Trafford Watch Co. introduces its first permanent Core Collection
Tom AustinSince launching in 2023, Trafford Watch Co. has established a distinctive design language built around bold colours, playful details and approachable everyday watches. The Austin-based brand now takes the next step with the introduction of the Core Collection, its first permanent lineup. Comprising the Daytripper and Touring GMT, the collection brings two of Trafford’s best-known models into continuous production, giving collectors a permanent entry point into the brand while establishing a foundation for everything that follows. To top things off, they’re making their way to the Time+Tide Watch Discovery Studio in London and New York City.
Trafford Watch Co. Daytripper – Core
The Daytripper has become Trafford’s signature watch. Compact, colourful and immediately recognisable, it established much of the design language that now defines the brand. As part of the Core Collection, it becomes one of two watches built around a shared platform, with the Daytripper prioritising everyday simplicity while making clever use of the same movement found in its GMT sibling.
The Daytripper shares its case with the Touring GMT, measuring 39mm across, 12mm thick and 46mm lug-to-lug. Made from hardened 316 stainless steel, it combines soft, rounded surfaces with practical everyday durability, while sapphire crystals front and back and 100 metres of water resistance complete a specification suited to daily wear. The compact dimensions and flowing case profile remain one of the strongest aspects of Trafford’s design, giving the watch a strong presence on the wrist while remaining refined for everyday practicality.
Colour continues to be one of Trafford’s defining strengths. A rich, radial gradient dial provides depth and has a unique texture that I can only describe as resembling the rings of a cut tree trunk. Oversized applied Arabic numerals sit at 12, 3, 6 and 9, alongside lumed syringe hands, keeping the display clean and highly legible. BGW9 Super-LumiNova encircling the dial ensures visibility after dark, and the absence of additional complications keeps the dial uncluttered.
Both Core Collection models are powered by the Miyota 9075 automatic calibre, though the Daytripper takes an unconventional approach. Rather than displaying a second time zone, Trafford removes the GMT hand altogether on the Daytripper while retaining the movement’s independently adjustable local hour hand. The result is a straightforward three-hand watch that can be adjusted for travel or daylight saving changes without stopping the movement or affecting the minute hand. It’s an inventive use of an increasingly familiar calibre, adding everyday practicality without drawing attention to itself.
The Daytripper is available on either a handmade Horween leather strap with quick-release spring bars or Trafford’s 316L stainless steel bracelet with an integrated micro-adjust clasp. Both complement the rounded case well, giving buyers the choice between a more casual or sportier look.
The Daytripper remains the watch most closely associated with Trafford. Becoming part of the permanent Core Collection ensures one of the brand’s defining designs is now available whenever collectors decide to add one to the collection.
Trafford Watch Co. Daytripper – Core pricing and availability
The Trafford Watch Co. Daytripper – Core is now available from the Time+Tide Watch Discovery Studios in London and New York, and the Time+Tide Shop. Price: US$799/£725
| Brand | Trafford Watch Co. |
| Model | Daytripper – Core |
| Case Dimensions | 39mm (D) x 12mm (T) x 46mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | 316L stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 100 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and back |
| Dial | Blue/teal gradient, lumed outer ring |
| Lug Width | 20mm |
| Strap | Brown leather strap with contrast stitching, optional stainless steel bracelet |
| Movement | Miyota 9075, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 42 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, local hour adjustment |
| Availability | Available now from the Time+Tide Watch Discovery Studios in London and New York, and the Time+Tide Shop |
| Price | US$799/£725 |
Trafford Watch Co. Touring GMT – Core
Sharing the same case, proportions and overall design language as the Daytripper, the Touring GMT takes the Core Collection in a different direction. Its additional complication is integrated cleanly into the familiar layout, creating a watch designed with regular travellers in mind while preserving everything that makes a Trafford immediately recognisable.
The Touring GMT uses exactly the same hardened stainless steel case as the Daytripper, bringing across the same compact proportions, curved profile, sapphire crystals and 100 metres of water resistance. The shared architecture gives both watches a consistent feel on the wrist, leaving the dial and movement configuration to define their individual characters.
The Touring GMT builds on a similar colour palette, but introduces a white, fully lumed dial and applied numerals found across the Trafford collection, introducing a centrally mounted GMT hand that sits naturally within the design and ties in well with the external GMT ring finished in different tones of teal blue/green. The additional indication feels like part of the original concept rather than an afterthought, allowing the second time zone to be read quickly without compromising the clean layout.
Underneath, the same Miyota 9075 automatic movement is used in its standard traveller’s GMT configuration. The independently adjustable local hour hand makes changing time zones quick and intuitive while keeping both the running time and home time uninterrupted. Additionally, the Touring GMT makes use of the 9075’s date function, placing an inconspicuous date window at six. Used in two different ways across the Core Collection, the 9075 gives each watch its own distinct purpose despite sharing the same mechanical foundation, offering 42 hours of power reserve while beating at 28,800 Vph.
Like the Daytripper, the Touring GMT can be ordered on either Horween leather or Trafford’s stainless steel bracelet with on-the-fly micro-adjustment, allowing buyers to tailor the watch to their own style without sacrificing practicality.
The Touring GMT rounds out the Core Collection with a practical traveller’s watch that feels completely at home alongside the Daytripper. Together, the two models establish a permanent collection built around shared design ideas, with each taking a different approach to making the most of the automatic, travel-focused movement.
Trafford Watch Co. Touring GMT – Core pricing and availability
The Trafford Watch Co. Touring GMT – Core is now available from the Time+Tide Watch Discovery Studios in London and New York, and the Time+Tide Shop. Price: US$899/£825
| Brand | Trafford Watch Co. |
| Model | Touring GMT – Core |
| Case Dimensions | 39mm (D) x 12mm (T) x 46mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | 316L stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 100 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and back |
| Dial | Luminescent white |
| Lug Width | 20mm |
| Strap | Brown leather strap, contrast stitching, pin buckle Stainless steel bracelet, folding clasp |
| Movement | Miyota 9075, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 42 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, date, GMT |
| Availability | Available now from the Time+Tide Watch Discovery Studios in London and New York, and the Time+Tide Shop |
| Price | US$899 £825 |