The Row It Forward Watch

On Billy Taylor's wrist somewhere on the Indian ocean.

Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, UK coastline and the Black Sea – 5 wearers, 9 crossings, approx. 22,000 nautical miles

Real-world testing takes many forms when it comes to an EB watch. None more so than in the hands of our ambassadors. In this case, this particular watch has seen its fair share of the world or more accurately, the world’s oceans.

The Row It Forward Bloxworth started life as Billy Taylor’s watch. It was his chosen watch when we first met him in 2015. Billy is first and foremost an adventurer: an ocean rower, and at the time a firefighter with Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service. Having taken part in the inaugural Great Pacific Race in 2014, Billy approached us looking for a watch that could take whatever the ocean and the fire service could throw at it. Over a decade later, we’re still supporting Billy as he runs his own ocean rowing event, The Atlantic Dash.

In 2016, Billy headed off to support a fellow firefighter, Scott Butler, who was about to become the first person to solo row across the Black Sea.

On Scott Butler's Wrist in the Black Sea

“I stood looking out across the waters of the Black Sea from the marina in Burgas, Bulgaria. Pacific Pete - my plywood Woodvale Ocean rowing boat - gently bobbed, looking resplendent in her bright orange paint job, ready for the row ahead of us. I glanced at my wrist… what?! I’d totally forgotten to bring a watch out with me to Bulgaria!

Billy, who helped me get to the start point, made a quick phone call. Turns out he’d spoken to Ian Elliot. He undid the watch he wore and handed it to me. It was a beautiful Elliot Brown Bloxworth. “You’re part of the family now.” So off I popped, becoming the first person to ever row across the Black Sea, mighty Bloxworth on my wrist.” ~ Scott Butler

Record-breaking row complete, Scott begrudgingly handed the watch back to Billy ahead of Billy’s scheduled Indian Ocean row in 2018. However, Billy soon met the irrepressible Duncan Roy, who was preparing to row the Atlantic from mainland Portugal to French Guiana. It seemed only right to pass on the mighty Bloxworth and it was here the Row It Forward concept was born.

More than anything else, to me the Row it Forward watch means community, and the sense of belonging that comes with being a small part of that special group of people.

The way that I, and others like myself, have chosen to lead their lives is not a traditional one. When you speak to most people about the things that drive you, I often find that they struggle to understand how anyone can live not knowing what they are going to be doing, or even what part of the planet that they will be on, from one month to the next.

The watch, and those who have worn it, remind me that you have to follow your own path and spend the short time that you have on this earth doing the things that make you feel whole. The watch never stops ticking, and whoever is wearing it is filling that time with adventure and creating memories that feel like shared life experiences. ~ Billy Taylor

Billy Taylor cooling off in the Atlantic

The Row it Forward watch then cycled between Billy and Dunc as they rowed their way across various oceans, covering a staggering 19,000 nautical miles between them:

• Dunc – Mainland Portugal to French Guiana: Dec 2017 – Feb 2018

• Billy – West Australia to Mauritius: Jun – Aug 2018

• Dunc – Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge: Dec 2018 – Jan 2019

• Billy – Brain Waves, Lanzarote > Cape Verde > Antigua: Jan – Mar 2020

• Dunc – Gus & Dunc’s Round Britain Row: Jun – Jul 2020

• Billy – Inaugural Atlantic Dash: Mar – May 2021

• Dunc – Great Pacific Race: May – Jun 2021

Billy Taylor handing over the Row it Forward watch to Duncan Roy in Antigua.

Both Billy and Duncan now run very successful ocean rowing businesses of their own; Billy with Atlantic Dash, and Duncan through coaching over 80 teams of budding ocean rowers and the Ocean Rowing Academy.

"I’ve always been deeply honoured to wear the Row It Forward Watch. Not only because it’s a truly incredible, robust and sexy piece of time keeping hardware but because it’s about being part of something truly special and something much bigger than just yourself or your own expedition.

To me The Row It Forward Watch is about community, belonging, teamwork, adventure and legacy. We have tested her in some of the most extreme environments Mother Nature has to offer and she has stood up to every challenge and every test and in the process become a reliable, loyal and trusted friend that I wouldn’t want to go to sea without." ~ Duncan Roy

In 2021, Duncan was coaching Mike Bates for his upcoming Atlantic crossing and asked if Mike would be a good candidate for the Row It Forward watch. We immediately agreed. Mike was rowing solo, and it felt right that the watch would become his talisman.

Mike went on to become the fastest solo rower of the 2021/22 race and still holds the record for Fastest British Solo Rower of the Atlantic. He ended up keeping the watch a little longer than planned. After returning from Antigua, Mike and his family moved house. His rowing kit went into a dry bag, everything got boxed up and time passed.

Mike Bates finishing as fastest solo rower in the 21/22 Atlantic Race fleet.

Jump forward to January 2025. After a bit of hunting, the watch resurfaced, still ticking, from the loft of Mike’s new house. It made its way back to HQ, where it enjoyed a well-earned bath and clean-up.

It’s worth saying that after nine ocean crossings, we’ve only ever changed the battery when needed and the strap between rowers. No one needs another man’s wrist cheese!

The Row it Forward watch before we handed it over to Dinger

The watch is now in the possession of David “Dinger” Bell, a former Royal Marine and no stranger to solo ocean rowing, having rowed from from New York to  Newlyn, Cornwall, on the UK Mainland in 2020. His latest challenge is nothing short of bonkers. Setting off from Peru in November 2025, Dinger aims to row to Mauritius - a cool 13,000 nautical miles, over an estimated 330 days, entirely alone.

You can track him here.