British Watchmaker’s Day 2025: An Alliance, a Community, and Loads of Colour

Photo by Chris Antzoulis

There’s something special in the air here in London. I’m currently in my Airbnb at 12:23 a.m. on Monday the 10th. British Watchmaker’s Day was all day Saturday the 8th. I promised myself I wouldn’t write an article until I was back stateside, but I’m still buzzing from this watch show, which is a first for me. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed all the other watch conventions I’ve been to, but there was a kinship between the brands and the community here that you could reach out and touch. The brands brought their very best, and the enthusiasts did the same. 

Photo by Chris Antzoulis - Isotope Limited Edition Mercury Marquetry (dial designed by Sophie Scott-Lewis and crafted by Bernardo d'Orey)

The venue was Lindley Hall, a royal horticulture hall built in 1904. It served as the perfect space for a watch convention, with the entire ceiling made of glass, allowing all the natural light in on an unnaturally sunny day in London — or so every Londoner kept telling me throughout the trip. You could view the watches how they were meant to be seen, although snapping photos was tricky, especially if you’re a photography newbie like me. However, my colleague Alexa and I managed to capture a few good shots. 

We arrived an hour early and queued outside Lindley Hall, behind a small squadron of excited fellow watch nerds. Many were chomping at the bit to get the anticipated Fears x Studio Underd0g Gimlet. It was far from the only stunning limited edition at the event, but that particular collaboration proved to be the talk of the show. 

Outside, we enjoyed a delightful conversation with a retired Scottish gentleman who spoke candidly about his passion for watches and how it developed over the past 15 years after surviving a heart attack. He entertained us with the story of last year’s premiere of the first British Watchmaker’s Day and how he returned home with a handful of new watches. It was clear to me that he had the means to own some significant pieces from more popular brands, and for all I know, he may indeed have some; however, his admiration for independent brands, both small and large, was evident. 

Once inside the hall, the thoughtfulness of the British Watch and Clock Makers Alliance, the organization behind the event, and to which all the brands belong, was apparent even in the convention layout itself. Unlike most watch conventions I’ve attended, which place the most prominent brands front and center, British Watchmaker’s Day had Roger Smith, Bremont, Christopher Ward, Fears, Studio Underd0g, and Vertex all positioned against the back wall. Enthusiasts and fans were educated about newer brands, many of which were pulled up front, before arriving at the established favorites. 

Photo by Chris Antzoulis - a variety of Vertexes with the @the_mad_watch_collector and @vertexcollector

Photo by Alexa Emma - Beaucroft Element in Sunset Orange

I had a wonderful time finally meeting the owners of some brands in my collection, particularly Don Cochrane of Vertex, whose warm reputation preceded him, as well as reconnecting with friends like José and Joana of Isotope Watches. My experiences with brands that were newer to me also stood out. Arken, Beaucroft, Clemence, Golby, Helicon, Schofield, and Anoma were some of the brands that connected with me on a personal level, and their owners were all gracious and passionate people. 

Some of these brands were introduced to me by my friend and veteran writer in the watch community, Vincent Deschamps of Mainspring Watch Magazine, who spent significant time guiding Alexa and me through the convention. The day was filled with familiar faces of friends, some of whom I had enjoyed spending time with before, and others I had only connected with online. It was my first opportunity to shake their hands and dole out some big hugs. 

After the convention, I was fortunate to receive an invitation from Andrew McCutchen to the Time + Tide Discovery Studio in London for an afterparty with the brands that attended the show. Mike France and Roger Smith, the founders of the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers, shared a few words in appreciation of all the effort the brands put in to keeping their community strong, They also recognized the hard work of Katya Audsley for her significant role in putting the convention together.

Over the past few days, after speaking with several brand owners, I’ve discovered how appreciative they are of the supportive community the Alliance provides, as it offers them a network of knowledge and guidance in the spirit of friendly competition and the optimistic ideology that a rising tide lifts all ships. Should anyone fall in the water, my gut tells me there are enough dive watches in the group to go in for the rescue. 

The wider watch community and #WatchFam, as a whole, are generally an open and positive bunch. Still, there’s a vibe that lives among the British watchmaking community that we can all learn from and, on occasion, be honored to be part of.

My recommendation: If you’re a watch enthusiast and have the opportunity and means to attend this event in the future, you’d be doing yourself a disservice by not attending.

Photo by Chris Antzoulis - at the Time + Tide Discovery Studio in London (pictured: Mike France, Roger Smith, and Andrew McCutchen)