Fashion-driven watch brands chime in on London Collections: Men

The link between men's fashion and timepieces is becoming stronger thanks to a flux of younger watch brands who are making their mark on the London Collections: Men with their latest collections.

Swatch, overall partner of the event, made its intentions clear last year when it announced a three-year partnership with the British Fashion Council. This year, the brand unveiled its latest collection, Gran Turismo, at Victoria House in Bloomsbury Square. The homage to the golden age of racing heroes remains faithful to the fun, quirky spirit the brand is known for, twisting a classic racing aesthetic with metallic accents, brake-inspired dials and vivid colours.

Young brand Orolog also used the occasion to showcase its new pieces. It's led by acclaimed designer Jaime Hayon, whose admirably diverse clients include Baccarat, Fritz Hansen and Bernhardt Design. ‘LC:M is important to us as it has rapidly established itself as a key platform for emerging trends,’ says Orolog cofounder Ian Lowe. ‘Hayon’s creative activity perfectly reflects the increasing crossover which is happening across these fields.’ The latest collection elegantly combines materials and colours in unexpected ways - steel case chronographs come with steel hands, dials and sub-dials in differing shades of blue, while combinations of grey with blue and green dials are set off by matt black cases.

For Uniform Wares, it was the parallels between LC:M and its own brand that appealed. Cofounder and creative director Patrick Bek says: ‘London is the home of progressive menswear and the show is the perfect place to exhibit our progressive collection.’ The brand will be showing the C-Line and M-Line collections, both elegant families of watches that celebrate sharp angles, perfect symmetry and carefully considered proportions. For Bek, simplicity is key and he advises those considering their first watch purchase to: ‘Keep it classic. A stainless steel case with polished accents will never look out of place.’ Most importantly? Relax and have fun. ‘Once your first watch is out of the way, it's a lot easier to experiment with style.’