WatchPro – August 2019

STRUTHERS WATCHMAKERS

What do you get when you bring

together a master watchmaker and

antiquarian horologist? The husband

and wife team that is Craig and Rebecca

Struthers. The duo rose to prominence

thanks to their tailor-made and bespoke

British timepieces powered by rescued

antique watch movements created in

England, America and Switzerland. Each

movement is painstakingly restored in-

house before being elaborately finished,

using a blend of fine craftsmanship

and 21st-century technology. When

they’re not servicing and restoring

vintage and important timepieces, the

Struthers focus all their energy on their

forthcoming (and much-anticipated)

inaugural in-house movement –

codenamed project 248.

WEIRD APE

If you want to stand out from the crowd, Weird Ape might just be the brand for

you. As its name suggests, these are not watches for mainstream conformists. In

fact, the company even goes so far as to proclaim on its website: “We’re for the

dreamers. The odd-balls. The round pegs in the square holes.” Lofty aspirations

indeed but it’s a message that seems to resonate with Weird Ape’s legion of fans

who can’t get enough of its distinctive, British designs paired with high quality

materials and self-winding movements. All offered at very reasonable prices. -w

Britain may never fully return to its former glory as a centre of watchmaking.

In fact, I would say it’s downright unlikely. Yet it’s heartening to see that this

rich heritage has not been forgotten. Instead it is inspiring new generations of

designers, watchmakers and entrepreneurs to come up with innovative ideas of

their own, redefining what it means to be a British watch brand in the 21st-century.

Which is a very, very good thing.

VERTEX

As the only British member of

the Dirty Dozen (an exclusive

group of 12 watch suppliers to

the MoD during World War II),

Vertex’s British watch heritage is

about as genuine as they come.

Established in London’s Hatton

Gardens in 1916 by Claude Lyons,

and working with Swiss suppliers,

the company went on to produce

watches for both military and

civilian use for the next five

decades. Shuttered in the 1970s

after falling on hard times, the

brand has recently been revived

by Lyons’ great-grandson, Don

Cochrane. Drawing on the

company’s military past, Vertex

has already successfully launched

two collections, with more in the

offing.

About the author: Tom Mulraney is a 10-year veteran of the watch industry. He is the publisher and editor of The Watch Lounge, a digital magazine with a unique
take on the world of luxury watches. http://www.thewatchlounge.com

Watch P ro’s

Pick:

Struthers

Kingsley

Mark II.

WatchPro’s Pick:

MP45

Monopusher

WatchPro’s Pick:

Kolt Black/Red.

Struthers co-founders

Rebecca and Craig Struthers.

Vertex founder

Don Cochrane.

BRITISH WATCH COMPANIES / IN DEPTH

watchpro.com / AUGUST 2019 / WATCHPRO 35