The British Watchmakers’ Weekender in NYC was a hit! These are the watches you may have missed…
Zach BlassThis past Saturday was one of the exceptional moments in which the British are coming! was a sentence of excitement rather than panic. Our British Watchmakers’ Weekender event finally hit the shores of America. One day, ten of the best British brands, two UK-based special guests (Justin Hast and Emily Marsden) to further represent British watch culture, and 400 eager (free) ticket holders coming to check out their latest offerings.
I dare say the festivities had a bigger splash abroad than it did on home turf, but this was perhaps a natural conclusion considering the fact that while some brands, such as Dennison, Christopher Ward, and Studio Underd0g, are pillars of our Discovery Studios worldwide, other brands such as Golby, Elliot Brown, and Anoma are not something you can just see any day in our NYC Discovery Studio – with the founders and teammembers behind the watches present as well no less. Then again, the hands raised in the shot above reveal just how many visitors already have a watch from a British brand in their collection. With brands like Christopher Ward entering the top 50 watch brands in the world in the Morgan Stanley report are we all that surprised to see just how much of a British invasion is occuring in watchmaking?
Further adding to the excitement was not only the opportunity for people to interact with the brands for the first time on this side of the world, but also recent debuts that had yet to be seen anywhere else. In particular, two Studio exclusives were launched: the Dennison ‘Date Night’ Diamonds and the Beaucroft x Time+Tide Solaris GMT. But to be clear, armed with a Pimm’s or other beverage of choice in hand, the crowd slowly made a lap around the room to visit each of the brands and naturally complete the mission that drives the opening of all our studios – discovery.
With discovery in mind, though there were plenty of people in attendance to look at various novelties and creations from some of the best British watchmakers in the world, below are my personal picks for you to check out if you were not able to visit our NYC British Watchmakers’ Weekender. Just don’t make that mistake again!
Anoma A1 Core Collection
When someone launches a brand, they can play it safe and launch a take on a Diver or GMT, or they can go the much riskier and braver route of creating something truly novel that may not land all that well with the broader watch market. Matteo Vianello, who would perhaps describe himself more as an artist than a watchmaker, took the harder route with Anoma, and, fortunately, to much fanfare. Shaped watches have become increasingly more popular, with Cartier’s expansive catalogue a big driver of this trend – but even Cartier does not have a shape like this in its arsenal.
With big risk came big reward; watch buyers worldwide raced to acquire one of Anoma’s watches with each limited edition debut. Fortunately, last month, the brand established its first core collection models: the A1 Core Collection. The A1 Abyss and A1 Stone are both found in the brand’s ’50s-inspired pebble-meets-triangle 39mm x 38mm lugless stainless steel case. The A1 Stone features a grey dial with contrasting textures, while the A1 Abyss showcases a teal dial with a mirror-polished centre segment. You could hardly go wrong with either, and fortunately, you have time to mull it over – as a core collection, it is not leaving anytime soon. Price: £2,200
Beaucroft x Time+Tide Solaris GMT
Of course, I am inherently biased as a member of the Time+Tide team, who is very pleased with the result of a collaboration between Beaucroft and two dear colleagues, James and Barney, who are fixtures of our London Discovery Studio. But all of that aside, come on. Look at that dial and tell me you have seen a gradient like that before. You can’t.
Expanding upon the brand’s popular GMT format, this limited edition of 200 pieces was inspired by the notion that “the sun never sets on Time+Tide.” I know this all too well, where, no matter what time of the day it is, somewhere in our holy trinity of New York, London, and Melbourne, one of our team members is hard at work during their business day. Whether the poetry behind the dial speaks to you or not, the blue, purple, orange gradient is definitely captiviating and eye-catching. A 100-metre water-resistant 39.5mm case, 12.6mm thick and 46.5mm lug-to-lug, is certainly ripe for daily wear and, considering this is a GMT that will only set you back US$899, you better act quickly before the 200 pieces of this limited edition are sold out. Price: £800/US$899 (global pre-orders will open on Tuesday, 12th May at 2:00 pm BST via the Beaucroft website.)
Bremont Altitude MB Meteor ‘Felix The Cat’
Bremont has always worn its aviation obsession proudly — and with the Altitude MB Meteor ‘Felix the Cat’, it leans into something genuinely unexpected: a collab with one of pop culture’s oldest icons that turns out to make perfect sense. Felix the Cat has been a U.S. Navy squadron mascot for generations, his likeness gracing VFA-31 “Tomcatters” insignia tracing back to the original VF-3. Cynics may say it is branding opportunism, but real ones know that’s a legitimate piece of military aviation folklore. And Bremont, whose MB line was born from Martin-Baker ejection seat testing, is arguably the only watch brand that could pull this off without it feeling cynical.
The watch itself is the Altitude MB Meteor — 42mm Grade 2 titanium, full stealth-black DLC — with Felix cheekily absconding with the dial’s number 6 in applied enamel. The iconic MB ejection-handle seconds hand returns in yellow and black. Inside, the La Joux-Perret-based BB14-AH delivers 68 hours of power reserve, shock-mounted and magnetically shielded as standard. Price: US$6,850, limited to 500 pcs.
Christopher Ward Sealander GMT
It would be so easy to dismiss the Sealander GMT as a design that is merely leveraging the Explorer II fanbase that can neither afford one nor receive an allocation. Christopher Ward staff fully acknowledge the parallels. But watchmaking is rife with parallels – it’s the distinctions that toe the line between homage and hero novelty.
The Sealander GMT refresh falls into the latter category because the value proposition and distinct features are just too darn good. The Sealander GMT is a ‘caller’ GMT available in not just one, but three sizes: 36mm, 39mm, and 42mm. Everyone wins with this trio, perfect dimensions for small, medium, and large wrists that mean nobody needs to compromise. All three sizes are 150 metres water-resistant, have 56-hour automatic movements, and can be purchased on the brand’s new iLink bracelet, which allows links to be removed without any watchmaking tools – only your finger is needed. The only watch I know that is widely available with a similar feature is multiples upon multiples higher in price. Price: £1,025/$1,395/€1,350 (leather strap), £1,125/$1,535/€1,480 (rubber strap), £1,190/$1,620/€1,560 (Bader bracelet) and £1,230/$1,675/€1,615 (Consort bracelet)
Dennison ALD Mini
The ‘D’ in Dennison, whether intentional or unintentional, stands for democratisation – at least in the eyes of its many fans in the watch community. As stone dials became increasingly popular, a 70s staple resurged as a phenomenon. These days, every brand is seeking to capitalise on the demand for stone dials, but few, if any, do it well at an attractive price point like Dennison.
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The recently debuted ALD Mini is the kind of watch I imagine many, if they weren’t already aware, wished they had discovered ahead of Mother’s Day. Emmanuel Gueit’s soft cushion design has been scaled down from 37mm x 33.5mm to 24.2mm x 22mm without losing any of its visual punch. It’s available with a Malaysian Pink Jade, Jadeite, Red Jasper, Onyx, Mother-of-Pearl, Malachite, Tiger’s Eye, Lapis Lazuli, or Aventurine dial in steel or gold-tone steel cases with or without diamonds, on either a single leather strap, double leather strap, or case-matching bark-mesh bracelet. Price: From US$590 (without diamonds), US$2,800 (with diamonds)
Elliot Brown Holton GMT Automatic: 101-A20
Founded in 2013 by Ian Elliot and Alex Brown out of Dorset, England, Elliot Brown was built on a deceptively simple premise: make the toughest watches on the planet, without cutting corners or inflating prices. What started as a passion project rooted in outdoor sport and real-world durability testing has quietly grown into something far more significant. The brand’s Holton Professional is now officially issued to the British Special Boat Service and sits on NATO’s procurement list, credentials that no marketing budget can manufacture. Elliot Brown doesn’t shout about any of it, which, honestly, makes it all the more compelling.
My personal pick is the Holton GMT Automatic: 101-A20 on the flat dark earth rubber strap. It effortlessly carries a military vibe and feel, with a build that steals neither valour nor too much from your savings account. The catalyst was Seiko’s NH34 movement: a GMT-capable derivative of the bulletproof NH35, featuring an independent jumping GMT hand. Elliot Brown saw the opportunity immediately. The Holton’s dial and hands, unchanged since the earliest prototypes, needed no reinvention. Bold truncated pyramid hour markers in X1 C3 Super-LumiNova, a stubby sword hour hand, a slender parallel minutes hand reaching precisely to the minute track. It’s a formula that works in the worst conditions imaginable, so they left it alone. This is a serious GMT for people who actually use their watches. Which is exactly the point. Price: US$906
Fears Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour “China Blue”
Bristol-based Fears has completed its Jump Hour Collection with the Brunswick 40.5 ‘China Blue’, pairing a cushion-shaped 316L stainless steel case with one of the more distinctive dial concepts in independent watchmaking today. Inspired by Stoke-on-Trent pottery, the dial layers a soft matte blue lacquer centre against a silver-coated barleycorn outer ring — a combination that shifts dramatically under changing light. With hours displayed through a window at 12 o’clock rather than traditional hands, only a single dual-finished minute hand occupies the dial, keeping things remarkably uncluttered.
Under the caseback, now exhibited for the first time on a Fears Jump Hour, sits Christopher Ward’s JJ01 module riding a Sellita SW200 base, regulated to chronometer grade. It’s a movement with its own backstory, originally developed for the Fears x Christopher Ward collaboration and now supplied exclusively to Fears. The watch ships on a handmade Storm Grey Alcantara strap, with a five-link steel bracelet available as an alternative. Price: £4,250 (strap) £4,450 (bracelet) – available now from the Time+Tide shop
Golby Skipping Stone Sandy Shore
Sometimes, watch names can feel vague or esoteric. Golby’s Skipping Stone, on the other hand, tells it exactly how it is. Born from a family kayaking trip along the Cornish coast somewhere between Pentewan and Mevagissey, co-founders Craig and Sarah Golby translated the concentric ripples of a skimmed stone into an oil-pressed dial that genuinely rewards attention. It moves with the light in a way that photography struggles to capture.
The compressor-style 39mm case houses Golby’s signature dual-timer rotating chapter ring, operated by the crown at 2 o’clock — practical and distinctly proprietary. Skeletonised hands inspired by the Mevagissey lighthouse, BGW9 Super-LumiNova cut through layered hour markers, and a contrasting seconds hand keep the dial purposeful without overcrowding it. Underneath, a Miyota 9015 — reliable, slim, 28,800 bph — does the work without pretension and keeps things very cost-effective. The bracelet features micro-adjust, quick-release pins for attachment and detachment, and screw-secured links for longevity. Branding is confined to the crown and clasp, letting the dial breathe. And somehow a watch that features all of this manages to be priced at just… Price: £450.00
Nomadic Apex NW200
Upon its announcement that the brand is now the Official Timing Partner of the North West 200, an historic Irish motorcycle road racing event, Belfast-based Nomadic released a limited-edition watch to mark the occasion. Based on Nomadic’s Céad 126, the Apex NW200 will be limited to just 50 pieces and celebrates special benchmarks for the event, such as Glenn Irwin’s famous 126mph lap and the legendary Joey Dunlop’s 26 Isle of Man TT wins.
The classically styled chronograph features a motorsport-inspired dial etched with a subtle map of the circuit, a stainless steel case that measures 40mm in diameter, 14mm thick, and 48mm lug-to-lug, and is driven by a manually wound SW500-M-a movement. A handsome, tasteful tribute. Price: US$3,795
Studio Underd0g x Time+Tide 01Series Gen 3 Classic Cheese & Burnt Pepper0ni
Come on. You had to know this was going to be the Studio Underd0g duo I had to shout out. After a brief hiatus, the pizza collection made its triumphant return in February. This time around, there were new recipes: a clean Classic Cheese I know I and many others were eager to see get made and a very unexpected Burnt Pepper0ni that reimagines the original Pepper0ni – one that was in the oven a touch too long. Once again, the stainless steel cases clock in at 38.5mm in diameter, 12.9mm thick including the double-domed sapphire crystal, and 44.5mm lug-to-lug across the wrist.
The Burnt Pepper0ni has the collection’s first-ever blackened case via a PVD-coating that perhaps further emphasises the dial with its stealthy nature. The 2-layer dial construction also remains, with a satin sandblast base dial and coarse dégradé top dial to mimic the bubbling surface of cheese fresh out of the oven. The Classic Cheese appears in the same colour seen on the original Pepper0ni and Hawaiian, but devoid of any toppings that distract from the meticulous colour curation and texture of the gradating surface. Inside is Studio Underd0g’s bespoke version of the ST-1910B Seagull chronograph calibre, made in China, but with Swiss origins, as its architecture is based on the historic Swiss Venus chronograph calibre, and it is regulated by Studio Underd0g in Great Britain to run within +15/-10 seconds per day. Price: US$825/£625/A$1,400 (Classic Cheese), US$925/£700/A$1,550 (Burnt Pepper0ni)
WOLF The Rocket
A product I personally use and could not recommend enough if you own a perpetual calendar, The Rocket is WOLF’s portable watch winder. Just how compact is the WOLF Rocket Travel Watch Winder? It clocks in at 94mm (L) x 157.8mm (W) x 88mm (H) or, for my fellow Americans, 3.62″ (L) x 6.37″ (W) x 3.37″ (H). In layman’s terms, its dimensions will safely accommodate hotel room safes with ease.
Now, of course, a travel winder must take into consideration that while in transit, or stored away in a safe, it will not be able to be plugged into an electrical outlet. But to be honest, I have not really used it all that much for travel. For me, compared to the brand’s standard single cub winders, the USB-C charging is a game-changer. Impressively, the Wolf Rocket Travel Winder, after a full eight-hour charge, has a battery life of 45 days. So factor in the ease of use and charging, the portability, both within the landscape of your primary home or vacation home, this is a rock-solid winder for the watch you want to keep wound. Price: US$699
All event photography courtesy of Troy Barmore.