The British watch brands to know now: from intriguing innovators to heritage revivals

With a strong blend of innovation and heritage, British brands are on the map for all the right reasons, merging revived traditions and 3D-printed futurism into wristworn conversation pieces. British watchmaking has been firmly on the rise over the last two decades, and the industry is metamorphosising yet again as brands and makers look to balance a surplus of design and heritage strengths with the need to rely on manufacturing capabilities from abroad. Counter-intuitively perhaps, but the more globalised the watch market becomes, the harder it is to manufacture away from the established centres in Switzerland, Germany, Japan and China.

Among British watch brands to know, Bremont and Roger Smith already have a global profile (and we recently covered Schofield), so who’s next to match their profile?

Bremont

Based in Henley, the quintessentially British brand Bremont has been revitalized by CEO Davide Cerrato, known for the spark that ignited Tudor’s rebirth. This year they have re-found their mojo and represent modern British watchmaking at scale. With an engineering-led vibe, the latest 38mm Terranova Jump Hour in steel captures the brand’s new direction in a distinctive case that takes a 1930s concept and translates it into tool watch chic. With brushed surfaces and sapphire crystal apertures displaying the hours, minutes and seconds, it offers an architectural design with a distinct language that sets it apart. 

bremont.com

Benjamin James Scarifour

The young designer Ben James has a studious approach to affordable retro. By taking clues from the Sixties and seventies, he has created a distinctive design that gives us what we want for less, and is evocative without literal homage. The 31x40mm steel Scarifour combines Cartier’s small-cased comfort with an integrated bracelet, the genre du jour. But this rectangle has a new trick up its British sleeve: Stone dials. With three versions spanning the pop of burnt orange Agate and green Jade, it’s all in the subtle details combined with dials that are unique to each watch, and at under £1,000 each, they represent big value in today’s collector’s market.

benjaminjameswatches.com

Apiar Watches

British watch brands are about a lot more than evocative retro and tool watches, proved by the two designers of Apiar. With the catchphrase ‘impossible watches made possible’, this year they debuted the world’s first fully 3D-printed watch (well, not the movement yet), underlining Britain’s position on the horological innovation map. Apiar’s Gen1.0 appears classic at first glance, but its intricate titanium case reveals cutting-edge innovation. Crafted in grade 5 and 23 titanium with a CNC-machined bezel, the 39mm watch houses a La Joux-Perret movement—merging futuristic design with traditional Swiss mechanics.

apiar.co.uk

Christopher Ward

Christopher Ward built an identity around no-frills simplicity but has invested sufficiently in design, storytelling and (Swiss) manufacturing capacity to be a credible competitor in any market – the Twelve X (ti) is a smart, combination of integrated sport case in titanium with a skeletonised version of the SH21 calibre, a twin-barrelled, chronometer certified movement that was developed for the brand in 2014. At £4,120, it’s quite a package for the price.

christopherward.com

Fears

Two of the more interesting British brands are revivals of older companies (Fears, seen above, and Vertex, below) that fell by the wayside during Britain’s 1970s doldrum years, and both revived by descendants of the original founders. Fears specialises in seemingly simple designs that are anything but when looked at in detail, such as the ‘eye-dropper’ hands on the green-dialled boutique edition Brunswick (£3,350) and the £19,500 collaboration with Garrick that features a movement handmade in Norwich.

fearswatches.com

Vertex

Vertex’s revival has been built around carefully updated military designs from the 1930s and 1940s – the brand is allowed to use the original War Department ‘Broad Arrow’ on the dial of these watches. Typical is the new M36, the original of which was produced just in time for early examples to be worn at D-Day. The contemporary version sticks to the period watch in overall design and dimensions but incorporates a modern self-winding movement and details such as solid-block SuperLumiNova on the dial.

vertex-watches.com

Fiona Krüger

It's not all heritage, though, as two Scottish names show nicely. Fiona Krüger is a designer now based in Switzerland who brings an outsider perspective to watchmaking and has a knack of persuading high-end suppliers to work with her. Typical is Fracture, an AED138,000 (£29,000) limited edition that’s a collaboration with Dubai’s Perpetuel Gallery. Made from recycled titanium, the watch was produced to Krüger's design by Agenhor, which has provided specialty movements for the likes of Hermès and Fabergé.

fionakruger.com

anOrdain

anOrdain, based in Glasgow, makes enamel-dialled watches with a difference, as the £4,200 Model 3 Aqua demonstrates. A collaboration with the renowned Method Studio, the silver dial’s texture replicates a carved block of ash wood, achieved through techniques developed in-house. Naturally enough, the watch comes in a Method Studio mini trunk.

anordain.com

Studio Underd0g

And, as a bonus, spare a moment for Studio Underd0g: classic designs with a fresh twist, throw-away prices and released as very limited-edition drops via underd0g.com.

Read our guides to the Japanese watch brands and American watch makers you should know.