In terms of established modern watchmaking nations, Switzerland, of course, but also Germany and Japan tend to dominate the watch industry. Some of the most interesting brands, however, are bringing national character from other corners of the world. Nowadays, a watch enthusiast can’t ignore British watchmaking.
With the help of the internet and globalization in finding suppliers and sourcing parts, more independent brands than ever before have popped up all over the world. In the United States and France, for instance, the countries’ watchmaking histories have been rediscovered and capitalized upon. Among the most notable countries with prominent and growing watchmaking industries of their own, the UK is one of the most energetic.
London was the center of the watchmaking industry from the 16th to the 19th centuries, and many of the most important horological innovations came from British watchmakers — and those of other nationalities that congregated and were active in and around London. The most notable horological developments came from England during this time, from clockmaker John Harrison’s world-changing marine chronometer to incremental innovations and spectacular craftsmanship by notable names in the watchmaking world. The British watch industry slowed in the 20th century as Switzerland and the United States became prevalent and it all but ceased to exist by the Quartz Crisis of the 1970s and 1980s.
Now, however, there are not only more British-based watch companies, but a healthy variety of them. This includes brands that emphasize British design but produce their watches elsewhere, those that assemble their watches from sourced parts, and those that have a mission to actually produce as much as possible domestically — then, of course, there is the exceptional Roger Smith, but more on him later. Some of these are young contemporary brands with affordable, minimalist designs, for example, while others are classical and high-end, claiming heritage from famous watchmakers of past centuries. Not every British watchmaker would fit on this list, but below are some of the most notable and interesting companies we know of.
Bremont
BremontBremont is a relatively young brand, founded in 2002, but a remarkably successful one — and particularly notable as the only modern British brand to compete among established and well-known luxury watchmakers in terms of its target audience. Founded by the appropriately surnamed English brothers, Giles and Nick, Bremont has watchmaking facilities in England and endeavors to increasingly use in-house and domestic production. While the brand was founded with an overall aviation theme, it has a well-rounded range with dive watches, pilot watches, motoring watches and military watches that tend to display a conservative British design sensibility.
