WATCH OUT SWITZERLAND - THE ENGLISH ARE COMING

What with Greenwich Mean Time and the Time Lord of Doctor Who, it might have been thought that the UK would be a bastion of time keeping. But that role has of course been taken by Switzerland, where watch making is as much part of the national psyche as tea making is to the British.

Yet it was English watchmakers of the 16th century who lead the way in precision time pieces, producing intricate and accurate mechanisms. They continued to make the world’s finest watches up until around the 1870s – when the Americans, so to speak, put a spanner in the works.

Up until then, English watchmakers concentrated upon accuracy and quality, the Swiss offering more variety in style and price, but both still governed by much hand work. The Americans came in with mass production, good quality and cheaper prices. English makers either stopped making or concentrated upon high quality maritime chronometers for the Empire’s extensive shipping market. The Swiss applied themselves to adapting, taking some of the American methods and coming up with their own improvements.

By the 1950s, they had pretty much overtaken all competition to become the world’s centre of watch making. And so it has continued, with minor distractions as other countries have entered the industry, up until the present day.

But watch out Switzerland. The English are coming. A small but steady groundswell of interest in reviving our early pre-eminence has been underway for some time, culminating in a School of Watchmaking opening two years ago and the first London Watch Show taking place this summer.

That this largely included new brands at reasonable prices in no way detracts from the important platform this provides. Around 50 took part, mainly British companies, some offshoots from larger, more established names, but all keen to promote their British credentials and to increase home-grown production.

From the top: du Maurier watches Max and Rebecca launched in time for the forthcoming Hollywood remake of the Rebecca novel, £450 and £485 respectively. Left, Kennett's Savro watch; below, David Mason's Summer's Aviator model; bottom, Axion's Aviator.

Very timely is the launch of the du Maurier brand, a family business run by the  family of the famous author. “Daphne du Maurier was my grandmother,” explains co-founder and designer Ned du Maurier. "Our aim is to design beautiful, English classics ... partnered with the finest Swiss made movements."

A Hollywood remake of her novel Rebecca is in the offing and so watches in this range, with names from the novel including Max and Rebecca,(played by Lawrence Olivier and Joan Fontaine in the 1940s film, seen above) as well as Daphne, should benefit from promotion around it. Each watch will be produced in a limited collection of 300, a copy of the author’s signature on the back, to retail at £445 - £485.

Particularly pertinent is the new brand of Savro – taking its inspiration from Savile Row. This comes from Kennett, currently an online-only watch retailer with a range of good looking watches, made in Glasgow. The Savro collection is the most expensive, at £260 for the men’s, £270 the ladies, with Japanese movements. Tom Kennett, founder of the company in Glasgow,  says “I wanted to produce a watch that emulated Savile Row style.”

Specialisation is the key to success for some, such as David Mason.  Started just last year, this brand concentrates upon aviator and motor racing inspired watches, priced around the £200 mark. Inspiration is taken from classic aviator watches of the WWll era, named after Spitfire test pilots; while the racing designs already have the backing of a raft of drivers, including Oliver Webb, World Series Renault Driver. He advised on design requirements. More sports lines are in the pipeline and then, in 2015, the company will launch a British designed and made watch, entirely sourced in the UK.

Also focusing upon requirements for flight, Axion is a brand new company providing watches designed by pilots for pilots. The result is a range of watches that show GMT and local time simultaneously, just as suitable for frequent flyers, travelling business men and other time zone travellers as for pilots. Currently available online only, they are priced at just under £500.

While many of the watches exhibited at the Watch Show by these new young companies were either made in Switzerland or had Swiss movements, the emergence of these British brands points the way for future development. As graduates start to emerge from the new Manchester School of Watchmaking, a new body of craftsmen and women will be bringing their  talents to the market, keen to take on the mantle of those early English horologists of the 17th century.

This first London Watch Show was enough of a success for a bigger venue to be sought for next year, over a longer period. Mark Hearne, managing director of the UK business of top Swiss name, Patek Philippe, gave his support to this venture, as he has to the School of Watchmaking in Manchester, showing that the Swiss are being magnanimous about British aspirations.

But lest it be thought that we may not assail the heights of Swiss luxury watch making, it should be remembered that the greatest watchsmith, George Daniels, who died just two years ago, was an Englishman. One of his fine handmade watches sold for a record £157,250 at Bonhams last year.