Feature: The best British watch brands

Once home to hallowed names including Thomas Mudge, John Arnold and Charles Frodsham, the UK has made a significant contribution to horology. But by the mid 20th century, Switzerland had become the global epicentre of watchmaking, leaving only the late George Daniels, who died in 2011, to ensure the UK still had a role to play in the evolution of the mechanical watch.

However, after a century or so of living in Switzerland’s shadow, British watchmaking is seeing a long overdue resurgence. From full-scale manufacturers like Bremont to small high-end independents like Roger W Smith and Struthers, the UK is once again home to a burgeoning domestic market that caters for all tastes and budgets. Here, then, are the current best of the British...

Christopher Ward

The Twelve has helped put Christopher Ward in the spotlight

It’s hard to believe now but there was a time when Christopher Ward got a rough ride from certain elements of the watch industry who were dismissive of its derivative designs and generic Swiss movements. How times have changed! Thanks to models like the Bel Canto and The Twelve (pictured), this brand is now riding a wave of promise and success, picking up prestigious prizes and silencing (most of) its critics. We can't wait to see what it brings out next.

Struthers

The Project 248 features Struthers' first in-house movement

Based in Staffordshire, Struthers is an independent watchmaker comprising talented husband-and-wife team Craig and Rebecca Struthers. Starting out as watch restorers, they now make their own timepieces with lovingly refurbished old machinery, unveiling their milestone Project 248 watch in 2023, the first to feature their long-awaited in-house movement. While their handcrafted watches are stunning to behold, they’re also hard to acquire as barely a handful are made annually. Perhaps this is because Dr Rebecca Struthers is also a successful author (her book ‘Hands of Time’ is essential reading for watch lovers), as well as an active campaigner in the preservation of endangered heritage skills.

Roger W Smith

Roger W Smith was a protege of the great George Daniels

A protégé of the legendary watchmaker George Daniels, Roger W Smith now plies his trade from the Isle of Man off the north-west coast of England, as did his late mentor. Making less than twenty watches a year with a small team ensures Smith’s watches are extremely sought after, fetching the same kind of sums at auction as rare Patek Philippes. One watch, co-signed by both Smith and Daniels, went under the hammer for $2.4m in 2023, making it the most valuable of his wristwatches sold at auction. Smith makes everything in-house from his workshop, using many tools and machines he inherited from Daniels, so it’s hardly surprising his output is so small. Waiting lists for his watches are years-long, and starting prices are in excess of £100k.

AnOrdain

AnOrdain's USP is its incredible enamel dials

There’s been a deservedly huge buzz around Glasgow-based AnOrdain in the past few years. Watch aficionados looking for something unique have fallen in love with the brand’s mesmerising hand-engraved, hand-enamelled dials. The brand uses reliable Swiss Sellita or La Joux Perret movements, which keeps prices to around the £2-3k mark. But you’ll have to pre-order your watch with a reservation fee via their website—and be warned, the queue is long.

Bremont

Bremont has been at the forefront of British watchmaking's revival

Founded by brothers Nick and Giles English in 2002, Bremont has been instrumental in putting British watchmaking back on the map, splashing out on a state-of-the-art factory to make its own movements and hiring industry big-hitters like ex-Tudor supremo Davide Cerrato. Due to the founders' interest in aviation, Bremont's line-up has always featured a wide selection of pilot's watches, but they also have a range of dive models and a selection made for the British Armed Forces.

Pinion

Pinion's highly legible watches cost as little as £1,000

Oxfordshire-based Pinion celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2023 and is now carving its own niche in British watchmaking, making small batches of timepieces that run on modern automatic or new-old-stock manual-wind movements. Finely crafted yet practical-looking, its watches are designed and built in England and cost as little £1,000. It recently worked with the RAF to produce a special-edition watch for the squadron known as “The Dambusters”, famous for their daring raids during World War II.

Farer

Like many of Farer's models, the Mansfield range features a cushion-shaped case

Farer has made a name for itself as a top British micro-brand that offers a range of considered designs in an array of colours to suit your style. It has over 40 models from more than a dozen collections including sporty dive watches and sophisticated dress pieces. We’ve taken a liking to this avocado-green Mansfield model which is also available with an uber-cool Eastern Arabic dial. The Aquamatic range is another popular line. Even better, Farer keeps it prices pretty, well … fair, with watches costing as little as £780.

Studio Underd0g

Studio Underdog has shaken up British watch design

This colourful watchmaker’s creations are often sold out, with enthusiasts eager to see what it comes out with next. Most recently it unveiled its Pizza Party which features a pizza dial with toppings and all. Sounds cheesy? Well, it’s the perfect example of how in-demand the brand is.

Initially announced as an April Fools prank in 2023, Studio Underd0g became inundated with fans showing interest in the watch and so it decided to make the Pizza Party a reality. The brand’s most notable releases, though, are the mouthwatering Watermel0n (pictured) from its 01Series and the 02Series’ Steffany Blue model.

Mr Jones Watches

Affordable and eyecatching, Mr Jones watches stand out for their quirky dials

Mr Jones watches asks you to “think differently about your time”. Take a look at its watches with their unconventional designs and you’ll know what it means. Although, it could refer to a couple of things—take the Berry Late Again! model which has “Time is just a social construct” on the dial. You’ll notice almost all of Mr Jones’ pieces are missing the traditional hour and minutes hands.

Bestselling model, A Perfectly Useless Afternoon (pictured), uses the relaxed character’s foot to read the hours and the rubber duck to display the minutes. Want something to get people talking? This is the watchmaker for you.

Fears

Fears has been revived by the original founder's great-great-great-grandson

Established in Bristol in 1846, Fears is one of the oldest family-run watch companies in Britain, even if it hasn't been in continuous operation. Its premises were sadly destroyed during the Second World War, forcing it to relocate, and it continued producing watches until 1976 when it closed its doors.

Fast forward to 2016 and Fears was relaunched by Nicholas Bowman-Scargill, great-great-great-grandson of founder, Edwin Fear. Today, Fears focuses on understated designs with watches that never go out of style. The Brunswick Aurora model (pictured) is a real standout thanks to its mystical blue mother-of-pearl dial.

Duckworth Prestex

Duckworth Prestex is another old English brand brought back to life

An old British brand revived as recently as 2021 by the grandson of the company’s founder, Duckworth Prestex has hit the ground running with vintage-inspired models powered by Miyota movements. The ones that have grabbed our attention are the Rivington GMT and the Verimatic (pictured), which at 38mm is perfect for those of us who appreciate the style of a Panerai Radiomir but not the deal-breaking size. They even have drop-dead-gorgeous fumé dials.