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Scottish Watches Podcast #755 : All The Watches for British Watch Makers Day 2026 – With Alistair
00:57:43
Welcome to a very special edition of the Scottish Watches Podcast, where we dive deep into everything surrounding British Watchmakers Day 2026. It’s a full A-to-Z breakdown of 26 exclusive...
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- [00:01]
A
Welcome to the Scottish Watches podcast, a very special edition of the show. We did this a year ago when we were on the run up to Watchmakers day. That was 2025. Things have moved forward a hell of a lot in the watch industry, the community and the scene at large. But things don't move forward when we bring Alistair on. They move lightning speed forward because he's got so many watches to talk about. All the crazy releases, the special editions that have come out for this year, I think this is now 1, 2. This is the third British Watchmaker's Day and this was all piloted and designed and spearheaded and dreamt up by the man who's on the Today because he thought, you know those record collectors, they've got record day here in the uk. What if we did something to do with watches? But if you've not heard last year's episode, you don't know the story. We're going to recount that, but we're also going to tell you to check the show notes because they are going to be filled to the gunwales with all these releases, hopefully in an alphabetical, chronological order. So you can see all the brands that are coming along and are doing something just a little bit special for 2026. But welcome back to show. Alistair, how are you doing?
- [00:58]
B
Thanks very much, Ricky. Thanks for having me. I'm all good. Thank you very much. Yeah, we're, as you can imagine, we're in the throes now, the final throes of organizing. It's absolute well organized, organized chaos really. But we're getting there day by day.
- [01:13]
A
Well, the news has already broken. Many brands have sent out press releases, lots of embargoes have now lapsed. Things are appearing on the Internet, on Instagram. We have had to hold our water for the last few weeks because we've seen publications talking about this, talking about that. Dave has tried to let the cat out the bag and I thought, thought, no, let's not do ones and twos. Let's bring you on. Let's recreate the magic that we had last year because the feedback we had. And you're not a CEO of a brand, you're not a guy that creates watches. You're a collector. Yes, you are. But you're also not entrenched in the media industry from that side of things. You're actually coming from a completely different walk of life. And we will touch on that as well because it's quite interesting, your background in film, television, movies and all that kind of stuff. And we're Going to hit the road running and begin in, well, with the letter, a little bit like Sesame street this year. Tell us who's coming along, what they're doing and where we're going to start. We're going to start at letter A.
- [02:03]
B
We are, Ricky. Well, we've got. Just to confirm, we've got 48 brands exhibiting this year, but we've got 26 who've committed to make a special edition, which is exactly the same number as last year, but a few new really interesting entrants, both as trade members of the alliance, but also the first time that people will have encountered them at British Watchmakers Day. And there's a nice symmetry there, because the first special edition I'd like to talk about is APS Gen 1.1. So presumably you've got the 1.0, I've
- [02:36]
A
got the old version. I feel like buying last year's iPhone. Right, okay. What have they got up their sleeve?
- [02:40]
B
It's a really interesting take. So it's called the gen 1.1 underground. And the inspiration here was when Matt at APF saw the 2024 circular reinterpretation of the famous London Underground map by Maxwell Roberts. And he was particularly struck, I think, by the. You know, because it's. You can almost imagine you've got spokes like hubs on a wheel, you know, from. From the central hub of a wheel. As this reinterpretation of the map, it obviously spoke to him as a potential watch design, and that's exactly what they've done. So the dial's been completed by hand, in collaboration with a dial artist, Chris Alexander. Um, and it's. It's a really remarkable reinterpretation of. Of the London Underground map. You know, you can kind of. You can see the influence immediately. It kind of doesn't look anything like it, but you know, exactly what it is, which is. Which is really fascinating. They're only making three pieces and they'll be available on British Watchmakers Day only in person. They won't be sold online, and once sold, the edition will never be repeated. And they're going to be available for two and a half thousand pounds, plus vat. So three thousand pounds. I'm hoping at some point what they could do, potentially, is they could get a new complication maybe, which actually shows disruptions on the Central Line. I think that would be a good tribute to the Underground. But, yeah, fascinating. And again, I think indicative in general of this kind of leveling up that we're starting to see. I mean, in year one, in 24, we, we obviously managed to persuade the brands to come and make special editions, but I mean, we're all, you know, it was all very new. I think last year we started to see, you know, you start to see some stars emerging within the day. I always call it Darwinism in a day, Ricky, you know, you, you can just see how some brands nail it. Some are getting a very valuable learning from that. And I think for 20, 26, what we're generally going to see is, yeah, everybody has learned that this is an amazing day, but it's also a very competitive day and if you're going to stand out, then you need to do something special. And honestly, I'm blown away by the standard and the creativity that's going into the watches. And I think it's fair to say at the moment that the British watchmaking sector is a creative sector. You know, that's where we can really hang our hat proudly. Great start with the apa. I think it's a wonderful example of what you can do. Moving on to Bowcroft. As we hit the letter B with their Rebel Red, this is an amazing reinterpretation of what Bowcroft does. Bowcroft have been suddenly getting more playful with their own design, DNA really considered approach to everything they do as, as, as you would expect. And the Rebel Red, it's limited to 50 pieces and for me it's quite, it's an unusual look for a Bowcroft. You know, it's got this almost subtle stealth look about it, playful, very clever use of color, needless to say, red. And they're going to have 15 available on the day and they're going to spread those through. As you'll be aware, we're doing three sessions this year, British Watchmakers Day, so they'll have five available for each session, which is great because it means that if you're coming a bit later, you don't miss out on the opportunity to buy. Those are going to be, they're really reasonably priced, actually. £695, which I think is kind of bang in the middle of Bocros standard pricing, despite the fact that, you know, this looked very much to me like a future collectible. So I think Matt and Kerem have done an amazing job. What's interesting, they've actually got this sleek tungsten carbide carbon coated black case. As I said earlier, it's got this kind of almost subtle stealth feel and that was done locally in Cambridge as well. I mean, Beaucroft is based in the centre of Cambridge and they've partnered Locally to make that happen. So again, it's just really great to see these little bits of innovation and making coming back into the uk.
- [06:59]
A
Well, it turns out, obviously, first brand you mentioned, I own one of their timepieces. Second brand you mentioned, Simona, the wife, owns one of the timepieces that they custom made, made a few years ago. It turned into an anniversary gift with note that led to a proposal, led to marriage. So lots of things coming together there and we should probably wind the clock back a little bit and you can give us a very, very quick history on the idea that you came up with, along with other folks for British Watchmakers Day and how it ties into record collecting.
- [07:30]
B
Well, as you know, Ricky, I mean, I'm a big record collector and for quite a number of years, you know, I've been one of the people queuing up at five o' clock in the morning at independent Finer Shop to get my grubby mitts on a limited edition record. This goes back to actually when, when, when we were first, you know, talking about setting up a trade body. So I'm going back to 2019 and funnily enough, I was looking at my original notes around that back in 2019 and one was British Watchmakers Day. And it was, I just thought, well, if the record industry can do this, wouldn't it be amazing if we have this? What if we could get all the brands, or a lot of the brands who are exhibiting to make a special edition watch only available day and date in one venue in Britain and to see if that could contribute both to encouraging people to collect British watches? Because, I mean, certainly Record Store Day had, it had a, you know, caused a paradigm shift in the record industry because of the collectibility of the, of the vinyl records. It's, it just reignited an interest in vinyl which is subsequently had, as I say, a paradigm shift. I mean, to the extent that several years ago, vinyl took over every format as the biggest contributor of revenue in the music industry. And, and I think that the profound shift there as well is that because the individual value of a vinyl, vinyl record, I mean, buy a new vinyl record now, you'll be, you're talking 25, 30 pounds. It means that smaller bands now and artists can actually create a viable income from that. Whereas, you know, before, when you're looking at what Spotify would contribute and declining CD sales, it was, it was becoming really tough to have a business model there. So I just thought, well, wouldn't it be amazing if we could, we could try and do the same thing and, and, you know, ideas are great, but if people don't support the ideas, then they don't flourish, do they? And we were really fortunate that in approaching the British brands, they said, well, hey, yeah, let's give it a go. Because, I mean, it was a leap of faith. We have no idea whether it would connect in the same way. So taking that leap of faith in 2024 was fantastic, but it proved a point and I think it proved that the special editions really are the heart of the proposition.
- [10:00]
A
Definitely. And who the hell are you anyway? People might not know who Alistair is and what he does. We all know about Katya because we talk about it on the show. But what do you do?
- [10:07]
B
I don't know. I don't know if Katya knows what I do, to be honest, Ricky. But. So I'm co founder of the alliance along with Roger Smith and Mike France and CEO, and it was inherited. The role in, I think would be the best way of describing it because when we first talked about setting this up and I did the, you know, the original research and strategizing, and then it came, you know, my background's consulting. What a good consultant does is they write a paper and then they hand it over and get other people to do stuff. But, but on this particular day, it was a case of, well, this is great. You know, I remember we were sitting down, great, well, let's, let's do this. Well, who's going to, who's going to run it? And then, you know, both had to turn to me and, and it was a case of, well, actually, I mean, it took me about 3 nanoseconds to, to agree to, to, to take it on. And of course, you know, I mean, at the outset it was a pro bono role pretty much for the first couple of years. How many times do you get an opportunity to help a sector that isn't itself in startup mode?
- [11:08]
A
It's so odd to hear you say that British watchmaking as a sector is in startup mode when the Brits led the chase for hundreds of years.
- [11:17]
B
It's incredible. I always say it's a classic example of Britain snatching defeat and the jaws of victory. We, you know, you've got, it's, it's a great roller coaster. It would make a great, you know, it's a great dramatic arc. You know, you start with the rise and the rise. The great horologists who defined, you know, the modern mechanical timekeeper today, you know, was in many respects was defined by their incredible innovations in the 18th and 19th century. You've got, you know, obviously Harrison with H4. You've got, you know, the prime meridian being here. You've got Big Ben, as you know, by far the. The most recognizable timepiece in the world. And by the 18th, by the 19th century, we're making more than half the world's watches. You've got the Industrial revolution, which obviously was, you know, we are the fountainhead in many respects of the Industrial revolution. So you combine that. The need en masse for workers to be able to start measuring time so they can clock on and clock off and so on. And wouldn't you think, okay, that would have therefore bedded in the industry in Britain. You know, the watchmaking sector would have taken off here. But no, through incredibly incredible decisions and protectionist attitudes to try and, you know, protect the individual craftsman. The notion of mass making left us, went to the USA first and then obviously, as a result of successive world wars and having to retool for munitions, moved to Switzerland and we went into terminal decline from that point. I mean, what we gave to horological history. I mean, you know, obviously an awful lot of your listeners will already be aware that Rolex was a British company founded by Hans Wilsdorf in London, but moved, you know, to Switzerland as a result. Bizarre. You wouldn't believe this. A Britain as a result of high taxes and duty, really. Yeah, it's incredible, isn't it? You wouldn't believe it. But yeah. And Rolex move the. You've then got the invention of the automatic wristwatch, you know, by John Harwood, obviously ascribed to Rolex quite often, but I mean it's John Harwood who invented that ironically in the Isle of Man again. Another. Another great example of the isle of a small island contributing an awful lot to our story. Harwood set up his own company. They. I think it was called the Harwood Watchmaking Company and sadly it was a victim of the Great Depression and. But Rolex obviously picked up the idea and the, the invention. I think they credited Harwood with that for. For a few years. I mean I have seen some old advertisements with Harwood's name mentioned. But you know, again that Rolex became. Well, I mean the rest is history. I mean a huge success and at the same time we continue in decline. And then of course you've got Denison when they were casemaker closed in 1969 and. And then Smith Industries were the last mass maker closed in the 70s and that was it. The lights went out. So. And so we are. We're in restart, I think would Be obviously a better description. And of course, you know, we've got companies now. Chris Ward, Vermont, you know, Roger, who's celebrating his 25th anniversary this year. Go back. But when we did our last survey of the sector, just about 70% of all the brands in the British sector have been founded within the last 10 years, which gives you an idea of relatively speaking, and when you look at it as a macro, just how new and the sector is and how new this resurgence is.
- [15:01]
A
Well, we better get cracked on then, because we've only got about 40 minutes of the show left and there's so many more releases to get through. But that was a whirlwind. I don't know what you would call that historical detour. That was well deserved. And again, people might not know who you are because you're a little bit like the silent partner. Everybody knows Roger, everybody knows Mike Frantz. You're also the person that is the trade envoy. You go around the world speaking to different places, trying to work things out more government led. And then behind the scenes, you're putting in all this effort along with your good wife, Katya. This amazing event that you put on a rear is now the pinnacle British event that people want to go to. Heard some rumors, perhaps Watch Pro won't be happening this year. Could be true, might not be true. And I know a lot of people have decided to borrow some of your ideas rather quickly and try and duplicate what you do to lesser extent. And like poor Xerox copies, they're nothing like the original. But anyway, let's crack on with more of these limited edition special releases. Where are we going next?
- [15:58]
B
Well, Brooklands. So they've got their triple four redline chronograph. And as you know, I mean, Brooklands is always inspired by the racing heritage of Brooklands track. The watch retains the design DNA that Terence Conran embedded in their watches. So inspired by the Napier Railton car, which was built at Brooklands. The thing with Brooklands, because they are, you know, they have a very specific design DNA, they're less able to be playful with that in some respects. And so. But there are some, there's some really nice fettling to this watch with. They've called it the Red line and that's basically represented by one of the hands, the red second hand, that echoes the racing lineage. But what they've also done, they've put some nice Easter eggs in there. So you've got. Each timepiece is individually numbered and engraved and it's presented in its own bespoke leather box with a commemorative badge that they've created. They're only making 10 of them. It's as you know, very high quality, you know, Swiss crafted watch and they're £3,900 including that. So it's. Yeah, I mean it's a beautifully elegant watch and I think they've done very well to be able to create a special edition despite the obvious limitations that you have with a recognizable design. So next up to see and if we're talking to C, we're obviously talking Christopher Ward. And they've created an iteration and a special edition of their loco. The loco 7326 which no surprises, reflects the date of British Watchmakers Day, 7th of March 2026. They're only doing 10 of 10 pieces and all the profits are going to be donated to the alliance, which is incredibly generous of them. Obviously Mike is a co founder and director of the alliance, but nevertheless, I mean it's a very generous gesture, especially after the recent Alliance 02 collaboration as well. There's not a lot more to say about the Loco. I mean what they have done is to tweak the design. You've got a subtle reflection of the Union Jack in the dial and it's just, I think it's a particularly elegant iteration of the watch and that will be priced at 4,995 pounds. Next up, we've got one of our more recent brands, D Trash. They exhibited last year for the first time and they've come up with a watch that's inspired by the Matrix. It's called the Neo and it's a dress watch. They're only making five pieces. They'll only be available on the day at British Watchmakers Day and if you miss them, they'll be gone. As with every D Trash release, a portion of sales goes directly to eco charities and. And some of the credentials of recycling that really set D Trash apart are inherent in the strap. This time it's made from beer skin, which is an innovative leather alternative that's created from Budweiser's brewing waste, would you believe? But that's a very interesting watch, interesting inspiration. Next up is Diatom with their Terra meteorite. Now, Diatom are amazing. You should, I think they'd be really good to you to, to have a chat to Ricky on, on Scottish watches. The founders, Drs. Chris and Alex, they are, they actually work in the space industry and so their credentials and if you like, qualification to have a watch that's inspired by space is absolutely justified. I mean this is as Authentic as it gets. There will only be 50 pieces made. And each Terra meteorite combines ancient cosmic materials with artifacts from Apollo 11, which is obviously the most iconic space mission ever undertaken. And that's basically built into the Chapter ring. It's a remarkably attractive watch. And the space credentials that they attach to their watches is the fact that every watch they make is space flown. They send them up to 120,000ft above the Earth's surface and that is filmed. So when you receive your watch, you actually also get a QR code which records that extraordinary facet of your watch that it's actually genuinely been up in space. So they're first time exhibitors at British Watchmakers Day, but again, another amazingly innovative company that's come into the alliance and into the sector. Next up we've got Edward Christopher with their Ripple. I think this is a real step forward for Edward Christopher and I think that Sean, the founder, he exhibited for the first time in 2024 and it's really been interesting to see their journey because they, they're one of those brands that I think is just getting better and better and they're making 25 of their watches. Their special edition is called the Ripple and it is, it's got a hypnotic dial, it's 38 millimeter dress and everyday watch. And what they've done is they created this mirrored 3D ripple dial which emanates from a Christopher, Edward Christopher logo motif in the dial. But it's a really, really interesting looking watch and I just think it shows how much they're moving forward. And I was saying earlier, you know, for me this year has been about leveling up. It's been about the smaller brands, the newer brands reacting and responding to the innovation, you know, which other brands have been leading the way with. And I think it's great to see them stepping up like this. So as I say, they're only making 25. I don't have a price on this watch yet, but I'm sure it will be, you know, a kind of standard pricing for Edward Christopher. Next up we've got Elliot Brown. They're presenting 10 Beachmaster automatics which they've created specially for British Watchmakers Day. They carry this really lovely deep English green dial. It's, it's a very muted look and I, I think it's a stunning iteration of Elliot Brown and, and again, I, I think these are going to be highly sought after given that there are only going to be 10 available. We've got another new exhibitor, Ember, and they're presenting a concept edition of their rocket collection. Their, their rocket range is kind of there, their standard range of watches and it's got this really lovely vertical gradient in the dial shifting from this kind of soft purple pink into a light blue. And yeah, they're making 45 of those which are, which will be available to purchase on the day. And they're a very reasonable watch. They're £449 but you know, very accessible for someone maybe starting their collection. And yeah, I think again, another very, very attractive looking watch.
- [23:46]
A
So what's it like working with all these different brands, some that have been around for such a long time. Christopher Ward's two plus decades, almost 25 years coming up as an anniversary and then you've got the new upstarts that come in. But things to me, these guys that are starting off day one, it's as if they've got decades of experience with the design they're producing. It's not just rip offs of this, rip offs of that which we've seen micro brands do maybe historically five years they come to market, they play it safe, they want to do a Kickstarter. Oh, it looks a little bit like a Tudor or a Sub or something like that. These things are wild and wacky.
- [24:20]
B
They are. I think it's absolutely brilliant. And I said earlier, you know, that for me the state of the British watchmaking sector is I think it should be defined as a creative sector. And I think if you're entering a creative sector then you need to be creative. I think that what we're also seeing, and of course there are the ones that we don't see, of course that, that make the mistake of coming to market with something that's undifferentiated, that looks, as you say, like a, another knockoff Tudor. I think that although the brands are coming in themselves without much experience, what they're now able to do is to lean on the 25 years experience of the bigger brands to. And you know, if, if, if I'm talking to someone who's talking, who's inquiring about setting up a brand, you know, for me it's always do your research, you know, really, really do your research. And, and for me the, the question that anybody needs to be able to answer immediately when they say they're launching a watch brand is why should I care? And if you can't answer that question, then I think you're probably going to be in some difficulty because if, if, if you're the only one who can explain why anyone should care about the brand from your own perspective, then you probably haven't done your market research and you haven't got something that's truly creative and new to offer. And that is the lesson that I think the newer brands are learning in spades. Because you're right, they're coming to bat with really innovative, exciting new ideas, fresh takes. And yeah, it's exciting, but as I say, it's also indicative. This is a creative sector that we're in.
- [26:07]
A
Every week we get a ton of emails from different people. First of all, we got a lot of Instagram messages that we ignore because predominantly they're all spam. But the people that get through that filter end up our website and start emailing us. So many young brands, new brands, or the glint in the eye of somebody that thinks creating a watch company is a great business decision without having a passion behind it. That is where things can fall foul. Because if they don't come with the heart and the soul, then that's not going to transfer to this creative art that people will then spend hundreds, if not thousands of pounds or dollars to put on the wrist. It's a big ask. You're not saying to somebody, oh, I've created a T shirt that's maybe 50 bucks. This is something that costs a lot more. So you do need to be different. You do have to have a unique selling point and the brains and the brawn to actually put the effort in behind the scenes. Because you can't start a company today and think, okay, six months down the road, if it doesn't work out, I'm just going to leave. Because you've got an existing client base that have got an expensive product that needs support. So throwing that all into the mix, it's fantastic that these people have burst through and there are brands here that you talk about I've never heard of. So this is absolutely amazing. And I cannot wait to find out about the rest of them. But also see these watches in real life in about a month's time. So let's continue with the countdown. Yes.
- [27:24]
B
So the next one we're up to F now. And that's so Farah have created a watch called the Cross, which takes their signature fjord green, which they've obviously made famous on their lander watch. They're only making 20 of these watches which are inspired by the SS Southern Cross, which was one of the Antarctic expeditions. So next we come to fears, for whom 2026 is a big year. It's 180 years since Edwin Fear first founded the business and it's also 10 years since Nicholas restarted it and how they're celebrating. They've just come to bat with this amazing special edition. It's the Brunswick 40, 1846 edition, which takes a slimmer version of the case design and pairs it with a two part white lacquered dial. That's inspired by the very first pocket watch that Edwin Fear made back in 1846. They're only making 25 pieces. Each one is individually numbered and each one has a bespoke 180th anniversary emblem, which I think this is the only watch that's actually going to carry that. They're priced at £4,350 and I just think this is such an elegant addition to the day. Moving on to Gekota, they've come up with the Pioneer graphite special edition. These are again, very reasonable. These are priced at £399 and they're only presenting 50 pieces. That actually was the max out for the special editions this year. We had a meeting with exhibitors, got feedback from last year and the general consensus was it's finding that Goldilocks amount. Ricky. It's kind of. If you've got too many then it can maybe suck the oxygen out of the room for other brands. If you got too few, then it's not viable for a small business to create a special edition. And so we landed on a maximum number of 50, which we also felt creates a genuine sense of rarity and collectibility for our visiting guests. So as I say, Kokota, with their Pioneer graphite, they're doing 50 and it's a really interesting design this. They're also offering a degree of bespoking, so wearers can have a choice of yellow, white, blue or orange straps.
- [29:49]
A
But.
- [29:50]
B
But it's, yeah, the case silhouette, I think it's a standout watch this actually, especially when you look at the price. And a big part of this is showing that you can start a watch collection with something that will have genuine rarity and talkability for a few hundred pounds. I mean that I think is something that's particularly standing out about the British sector. Leading onto another recent brand, Golby. Golby exhibited for the first time last year and Golby are on the up. You know, there's a lot of interest around Golby and their watch, the Aqua RE40 is inspired by Cornwall. I think it was a trip that they were on actually and they were just inspired by the coastline and. And it's a really rich textural looking watch this and they're only making 38 pieces and that those are priced again at £450. So again, very accessible. Now we go from the very accessible and to Justin Richardson who's offering a platinum Pebble One4One Sunburst watch. Now this is a one of one and it's a stunning piece of horology. And that's reflected in the price because for this one off watch you will pay 49,000 pounds. And isn't it great that in two exhibitors we've gone from Golby with a very accessible watch for or geckota, you know, with accessible watches for people perhaps at the beginning of their collecting journey to Justin Richardson offering something really at the high end of haute horology, you know, which is absolutely stunning. I mean it's 18 carat yellow gold dial. It's intricately engaged with this guilloche sunburst and this radiates from a silver sub seconds dialogue and then they've got this open beating heart aperture which is a, you know, it just creates this lovely focal point in the watch. Yeah, I think it's at the very high end and it's great now that we're also starting to see one or two newer entrants into the alliance and into British Watchmakers Day who are offering something at this level. It's fantastic. So I hope somebody with deep pockets comes along today and acquires this watch. It's very special.
- [32:35]
A
Well, when I heard that there was going to be expensive watches, I remember that Roger Smith watches aren't exactly cheap. So you're covering all bases. You've got stuff from super entry level all the way through and it doesn't matter how deep someone's pockets are, there could be somebody getting into the hobby that might be buying an rm, they may be buying an ap, they might buy something else because everybody leads different lives and you may be able to afford something at 50 quid, 100 bucks or you might have those deeper pockets. So that is to have such a wide range on tap at the show itself.
- [33:04]
B
Well, next up I've got Monroe adventure. They're presenting 50 pieces of watch called Lost in Space, which is, yeah, it's a very playful watch. You can see this little astronaut hanging onto one of the hands or, well, their oxygen lead is obviously linked to one of the hands. It's got this cosmic inner and outer aventurine dial. The next one is Moriarty. Moriarty recently joined the alliance and we were delighted that they were able to exhibit at British Watchmakers Day and also to present a special edition. Now Alison Moriarty is a watchmaker with a fast rising reputation. I mean, she qualified wo step in 1996 and I think she was the only female graduate of that year. She became obsessed with the enameled watches that she discovered at the Patek Museum and eventually cracked making her own in 2024.
- [34:05]
A
Poor choice of words there, Alistair.
- [34:08]
B
Yes, it's a bit of a.9 out
- [34:11]
A
of 10 enamel dowels do crack. Yeah, that's why they're so expensive.
- [34:15]
B
So, yeah, she, she didn't crack. But anyway, so Alison managed to, managed to master the enamel dial and in 2024. And as I say, I mean, the watch that Moriarty have created is absolutely stunning. It's got this kind of nebula of dark blue, white and red. And the techniques and the proprietary mix of different powder glasses which make the dial six layers. They're fired at 800 degrees centigrade. They're then hand sanded between each firing. It's an incredibly intense artisan approach to watchmaking and it's just so, you know, it just makes you so proud that you've got watchmakers like this in the British Isles. And I say British Isles because Moriarty is another entrant from Ireland. There are second member from, from, from Ireland, well, the Republic, obviously. We have Nomadic in Northern Ireland as well, so. But it's, it's a stunning watch. Um, they're only making three pieces. Each is going to be presented a handmade walnut watch box and they're priced, I think very reasonably actually, considering the processes that you're getting here for 3,950 plus taxes. The next watch, actually, we've just, I just mentioned Nomadic and funnily enough, the next watch is in, in the alphabetical order is Nomadic. And I've got their CADE126 chronograph model. They're only making seven of these. So again, it's going to be authentically a very rare and collectible watch. And what they've done with the, with this particular special edition is they've customized the sub dials to create a kind of a British colorway. So you've got two sub dials, one in crimson, one in blue and then you've got the main. There's also a sub dial in white, but also the main dial is in white. Seven pieces. They each will be numbered and they're 2,550, but absolutely fantastic. So, yeah, you think Moriarty, Nomadic, Sidereus. There's a lot going on in Ireland. Might be worth an episode at some point. Next up, Olivia Malan. They've got their GM 2019 Titan Moondate special blackout edition that they're unveiling that especially for British Watchmakers Day, there will be 40 Swiss quartz models and 10 Swiss mechanical watches. So that, you know, again, ensures rarity and collectibility. As you can imagine, the prices range, so 450lbs of quartz and 1,350 for the mechanical watch. So, yeah, fantastic. And they made a specific point. They've said that prices will rise for any left, any watches that are left over after the show and sold online. So it's definitely worth getting to British Watchmakers Day for, if you're interested in the Olivia Malan, and that's a good
- [37:27]
A
question, are there tickets still available? Because I thought they'd all sold out.
- [37:31]
B
Very few. We. I mean, what's happened over the last couple of years, as you can imagine, is that because we offer priority to our club members, people are very wisely joining the club. I mean, as you know, we offer an awful lot more than access to British Watchmakers Day with the other perks, but it's certainly a draw. And when you think that club membership for the year is £65 and it means that you get a free entry and priority access to British Watchmakers Day, that has meant that we've got a lot of people joining. So over the last couple of years, it's meant that our allocation for the public has become less and less and that's certainly the case this year. I think there are still a few tickets available, but I would definitely say hurry and by the time the show goes out, you know, they may very well have gone, but there are a few left over. We've still got some, certainly quite a few for the. Well, not quite a few, but there's an allocation still available in the third session. But of course, by the third session, a lot of the special editions may very well have sold out. So, yes, I would implore anybody who hasn't bought a ticket either join the club or get your ticket.
- [38:48]
A
Get your finger out now. And we should get our finger out because we don't have much time left to get through the rest of these releases.
- [38:53]
B
Well, we're coming through. We're on P now, Ricky. So we've got Paulin's. Dazzling.
- [38:57]
A
I'll have a pee, please, Bob.
- [39:00]
B
Well, the P here is Paulin with that, with their Dazzle clock. Stunning. It's a limited edition clock and isn't it great to get a clock as well, which is limited to 50 pieces, which are screen printed by Rebecca at the Mars Mars Print Studio in Glasgow. And the. Yeah, the clock itself is inspired by the art of Eduardo Paolozzi, who, you know, is very famous Scottish artist. You know, really one of the fountainheads of Scottish pop culture, pop art. And it's, it's a beautiful piece of work. And yeah, hats off to Paulin for having the, you know, it's an audacious thing to do to create a clock. So I, I really hope those, those fly off. We then got opinion now. I mean, Piers nailed it last year with, with his watch. I think they sold out the flash at British Watchmakers Day. And this year he's announced the Pure Chance, which is a 38 millimeter hand wound special edition. Again, 50 pieces designed entirely in house by Piers Berry. And it introduces a new case design. This time though, it's got gilt finish, Swiss movement and a striking Aventurine glass dial. The name Pure Chance, it references the accidental discovery of aventurine glass by Venetian artisan glass makers and the 17th century, apparently. So that's priced at 1,350, including that Pompeique. They've come up with a Mallory Tux edition. And the defining feature of that, Ricky, is a spinning bow tie, second hand. Again, it's a playful watch. It's a lot of fun. They're only doing 50 pieces and they're going to have three variants. 30 with a black bow tie, 10 with a blue bow tie and 10 with a red bow tie. And they're 849 pounds with. With obviously priority availability on the day. Now, next up, Scofield. Now, I'm always excited with what Giles creates and this time he's created.
- [41:07]
A
Is he still crazy?
- [41:08]
B
Well, I'm not going to comment on Giles's level of craziness, but in terms of his creativity, it's off the scale.
- [41:16]
A
He is a Doc Brown of a character. I remember me and Katya had him on a show, Whoa. Years ago and he was telling us about the crazy creation he was putting together. Got to meet him at the first Watchmaker's Day and I thought, this guy is a genuine boffin.
- [41:30]
B
He really is. He's astonishing. And this watch, I seriously, I mean, look, I'm excited about all the watches, but what Giles has done here, I've never seen anything like it. Genuinely, I mean, it is, it is completely fresh and new. And last year he had a great show. I mean, he sold out all his pieces, which I was, you know, delighted to hear because, you know, for any small business, I mean, it's great that you can have this one day which has that much impact on your, on, on your sales. And, and he's done it again. I mean, in my opinion, I would be amazed if these don't fly off and if they don't become for me a future classic collectible watch. What he's done this time, he's been really playing with materials and, and he wanted to create this kind of unique finish and feel. I mean, it's hard to find the words where Giles's work's concerned, it really is. But he solved his material aesthetic problem with a material called Ultem, which is a high performance semi translucent polyetherimide which is used in aerospace and industrial applications. Apparently sometimes found in knife handles, pens and other edc. But, but it's got this kind of amber tobacco hue, but it's translucent. Seriously, I've not seen anything like it and it deserves to be one of the stars of the show in my opinion. It really does. So he's limited it to 50 pieces this time across two models of the Skeptico artifacts and sightings they're called and they're £4,680 including that. I just think it's an amazing watch and he deserves every success with it. We're coming to the end, don't worry. We're now on Sidereus with their Realtor special edition again. We know Brian Leach. I mean, Brian comes from an amazing product design background. He's so considered in everything that he does from a design perspective. And what I love about his watch is I always have, you know, you can just imagine Brian really sitting for hours working out what he's going to do. And, and again, Railtare very much reflects the ancient measurements of celestial bodies which form the foundation of horology at the end of the day and shaping our understanding of time. And yeah, it's fantastic. It's the first Sidereus watch to offer a GMT function. But unlike most GMT watches, it's got an under dial disc that's employed to display the second hand at the second time zone. So yeah, fabulous watch and very limited. I haven't got the number. Oh no, 10 pieces, sorry, they're going to be just 10. I don't have a price though. But again, phenomenal piece of work. Well, the other big news this year is actually thanks to our co founding chairman, Roger Smith. Would you believe this year it's actually 25 years since he founded his independent workshop. So what Roger's done is he's very generously agreed to be our headline sponsor. For British Watchmakers Day. And as he'll be exhibiting this year with his team, I think it's a brilliant opportunity for everyone to celebrate with him on the day. I mean, when you think about it, Roger's journey from 2001 to 2026 maps almost precisely onto the transformation of British watchmaking itself. And at the end of the day, that's no coincidence because Roger's been instrumental in everything that's been achieved. Timor. They've come with their heritage field watch, which reinterprets the Union Jack, again using red, white and deep navy. It's softened by lighter blue, drawn from the 2012 Team GB Olympic uniform that was designed by Stella McCartney, apparently. So it's again, very attractive, quite accessible. It's priced at 1,699 and will only be in very small numbers. I think it's 20 pie pieces. So again, another, another great, great watch to look out for. William Wood. We can always expect something special from, from Johnny and the team. And this time they've come at the Great Fire of London, which I guess flips from them obviously honoring firefighters. They're reflecting probably the greatest, most famous fire in, in history. And what they've done here, they've made, they've made 50 priced at 995 pounds. And the, the literal connection is that each one is A genuine British two pound collector's coin depicting the Great Fire of London, 1666. It's not a reinterpretation or engraving, but it's an actual coin. So it's a tangible artifact that genuinely and authentically connects the watch to, to this event that obviously reshaped London skyline. So fantastic, really. I mean, it's incredible how William Wood are just continually able to create new iterations and interpretations of what is the bedrock of their brand, which is the world of firefighting.
- [46:53]
A
Well, that's a brand that we had on the show way, way, way back in the very beginnings. And they had all kinds. I think it was a Valiant. Then they had this, then had the other. They had limited editions. They've done ones in the past. Obviously at Watchmakers Day, you've got Johnny's grandfather and the whole reason the brand came to be. And it's not just selling watches. Over the years, he has contributed so much to charity. He has traveled across. He's done things with the 911 charities over in the States and the fire services over there. He's done competitions where fire service active members and retirees across the globe get together. Almost like not the Hunger Games, but maybe Tough mudder for people that were in that service. No. Great. And it'll be fantastic to see all these people in the one place. All these bustling ideas turned into genuine metalwork for the wrists. Maybe some of them are made in other materials as well. But this has been an absolute cavalcade. It's been an Aladdin's cave of amazing watches. And before we finish up, anything else you'd kind of like to throw in there?
- [47:50]
B
Well, I have one more watch, Ricky, and it's Zero West.
- [47:55]
A
How could we forget those gentlemen?
- [47:58]
B
Zero West, HO1. They've come up with an HO1 special edition. Now what's really great about Zero west is, you know, they're absolutely committed to doing as much as they possibly can in house. You know, there's a genuine engineering heart with Zero west and what they've done. They've actually created a new in house dial print works. And so the HO one is going to showcase that. It's a heritage special and it features our logo, the Alliance's logo on the dial. So it's nice to finish with that along with the date code and latitude and longitude coordinates commemorating the event in true Zero west house style. So you know, time and place. So they're only making one. It's built with a custom strap. It's a 42 millimeter case with an SW500 BVC movement and it's 4995, which again I think is very reasonable for being able to acquire a watch. And you'll be the only ever owner of it. So that brings us to the end,
- [49:03]
A
Ricky, that is us at the end of all the watches and a bit of a potted history about the alliance, where it came from, what it's been doing. And let's finish up on some really good news. And we have touched upon it in the past, but you weren't here to bounce the ideas off. We got hold of the wellweather report, the most recent one. They've done one in the past. And I had to ask Dave to explain that to me like I was a five year old because I didn't understand the terminology. But he said that that was basically taking a look at the industry and figuring out where it sits, where it used to be, where it is just now, what the projections are. But you're here and you can give us a little bit more information because the way it looked to us, the way we read it was things have drastically moved forward in a very positive way.
- [49:41]
B
Well, it's, I mean the reason for doing a Bellwether originally was, and again, it was part of that original planning process was that before you know where you're going, you've got to know where you are. You know, it's so easy to forget. We formed the alliance five years ago. Five years ago. You know, you think about it, it was a rumor of a sector, it was a rumor that was substantiated by a disrupt number of watch brands all over the country. We didn't know how many we, you know, there was a little bit of interaction as you know, it's a very convivial and friendly sector, but there was no formal linkage there and that was really why we formed the alliance. But then it was a case of, well, we've got to get some numbers here. And you mentioned earlier, a big part of my role is liaising with government and when you're going to go to government bodies, talk to ministers and senior civil servants, you've got to be able to evidence what you're talking about. And a big part of it was to say, look, we can prove that, that British watch and clock making is a distinct sector of the economy, it deserves attention and it's growing. And I think that what Bellwether number two has done is to prove the growth and it's exciting growth and is newsworthy. So, I mean, what we proved in the three years between Bellwether 1, which was in 2021, and Bellwether 2, which we surveyed in 24 and published last year, the sector's grown by 65%. So we've grown from 125 million retail value in 21 to 206 million as of last year. And of course, it really grown a bit further since then. So that's 18% compound annual growth rate. I mean, there are very, very few sectors that can claim that, and especially in the British manufacturing world as well. I mean, it's a good news story for the economy and there aren't many of those around at the moment.
- [51:40]
A
There are also not some information on the people that were associated. So you've got brands, you've got founders, you've got designers, but there was all these other associated things that back in the day when watchmaking was a huge thing in the uk, we didn't have social media, we didn't have graphic design, we didn't have all that kind of stuff. But I'd read somewhere, or I'd been told that the employment within the sector had grown massively as well.
- [52:02]
B
Tremendous again, well, by a factor of three, actually. So we've got over 1,650 people approximately, employed directly or indirectly as freelancers within the sector. And as you can imagine, there are quite a lot of people who are freelance consultants in design and various other support roles in the sector, but who rely on the watch sector watching clock making sector for their living. So it's tremendous. And that's really sparked us now to launch our careers hub later this year, which we'll hopefully talk to you again about, which is an exciting next step. When I talk about growth, the only way to sustain growth is to have enough people, talented people to come in and fuel it. And that's one of the reasons we've embarked on creating an online careers hub. So. So I will happily talk to you about that again, Ricky, but that will be launching in hopefully Q2.
- [52:57]
A
We love a good cliffhanger. And you with. Oh, surely to tell people. I mean, the other thing I alluded to earlier is that you're more used to being behind the camera than in front of the camera. You're the guy that figureheaded put together the Watchmaker's Apprentice.
- [53:10]
B
Well, I was, yes, certainly part of the team. And it was a big part of. When I very first met Roger Back in 2009, 2010, it was a project that was directed by Dave Armstrong Strong, a filmmaker on the island. And at the time it was about, well, let's profile someone interesting on the island. You know, the, the kind of relative naivety going into that and realizing, hang on, this isn't just someone interesting. This is an incredible story about the. Well, the Telegraph have said it, I, I will champion it every day. And that is, you know, the finest watchmaker of the 21st century. And, and in George Daniels, the finest watchmaker of the the 20th century. So, yeah, it turned into an amazing story. I mean, I was delighted to be a part of that. And yeah, watch this space for further development.
- [54:04]
A
Indeed. And there's lots of other things you've been involved in with different organizations. I'm pretty sure there was a DB5 involved in something recently, but we'll leave that for another time. It's been phenomenal having you back and I know we only bring you out the cupboard once a year to pull you out in front of the lovely folk so they can hear what you're going to talk about. But we should maybe bring you back midpoint instead of just before Watchmakers Day, maybe around about summertime, just after and we can recount exactly how things went. I didn't manage last year. I was getting married, hopefully not doing that ever again. Although it was a great experience to recommend it to everybody if you find the right person and all that. But this time around we're coming down and we're going to do it in style. We're coming down early, we're going to enjoy a little bit of time in Capital City. We're not going to bring any expensive Swiss watches because it's still a little bit iffy on the road. And that is another point to mention. If you're coming along, obviously be safe, be secure and look after yourself because there are people on mopeds. It's not as bad as they say in the press. They like their headlines, the tabloids like to push a message, but we don't want anybody to become a victim. We obviously bring on the guys from the Metropolitan Police once a year to give us lots of safety tips. But it would be mindful, especially since a lot of people that are into watch will be congregating in the one area. So just look after yourself as well. But anything else you want to say before we finish up the show? Sure.
- [55:16]
B
Well, Ricky, I think it's okay. Well, thank you for having me on for one thing. I mean, this is, it's always a wonderful opportunity to be able to present the breadth of our amazing sector. I get more excited every year just seeing the amazing work and creativity that's just pouring into the sector. It's a brilliant time to be part of British watchmaking. And I just heartily recommend if you have an interest in watches, if you collect watches, come on the journey with us.
- [55:47]
A
Fantastic. And that is us. So if you want to check out all these watches in order to mention, go through the show notes, they'll be linked in your podcast player. And if you get any thoughts, queries, questions, feedback, positive or negative, drop us an email infoocottishwatches.co.uk and there will be a link to the alliance website where you can find out more about the show and joining. And as well as getting priority access to events such as this, you get lots of cool stuff. You get magazine subscriptions, you get digital magazine subscriptions, you get the inside scoop, the inside track on various things that happen throughout the year, different meetings, different events and behind the scenes information, all for that very low price. So that is my hearty recommendation that everybody gets involved in the big gotcha. The thing that people have said to us numerous times that we've tried to cover in the show before is it doesn't matter where in the globe you are, you can join the alliance of British watch and clock makers as a member. Just because you like a band that's in Australia doesn't mean you have to be Australian. Same thing here. If you want to find out about Studio underdog Christopher Ward and all these other independents that are out there, join the alliance, fully recommend it and endorse it. And endorse you. Checking out the show twice a week, Mondays and Thursdays. That's when we're out. Monday, usually an interview show. Thursday, usually myself and Dave talking nonsense about new releases, stuff from the industry and events across the globe, including the one we've talked about today. So that is pretty much us. Thank you for joining and we'll catch you again soon.
- [57:01]
B
Thanks, Ricky. Goodbye, everyone.
- [57:03]
A
Thank you.