What British Watchmakers' Day Means To Us
When The British Watch and Clock Makers Alliance was first established, we were invited to join and signed up immediately. We were eager to support a dedicated British industry body focused solely on advancing watch and clockmaking in the UK. It was refreshing to be part of an alliance entirely committed to horology, rather than playing a secondary role within the wider jewellery sector.
Fast forward a couple of years to 2024 and the inaugural British Watchmakers’ Day show in London. Never before had we experienced spontaneous applause for the organisers at the end of an exhibition, but that is exactly what happened. It was a perfect event: very well attended, a great venue with fantastic natural light, big enough to be impressive but small enough to feel intimate, with founder-led, hands-on customer discussions taking place around the room from all the main British watch brands. Every brand that attended did so with energy, and it was rewarded in spades. Alistair and Katya did a fantastic job.
We were busy the entire day, and year two was equally successful, with many brands making the effort not only to attend but also to bring special editions of collectable watches. Almost to the point of special edition overload!
"I had a real moment standing in the room, just observing events unfold. Here we were at an event just for British brands, in the bright lights of London, and it felt like we had morphed into one of the senior brands in the room. It was great to feel that, but even better just to be part of such a successful day.”
~ Ian Elliot, Co-Founder
So what does it mean to us?
We love meeting face to face, chatting about all things horology—new developments, new ideas, showing the odd secret prototype and gauging natural reactions. It’s our natural habitat, and for us there’s no other event quite like it.
It’s also a great industry barometer, seeing who’s doing what, catching up with industry friends and feeling the community spirit, friendships and support that the Alliance has naturally curated.
We’re proud to play a small part in its success.
