Special edition watches for British Watchmakers’ Day

Roger W Smith - a unique Series 1 special edition Watch

A highlight of British Watchmakers’ Day, this one-off Series 1 will be the first time a Roger W. Smith watch has been made available for immediate purchase by the general public.

As Britain’s leading watchmaker and Chairman of the sector’s trade body, the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers, Roger W. Smith was determined to express his support for the first ever live show dedicated solely to British brands.

“One of the main ideas behind the event is for exhibiting makers to create a special edition watch that is only available for purchase on the day” explains Roger. “As Chairman, I wanted to lead by example but, as we make so few watches each year, it was a real challenge!”

Fortunately, Roger and his hand-picked team of exceptional watchmakers has more than met the challenge, producing what Roger describes as; “A Series 1 watch as I would make for myself”.

He explains; “Over the years, all the commissions for my Series of watches have been made with a modest customisation in their design to give my clients unique variations. The opportunity with this piece was to make what I wanted, and to have some fun!”

As he embarked on the build back in March 2023, Roger Smith went back to his original designs for his Series 1.

“I’ve been asked whether there’s a mark identifying this watch as a special edition for British Watchmakers’ Day. Although numbered as the Series 1 ‘No.32’, the irony is that it’s actually distinguished by not having a single mark or change to my original design.”

A time-only piece (showing hours, minutes and seconds), the resulting Series 1 has a deceptively simple yet sumptuous aesthetic. Housed in a 38mm red-gold case, it has a mixed metal dial with a silver engine-turned background inset with red-gold chapters.

“The movement which, as ever is driven by the single-wheel co-axial escapement has my traditional English finish with gilded frosted plates and gold chatons” explains Roger. “I went back to my sketches and worked with our engraver to create the resulting English rose pattern on the barrel bridge. It really is my ideal vision for the Series 1.”

With an order book which has been closed since 2021 and a sequence of world records being achieved by Roger’s watches at auction, it is no surprise that, in the rarefied world of high-end collectors, this Series 1 is garnering enormous interest.

The Series 1 watch will be on high security display throughout British Watchmakers’ Day, along with the rare opportunity to see some of Roger’s other iconic pieces, such as The GREAT Britain; a Daniels Anniversary watch; and a Series 4 pieces featuring his ‘Travelling Date’ complication.

With a reserve price confirmed at £297,500 (excl. of VAT), the Series 1 special edition will be sold by closed bid auction through the rwsmithwatches.com website and Roger Smith has also committed to make a donation from the proceeds of the sale to the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers which is a not-for-profit organisation.

The closed bid auction will go live on rwsmithwatches.com from Monday 19th February and will close at 3pm on 9th March, towards the close of British Watchmakers’ Day.

Christopher Ward - Limited edition Bel Canto 9324

As a founding brand of the Alliance of British Watch and Clockmakers, Christopher Ward is gearing up to celebrate this inaugural event with an exclusive release, bringing a limited run of 10 Bel Canto watches for purchase at the event.

Mike France, CEO & Co-founder describes how “The Bel Canto’s chime was heard in all four corners of the industry in 2023, culminating with a GPHG Award; the first, but I’m sure not the last for a British brand.”

The Bel Canto 9324 features a laser-etched Union Jack on its platine which is adorned with a mixture of polishing, Clous de Paris, and Finque guilloche. This brass platine is then positive coated with a rich blue, accentuating the meticulous finishing and adding a touch of regalness to its design. The two-piece, time-telling dial introduces Roman numerals for the first time on a Bel Canto, which are colour-matched to the platine. The dial comprises a circular brushed base layer, and a polished and chamfered top ring housing a printed minute track.

“This very British Bel Canto covers new ground and offers an insight into the future development of the collection,” France adds.

Christopher Ward is making only 10 pieces of this special Bel Canto, utilising a raffle system to ensure fair distribution. Winners of the raffle will have the opportunity to purchase and take home their Bel Canto on the same day.

All profits from the sale of these exclusive watches will be donated directly to The Alliance of British Watch and Clockmakers, supporting their work to champion and support the sector all over the world.

Fears Watches - The Fears Brunswick 38 ‘1924 Edition’

Fears Watch Company will present the Brunswick 38 ‘1924 Edition’. The first sterling silver cased Fears has made since the 1920s it marks the 100th anniversary of the gentlemen’s cushion cased watch Fears made in 1924 that inspired the Brunswick line.

Created exclusively for sale at British Watchmakers’ Day, only 10 of these precious watches will be made, each numbered, hallmarked and featuring a dial influenced by the original 1924 watch.

The Brunswick 38 ‘1924 Edition’ completes the trifecta of precious metal cases alongside gold (launched 2023) and platinum (launched 2021) options already available in the Fears collection. Featuring an eye- catching polished white lacquer dial with a late Edwardian / early Art Deco numeral design, the dial is made with hand-polished white lacquer that gives depth to its smooth surface and contrasts with the crisp printed numerals, realized in Fears Blue. Time is read with blued ‘Fears Pipette’ hands and a new seconds hand fitting in a larger subsidiary seconds dial at 6 o’clock, similar to the original.

This 1924 inspired dial is housed in a classic Brunswick 38 case made from 925 sterling silver and as per all precious metal Fears includes a flawless brilliant cut diamond in the tip of the winding crown. The case is hallmarked by the London Assay Office and features the registered Fears makers mark, which also appears on its matching silver bespoke buckle, fitted to a Fears Blue hand-made strap in Barenia leather.

The Brunswick 38 ‘1924 Edition’ will only be sold during British Watchmakers’ Day with each of the ten watches carrying a unique edition number, engraved on the closed case back, signed owners card and premium TownTalk silver cleaning cloth.

Nicholas Bowman-Scargill, (4th) Managing Director of Fears Watch Company, says "Back in 2017 when I was designing the original Brunswick 38mm watch I took great inspiration from one of my favourite pieces in the Fears Archive – this charming, elegant and curvaceous cushion cased watch dating to 1924. With this year marking 100 years since this watch – the first cushion cased Fears – being made, it felt right to commemorate it and what better way than at British Watchmakers Day. I am very proud that Fears was one of the founding brands of the Alliance of British Watch & Clockmakers back in 2020, which is an organization I’ve proudly supported and promoted around the world since.”

The Fears Brunswick 38 ‘1924 Edition’ will be available to purchase (and take home) on British Watchmakers’ Day in person, retailing for £3,950 inc. VAT. More information can be found at www.fearswatches.com.

Brooklands Watch Company

At the heart Brooklands Watch Company’s ethos is the maxim ‘Time is Life. Measure it Well’ and this has defined their approach to British Watchmakers’ Day.

Founder Simon Jeffs explains; “This is a historic moment in time for the British watch sector and we asked ourselves ‘what does this mean for Brooklands and how do we measure such a moment in our own way?’”

The result is an exceptional run of three Limited Edition Triple-Four Racing Chronograph watches.

The original watch with its 43mm bezel was designed by Sir Terence Conran, with Bi-compax sub-dials as per the Brooklands race track timekeeper’s watches, and has been restyled for the special edition with a quintessentially British Royal Blue dial.

Simon went on to explain “We also decided to mark this moment by gifting all the proceeds from these watches to the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers.  The Alliance has been really encouraging and helpful.  Always willing to advise and happy to introduce us to key people in the business.  They are a highly respected voice that is promoting excellence and driving growth in the British watch and clock making industry. 

Their British Watchmaker’s Day is an excellent example.  When we saw the details, we didn’t hesitate in participating.  We know it will be a huge success and are privileged to be part of something so special right from the outset.  Our British Watchmakers’ Day 2024 Triple-Four Racing Chronograph is our opportunity to give something back to the Alliance and provide something special for visitors to the event.  We love the original design of the Triple-Four so we were cautious with the changes we made for this special model and ran the design past Sir Terence’s son, the designer Sebastian Conran.  We are sure that Sir Terence would approve.  

To mark the occasion, Brooklands will be selling the British Watchmaker’s Day 2024 Triple-Four Racing Chronograph at their stand by closed bid auction.

Simon explains; “When collectors or visitors come to our stand, they can provide a sealed bid. We have set a reserve price of £5754 and, at the end of the British Watchmakers’ Day, the highest three bids will win. We will take a deposit of £1,000 on the day and the watches will be delivered six months later.” 

Studio Underdog - 02 Series Special Edition

Design (a dozen plus one)

Let’s set the scene. It’s 1945 and the British Ministry of Defence has just tasked Studio Underd0g to make an accurate and reliable timepiece to be used by the armed forces in World War II.

...The savvy among you may have realised that the above didn’t really happen, but the design process did start based on this theoretical brief. Many field watches share similar traits, defined by the requirements of their use.

Believe it or not, in the heat of battle, soldiers typically wouldn’t have had the time to admire the mechanical movement through a display case-back, so a solid case-back was required. This also helped to improve the water resistance of the watch. To further improve the water resistance, the case and bezel were often manufactured from a single blank. The combination of drilled lugs and a pass-through strap meant that even if one of the spring-bars failed during a tough day at the office battlefield, the watch wouldn’t be lost. Legibility was of the utmost importance; knowing the time at a glance, day or night, allowed soldiers to stay focused on the job at hand.

Throughout the design and development process, Studio Underd0g adhered to these requirements but as always, decided to have a bit of fun when it came to the dial design.

It wouldn’t be a Studio Underd0g watch without a playful twist. They’ve used current-day machining techniques and materials to create a sandwich dial like no other. The base dial features seven layers of custom-made Super-LumiNova pigment. The application of this pigment is incredibly time-consuming as each layer must dry before the next is applied.

Mounted on top of the base dial, is a 1mm sapphire disc, atop which the branding, minute track and Arabic numerals are printed. Once these two dials are affixed to one another via two slotted headed pins, it creates a chunky dial with real depth.

In daylight, the printing details appear to float, casting a shadow on the lower base dial. As the watch moves around in relation to the light source, the shadows move accordingly. This results in a dynamic and ever-changing appearance.

In darkness, the printing details are backlit by the bright Super-LumiNova base dial and appear to be totally disconnected from any surface. Pretty trippy!

The British Watchmakers’ Day Limited Edition 02Series

“When Katya asked me to develop something for the British Watchmakers’ Day 2024, it felt only right that we looked to our recently introduced 02SERIES due to its emphatically British design roots. I wanted the watch to look like a vintage reissue with a modern twist. The orange hands are undeniably modern, yet are inspired by the lume patina often seen on 1940s field watches. It’s a subtle divergence from our core offering, but to quote Dieter Rams; Less is More!”

Richard Benc - Founder

Duckworth Prestex - Number 1

“Always up for a challenge”, Duckworth Prestex’s founder Neil Duckworth has come up with a unique concept for the Duckworth Prestex special edition. With 24 characters in the name ‘British Watch & Clock Makers’, Neil decided to use these characters for the hour markers, starting at 12 and moving round clockwise (with the second row of characters in a slightly smaller font size for balance).

The result is surprisingly neat and symmetrical. The B and H at the 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock positions are similar in size, while the two Ts at 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock provide further symmetry. At first glance, it’s not immediately obvious that there is anything different to this watch. But on further inspection the true nature of the hour markers becomes apparent, celebrating this special Alliance.

To emphasise the uniqueness of each model, this new limited-edition will be known simply by the name ‘No1’ and its colour. There are 10 one-off dial colour variations: black, white, dark blue, light blue, green, lilac, pink, orange, yellow, and burgundy. The 39mm case itself is in the distinctive cushion shape design that has become the signature of Duckworth Prestex.

Sporting a classical three-hand layout, the No1 – powered by a fully automatic Miyota 9039 movement – provides the perfect balance between striking modernity and timeless simplicity: the most eye-catching and novel series of releases from Duckworth Prestex yet.

Each watch will cost £950 and is only available for purchase on the day, with no pre-orders possible.

Sales must happen in person at the show, which opens its doors at 10am. However, to give as many people as possible the chance to acquire a watch, visitors to the Duckworth Prestex stand will be able to leave their details and the dial colour of the watch they would prefer. At the end of the morning and the afternoon, five names will be drawn – with those selected getting the chance to buy.

Company founder Neil Duckworth said: “This has been a great project to have been involved in, with a purpose that is very close to our hearts: celebrating the amazing British watch industry. We’re delighted to join the ranks of British watchmakers displaying their fabulous creations at the show. Well done to the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers for making this happen.”

Beaucroft Watches - Seeker - British Sky Edition

Limited to 25 pieces

For Beaucroft, British design is understated, clean and legible but with a touch of playfulness, wit and personality.  

These endearing characteristics are captured in their new special edition watch for British Watchmakers’ Day.

Co-founder Matt Herd explains; “We all know that Britain is not known for it’s blue skies! More often they are a mix of blues with the white/grey of patched clouds, this is what we aim to capture with our radial gradient dial; the British Sky Seeker has a steely sky blue gradient dial - a blend of blues pushing through the clouds, with a satin finish base layer and sun-ray finished chapter ring. For the hands we use a rich royal blue for the hour and minute hands, creating a strong contrast with the light blues of the dial and ensuring great legibility. A splash of bold red for the second hand adds the playful element and completes the subtle nod to the Union Jack in the hand set. This watch was designed directly with Alistair and Katya at the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers, shaped whilst sipping mulled Gin at the Cambridge Gin Laboratory; Beaucroft’s retail partner and 2nd home”.  

“During our design session with Alistair and Katya, the objective was evident: to create a timepiece that encapsulates the essence of British design—clean, understated, yet imbued with a playful spirit and a touch of bold colour. Drawing inspiration from the beloved topic of cloudy grey-blue skies among Brits adds a delightful twist to the dial's character—a choice we found irresistible,” says Matt  

Seeker details:

The Seeker is a dress watch with modern flair. At 37mm in size, compact lug-to-lug of 42.5mm and 10mm thick it catches attention whilst being elegant, sleek and ideal for range of wrist sizes. Designed & hand assembled in Great Britain. Launch price of £450. 

Elliot Brown - Limited Edition The Fade, Beachmaster Automatic

To mark their attendance at the inaugural British Watchmakers Day; 9th March, Westminster, Elliot Brown have created a very limited edition of their Beachmaster Automatic.

The sell-out, patented, multi-time zone mission timer watch was born out of conversations with the Royal Marines and dedicated to the D Day landings. This model, called The Fade, is limited to 20 pieces and carries all the attributes of previous models but wears a classic red green fade around the inner timing bezel. Not only is this an eye catching and stylish addition but in the 80th anniversary year of D Day, it’s a significant nod to the Normandy landings on Omaha Beach which, were segmented into assault sectors, two of which named Easy Red and Fox Green.

The limited edition Elliot Brown Beachmaster® Automatic is a landmark watch for a landmark moment, this extraordinary patented watch with its mission timer built around a Swiss GMT automatic carries the heart, DNA and design language of Elliot Brown. “Whatever the mission precision timing counts”

As the first analogue watch to be granted a patent in a generation, each patented, high-performance GMT Automatic Beachmaster® is tested in water at 300m and boasts a 24h click-lock internal mission timing bezel combined with a ceramic external divers bezel, dual time zones, and a 56h power reserve.

Read in conjunction with the GMT hand, the split internal bezel counts down up to 12 hours to mission start, H hour, then after event start, automatically displays elapsed mission time.

Separately or in addition, the hours, minutes and seconds hands can also be used to time shorter events in conjunction with the 60-minute external count down bezel.

The Beachmaster® is presented on a stainless steel bracelet with 5 stage expanding divers buckle, with solid steel strap bars ensure straps are always easy to change.

Based in Poole, Dorset, UK, Elliot Brown is renowned for their military watches and their collaborations with organisations who demand the best, including Land Rover, Mountain Rescue England & Wales, and the RNLI.

Drawing on their knowledge and expertise as designers and horologists the team at Elliot Brown obsess over the finest details until every single component is resolved, works beautifully and can cope with demanding environments.

William Wood Watches - The Fire Exit Watch

William Wood Watches, the British Independent Watchmaker committed to combining firefighting with horology, will introduce its latest model, the Fire Exit Watch at British Watchmakers’ Day with the first opportunity to purchase at their stand.

The watch features a distinctive day wheel, with each day of the week portraying the fire exit sign man in a dynamic action, adding an element of surprise and storytelling to every glance at your wrist. The watch takes inspiration from the universally recognised fire exit sign, visible in most buildings, offices and transportation around the world. The company has cleverly focussed on the fire exit sign man, bringing him to life in a dynamic way on the front and back of the watch.

At the heart of the Fire Exit Watch beats a Swiss-Made Sellita SW220 Movement, ensuring impeccable Swiss precision and reliability. The day wheel has been creatively enhanced, with each day of the week portraying the fire exit sign man carrying out a different action from Monday through to Sunday. Each day of the week is something that we can all resonate with at some point in our lives as shown below:

Monday - Late for work
Tuesday - Hard at work
Wednesday - Commuting
Thursday - Exercising
Friday - Thank god it's Friday
Saturday - Partying
Sunday - Hungover

The day disc is accompanied by a date wheel finished in the same green colour as the dial.

“We have used a Super-LumiNova day wheel so that each day of the week is eligible in the day or night. We wanted this watch to illuminate up like a fire exit sign at night, guiding you to the nearest exit. We have applied C1 grade Super-LumiNova to the indices and hands, and even to the bezel, caseback and fire exit arrow buckle. So even when you rotate your wrist over you are still being guided to the nearest exit, day or night,” explains founder Jonny Garrett.

In line with William Wood Watches' sustainability ethos, the straps are crafted from upcycled British racing green fire hose. Each strap not only adds a distinctive touch to the timepiece but also repurposes materials in an environmentally conscious manner. Every cut of fire hose is completely unique to the watch owner, with their own texture, patina and story to tell.

The Fire Exit Watch comes presented in the brand’s playful packaging inspired by a fire exit sign. Finished in British racing green, the box features the iconic fire exit wording, has a window looking through to three display cushions, and is closed with three gold brass buttons.

The Fire Exit Watch is a limited edition release, with only 300 pieces priced at £1,495 GBP available.  

Zero West - One-off FS-2 Flying Scotsman and one-off The DB-80 Lancaster

To mark the first 'British Watchmakers Day' Zero West have created 2 one off watches base on their hugely popular pilot and locomotive range of timepieces. Each watch has been built in a different configuration to the original making these 1 off watches truly special, especially as they feature historic metal from the past.

FS-2 Custom Special

Featuring salvaged boiler tube, reworked and finished to create a unique timepiece that commemorates 100 years of Flying Scotsman. Partnering with the National Railway Museum, part of the Science Museum Group to commemorate 100 years and fly the flag for British engineering, Zero West are proud to to present their first locomotive inspired timepiece displaying re-engineered material from this iconic train.

The Zero West FS-2 Custom Special takes its design cues from the famous clock on platform 8 at Kings Cross station and like all our watches features a latitude and longitude coordinate, with this one locating the Doncaster Works where Flying Scotsman was designed and built by their famous engineer Sir Nigel Gresley. 

Keeping everything on time the FS-2 is powered by a ‘Top Premium Grade’ SW200-1 automatic movement housed in our new 41mm case design and is fitted with one of our custom ZW aerospace grade rubber straps.

DB-80 Blackout Custom Special

Using aluminium from ‘Johnny’ Johnson’s Lancaster Bomber, Zero West have recast this historic metal within the DB-80 Custom Special pilot watch to mark the anniversary of this daring RAF operation.

The DB-80 CS embodies a Time and Place, through the recognition of the most audacious bombing raid of all time. Of the 19 Lancaster crews that flew that night only 11 returned, having completed what many thought was an impossible mission.

Taking design cues form an altimeter this watch pays tribute to one of those Lancaster's, ED825 whose mission it was to bomb the Sorpe Dam. With bold instrument dial hands and coordinates/date code referencing the mission, this British designed and engineered timepiece embodies everything we are passionate about.

Monro Adventure - Special Edition MA-BWD 1

In celebration of the inaugural British Watchmakers’ Day, Monro Adventure have announce a very special “MA-BWD 1 of 1” piece unique for the event. 

Available only through registration on the day, one lucky visitor will win the timepiece that has been commissioned especially for the show. Presented in its passport box with two bespoke straps and inspired by the famous red, white & blue colour palette with LONDON in pride and place on the rotating world city ring, this will be a coveted prize for any Adventurer!

Monro Adventure is a multi-functional, automatic GMT watch that allows you to tell the time in 24 destinations around the world, go diving to 100m and change between its two straps straight out of the box.

The Freese 101 Mark II Wristwatch

Freese Watches are proud to announce they will be unveiling their new creation, the Freese 101 Mark II, at British Watchmakers Day.

Only 101 examples of the Freese 101 Mark II are to be produced and will be offered on a strictly first come first served basis on the day of the event. Any watches still available after the event will be offered to customers who have pre-registered their interest with us but were unable to attend the event.

The Freese 101 Mark II follows on from the popular Freese 101, which in turn was loosely based on the classic Rolex 5513 Submariner.

Further inspiration for the Freese 101 Mark II comes from how founder Simon Freese believes a watch should look and feel, particularly one which can be worn as a daily wearer.

Simon says, “My aim was to create a simple, robust and reliable timepiece which can be worn and enjoyed every day and I believe we have accomplished this with the Freese 101 Mark II” The Freese 101 Mark II is the first Freese watch to feature a bespoke stainless-steel case, which has been completely manufactured in the UK. The design of the case makes the watch extremely robust and offers a good level of shock resistance. Three holes added to the reverse of the case back allow the wearer easy access to the movement with any standard three-pin watch case opener. 

The dial is hand finished and the watch is powered by the Swiss made and extremely reliable Sellita SW200 manual wind movement.

MHD Watches - Special edition daily Driver

This special edition Daily Driver features an engineered four piece 316 L stainless steel case with a black DLC coating, reinforced by robust sapphire crystal glass and an anti-reflective coating for enhanced visibility. The design includes a reverse panda sandwich dial, accented by white sub dial and red sub-dial hands, and a date window.  Vintage superluminova is present on the outer bezel, lower sub-dial, hour and minute hands for improved readability. 

The timepiece utilises a dependable Seiko VK64 Hybrid Meca-Quartz chronograph movement and is complemented by a 22mm tan perforated leather strap, adding an element of sophistication.

Mr Jones - The Indefatigable Sphinx

Creative watchmakers, Mr Jones Watches, will be showcasing four unique pieces at British Watchmakers Day.

To mark this occasion, Mr Jones Watches has created four unique versions of The Indefatigable Sphinx. 

British artist and visionary Edward Carvalho-Monaghan created the design of the watch. The dial features a surreal, imaginary landscape populated with dream-like characters and objects. 

The watch features a jump hour mechanism with central minute and seconds hands. 

Each hour the number in the hour window flips - some of the numerals are simple to read, while others are deliberately more opaque. Every hour the winged sphinx character on the left of the dial gets a new head, providing an alternative way to perceive the different hours of the day. 

The minute and seconds hands work in the usual way and subtle images within the design act as markers for reading the positions of the hands.

Crispin Jones, founder and director of Mr Jones Watches, said: “The Indefatigable Sphinx is the most technically challenging watch we’ve ever made. 

“The dial features more layers of colour than we’ve ever printed and represents a substantial amount of work by our talented team of printmakers - it’s a real showpiece for the craft and skill that we have developed in-house. 

“To complement the watches, I personally made four unique straps - each strap has an alternating colour stitch to complement that particular watch.  

“British Watchmakers’ Day is all about celebrating our industry and it felt like the perfect occasion to create this truly remarkable timepiece.”

The jump hour module that the watch uses was developed by fellow British watchmakers, Christopher Ward. The module in turn mounts on a Swiss made Sellita SW200 automatic mechanical movement. 

- ENDS -

For more information on the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers, or to request to speak to a founder about the organisation, contact: katya.audsley@britishwatchmakers.com