WatchPro – August 2019

CHRISTOPHER WARD

Started by three friends who knew
very little about the watch industry
at the time, Christopher Ward has
grown in leaps and bounds since
its founding in 2004. It’s now one
of Britain’s best watch exports,
with satisfied customers in over
100 countries. CW cemented its
position as a bona fide watch
manufacturer in 2014, with the
unveiling of its first ever in-house
movement, Calibre SH21. This
coincided with the company
merging with its Swiss movement
supplier, Synergies Horlogères, to
form Christopher Ward Holdings
Limited.

ELLIOT BROWN

If you’re looking for the toughest, throw anything

you like at it including the kitchen sink and it

just keeps running watch, then Elliot Brown is

probably for you. Designed in the UK, these

award-winning watches are relied upon for ocean

crossings, mountain rescues, and just about any

kind of extreme or arduous adventure. Even

NATO has cleared an Elliot Brown watch – the

ultra-tough Holton Professional – for combat.

With its own NATO stock number, armed forces

can be issued with one as part of their military kit

alongside weapons and protective gear. Best of

all, these military-grade watches are also available

for general consumption.

FARER

Another notable member of the

British-designed/Swiss-made

contingent, Farer stands out

for its bold use of colour and

contrasting textures. Created

for the modern adventurer, the

watches are robust and reliable,

yet look good enough to wear

to the office on a daily basis too.

Once a new design is perfected

at Farer’s London studio, it’s

sent off to the brand’s Swiss

manufacturing partner, Roventa-

Henex. There it undergoes

multiple rounds of prototyping

before the finished product is

finally ready to be launched to the

market.

Watch P ro’s

Pick: Holton

Professional.

Watch P ro’s

Pick: C60

Trident Pro 600.

Elliot Brown co-founders

Ian Elliot and Alex Brown.

Christopher Ward

co-founder

and CEO Mike France.

Farer founders Paul Sweetenham,

Stuart Finlayson, Ben Lewin and Jono Holt

WatchPro’s Pick: Cobb

Chronograph

BRITISH WATCH COMPANIES / IN DEPTH

watchpro.com / AUGUST 2019 / WATCHPRO 33