Dennison’s natural wood and stone dial ALD Collection is now in the Time+Tide Shop
Borna BošnjakThe idea of reviving an old watch brand that went bust is nothing novel, but Dennison’s journey hasn’t quite followed the usual formula. For starters, the original company, founded in 1874, wasn’t a fully fledged watchmaking manufacture, but rather a casemaker for the likes of Rolex, Omega, and Jaeger-LeCoultre, as well as briefly producing military equipment in WWII. If you need any further proof of their performance, the Smiths that Hillary took to the Everest summit sported Dennison’s Aquatite case. That’s some achievement.
The British brand went under in 1965, and experienced a five-decade-long hiatus before an attempted revival in 2016 by brand enthusiast Toby Sutton, but the near-US$4,000 price tag for an ETA 2824, and at a time when an equivalent Black Bay cost the same, meant that the watch wasn’t that well-received. Luckily, and once again with Sutton’s help, the revived brand gave it another go in 2024, by introducing the Dennison ALD Collection. This time round, they got it spot-on. In some ways, this is what I imagine Dennison would be making had the brand continued operating into the 1970s and ’80s.
Considering Dennison is a renowned casemaker, let’s start with the cases. The defining feature (and a big cost contributor) of the 2016 Dennison DENCO53 was a casemade in the UK, just like the originals. That said, though, it wasn’t a particularly inspired design, which is certainly something we can’t say about the ALD Collection. The slightly elongated, squircle shape is, at least in my opinion, stunning. It doesn’t feel derivative, but is yet again familiar enough – it’s more voluptuous than a Patek Philippe Ellipse, but softer than a Cartier Coussin Bamboo.
At 33.6mm wide and 37mm lug-to-lug (though there aren’t any lugs per se), the Dennison ALD has perfect dimensions for the current micro/independent climate that seems to be so skewed towards smaller, more design-driven pieces. Add to that the 6mm thickness, and you’ve got the recipe for an amazing dress watch, or even a daily wearer. Sure, it only has 30 metres of water resistance, but that’s enough robustness for me to hop on a tram and head to Melbourne’s Time+Tide Watch Discovery Studio and back.
In becoming a fully fledged watchmaker, Dennison has to appease with more than just cases, however, and the niche they’ve begun to carve out for themselves is that of natural material dials. The initial ALD Collection release saw lapis, malachite, and tiger eye as headlining features, before a Collectability and Emmanuel Gueit collab brought some more complexity. The batch that you’re seeing here, however, steps it up in my opinion, bringing tourmaline, red agate, and wood into the fray.
The unique inclusions and swirls of each dial are one of the main selling factors for these materials, and you can clearly see why. I was especially fond of this red agate example, which almost looks as if it’s underscoring the Dennison branding. Dennison is also offering the watches in either polished stainless steel or PVD yellow gold. While the former is my usual preference, especially with most of the stone dials that don’t need any highlighting, the warmth of the gold is a must for the wooden dial. Not only does it frame the grain in gold, but the lancet handset is also changed to match the case.
Once you start inspecting these individual elements up close, you’ll notice a surprising amount of detail on a watch that is so simple at first glance. The hands have a rounded, three-dimensional quality that’s impressive both because of the price point and the thinness, and the typeface used for the Dennison script feels just right for the ’70s design.
The straps attach beneath hooded lugs, which allow for the versatility of traditional spring bars while giving an integrated strap look, and are appropriately thin for the case. Perhaps my favourite bit of attention to design detail comes from the straps, or more specifically, the clasp. If you’re ever wondering whether a brand has truly paid attention to every aspect of their watch, look at the buckle. For the Dennison ALD, it matches the shape of the case, with the negative space echoing the dial opening.
The overall thinness and affordability of the ALD Collection are thanks to an ultra-thin Ronda 1062 quartz movement. Considering it’s a two-handed calibre, you won’t have to worry about the potentially controversial ticking seconds hand, and in any case, I’d take that trade-off for the movement’s 1.9mm thickness any day. You can also expect an impressive 6-year battery life, which is double what you usually see with quartz calibres.
Even though a picture may be worth a thousand words, like many watches with intricate dials, these impress that much more in person. I expected them to be good, seeing Dennison’s images, but was completely enamoured when I had them on my wrist in various lighting scenarios. With that in mind, we’re especially delighted to be offering them from both of our Melbourne and London Discovery Studios, as well as the online Time+Tide Shop.
Dennison ALD Collection with red agate, rubellite, and wood dials pricing and availability
The Dennison ALD collection with natural wood and stone dials is now available from the Time+Tide Shop and the Melbourne and London Discovery Studios. Price: A$1,250, £640
| Brand | Dennison |
| Model | ALD Collection |
| Case Dimensions | 33.65mm (W) x 6.05mm (T) x 37mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Stainless steel PVD gold stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 30 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Flat sapphire front |
| Dial | Rubellite tourmaline, red agate, and wood |
| Lug Width | 20mm |
| Strap | Coloured leather, case-matching pin buckle |
| Movement | Ronda 1062, quartz |
| Power Reserve | ~6 years |
| Functions | Hours, minutes |
| Availability | Now from the Time+Tide Shop |
| Price | A$1,250 £640 |