To no-one’s surprise, British Watchmakers’ Day delivered again
Russell SheldrakeA whopping 1,200 people, plus uncounted numbers of press and industry, filled Lindley Hall in London on a sunny Saturday for British Watchmakers’ Day – and Time+Tide was there for the whole thing. Last year, you may have seen our coverage of the event or the madness that surrounded our “pizza watch” collaboration with Studio Underd0g – and there was almost a repeat of those scenes again this year, with Richard and the team at Underd0g at the centre of it all yet again.
The doors opened at 10 am – I fear the word doors isn’t quite appropriate here; floodgates fits better. There were people queuing up from 5:45 in the morning, and there were some that had flown in from around the world, whether it was Singapore, Los Angeles, or even the far reaches of south London. It was clear the fever-pitch level of excitement was the same this year as it was in 2024, and the queues were just as long, but this time they were all waiting to get their hands on the Studio Underd0g x Fears Gimlet.
With the queue building the second the doors opened, the teams at Fears and Studio Underd0g were ready this year, handing out small lime slice tokens to those in the queue so they knew they had a watch waiting for them at the other end. Despite these tokens meaning they could go around the fair and return to buy the special edition anytime they wanted, just like all good Brits, they loved to stand in that queue, letting the excitement mount as they stepped closer.
But it wasn’t all about the Gimlet. We had a stand there with a strong cafe theme as we were handing Krispy Kreme donuts to go along with our collaboration with specialist travel case makers, Cased in Time: our tasty-looking donut cases. Alongside these cases, which were super popular, we also had the final run of pizza watches and a special collaboration we had done with Duckworth Prestex on a creamy dial rectangular watch, packed with vintage vibes from this heritage brand. More on that soon.
But walking around the fair there was so much excitement around all 44 brands that were on display, whether it was the tried and trusted names like Christopher Ward, Bremont or Vertex, or the newcomers like Anoma or Apiar. It appeared as though everyone was busy from start to close, and there was a constant stream of conversation and conversion happening as sales took place up and down the rows of tables.
We have a full video coming out soon where we speak to some of the key brands who exhibited at the event, along with an interview with three founders of the British Watch and Clock Makers’ Alliance to get the full temperature of the day, and give those of you who missed out on tickets an insight on what you could have seen, and what you might get the chance to see next year. Until then, hope you have a great weekend!
Russell and the Time+Tide Team
Watch meme of the week: Rolex leaks revealed
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This week’s big news across social media was the supposed leaks of the Rolex 2025 models, and as always, our trusted meme accounts rolled into action and proved why we love them so much.
Wrist shot of the week: old but gold
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A bit of an unexpected source of this week’s wrist shot, but famed motoring journalist James May shows that old can still be gold.
Time+Tide Shop pick of the week: Cased in Time x Time+Tide D’ohnut Watch Cases
Serious protection, zero blandness. The Cased in Time x Time+Tide Donut Watch Case is the ultimate travel companion for your timepiece. Featuring a durable hard-shell exterior and a plush interior, it keeps your watch safe from bumps and scratches while on the move. Compact, lightweight, and designed for secure, space-saving storage, it’s perfect for tossing in your bag or displaying on your shelf. Because just like your watch, its case should stand out too. There are three different flavours – strawberry, chocolate and blueberry – perfect for all horological sweet tooths.
Grab a bite of our Cased in Time x Time+Tide D’ohnut Watch Cases exclusively at the Time+Tide Shop, either online or in-store at our Melbourne and London Discovery Studios. Price: A$49
Our favourite Time+Tide coverage of the week
Find out what the biggest stars of Formula 1 would drive and wear on their wrists for the rest of their lives
We were lucky enough to get access to the F1 75 red carpet and so we had to make sure we were asking the questions everyone wants to know the answers to, such as what is the one car and one watch the best of the best of F1 could live with for the rest of their lives. Watch above or read more here.
George R. R. Martin’s “In the Lost Lands” stars one of Blancpain’s most complicated watches
Blancpain enters the silver screen with some serious haute horology as they provide an open dial minute repeater for the upcoming In The Lost Lands based on the stories of George R. R. Martin. And our very own Zach Blass was on hand at the premiere to handle the watch and speak with the team behind the film. Read the story about how this >US$500,000 watch found its way onto a film set here.
To celebrate International Women’s Day, here’s some of the best female-led watch brands
International Women’s Day took place last week, and we always think it’s important to highlight those women working in our industry as they don’t always get the coverage they deserve. And while Nina’s list is by no means exhaustive, it hopefully goes some way as to highlight just how deep and varied the skill of women in our industry is. Give it a read here.