the years Bremont has become a true British institution, collaborating to create their timepieces with Jaguar and British Airways, or becoming official timekeeper for the England rugby team or the legendary Isle of Man race.

To date there are three collections in the catalog for Bremont, the first Terra Nova for the most difficult daily activities, Supermarine i.e. watches that can also be worn in water, and Altitude designed for pilots, a category dear to the two founders.

Conclusion

At a time like this, the many watch enthusiasts are also able to appreciate watches made outside the borders of Switzerland, and the high quality and designs of these models we have seen allow us to understand why.

And you, which English soul watch will you be adding to your collection soon?

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