British Watchmakers’ Day has become one of the essential calendar dates in the UK horology scene, bringing together the great and the good of the UK industry. This year it’s taking place on March 8th and you can find the full details here. As you may have seen over the past few days and our articles on the Beaucroft and Fears x Studio Underd0g one of the best features of the show are the event exclusive special editions that brands create, dedicated to British design and watchmaking. The Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers have now revealed the complete list of British Watchmakers’ Day limited edition watches so let’s take a look, in alphabetical order to make my life easier.
Alkin Model Three Special Edition
Founded in Bristol, Alkin produce an array of no-nonsense tool watches that are ideal daily beaters. Clean, legible displays and robust steel cases housing accessible and reliable Japanese movements. The Alkin Model Three Special Editon takes one of their core models and presents in the red, white and blue of the Union Jack.
More details at Alkin.
Apiar Gen1.B
After debuting with the Invenire in 2023, Apiar are using the occasion of British Watchmakers’ Day to announce a brand new core collection. The brand uses innovative ‘additive manufacturing’ techniques (3D printing in layman speak) to create case structures that seem impossible. For the show they are creating 5 Gen.1B special editions with red dials.
More details at Apiar.
Beaucroft x Penfold
As mentioned in the introduction, we’ve already done a full dive into the Beaucroft x Penfold. To summarise here, it’s a cool collaboration between the Cambridge-based brand and a popular urban artist known for their use of colour and geometric shape. Hence the cool gradient across the geometric shapes of this watch’s dial.
More details at Beaucroft.
BŌKEN Breacher
At the event BŌKEN will be showcasing their brand new Breacher collection, crafted through their new ‘Built British’ program in partnership with Horologium. It’s a field watch collection consisting of three models including a GMT. We only have teaser images at the moment because the British Watchmakers’ Day Special Editions will be created live at the event as popular artist Chris Alexander AKA The Dial Artist will paint three examples ahead of a silent auction.
More details at BŌKEN.
Christopher Ward C1 Moonphase Mission to Maidenhead
The largest British brand, Christopher Ward are taking a fun approach to their special edition, taking the C1 Moonphase and planting the Union Jack on the surface of the moon with a little astronaut cartoon. You’ll also spot the flag laser etched into the aventurine glass dial. The name, Mission to Maidenhead, is also a cheeky play on the Swatch Mission to the Moon naming convention.
More details at Christopher Ward.
Clemence The Munro 2025 Concept Edition
The Munro by Clemence is the archetype of a daily beater field watch, versatile and durable – built to survive the strain of everyday adventures. At British Watchmakers’ Day they’re releasing a 10-piece 2025 Concept Edition, which gives the piece a luxe makeover with a fresh bronze gilt dial that places greater emphasis on its Art Deco style. It’s a great looking watch.
More details at Clemence.
Duckworth Prestex No.2
Based on the recent success of the Prestex Bolton Original, Duckworth Prestex are releasing the Prestex No.2 as their event exclusive watch. Unlike the Bolton models it’s only branded as Prestex, a nod to the original name of the company when it was founded 100 years ago. Again red, white and blue are at the forefront of this patriotic edition.
More details at Duckworth Prestex.
Elliot Brown Holton Auto GMT XXV/X
Elliot Brown have given the Holton Auto GMT two updates to create the XXV/X edition. If you’re wondering XXV/X means 25/10 in Roman numerals, a nod to it being the year 2025 and a limited edition of 10 pieces. It features a fresh blue dial and for the first time ever the steel case and bracelet have a brushed finish, increasing the level of detail across the watch.
More details at Elliot Brown.
Farer Aurora 36mm
Ask any Farer fan what the brand is best known for and they’ll probably say colourful tool watches. Which is why Farer have subverted expectations with their most classical dress watch in years. It’s a 36mm time only piece with a copper, salmon dial. The layout is almost a hybrid between a sector dial dress watch and a practical Flieger pilot’s watch, I suppose Farer couldn’t leave their tool watch bias behind entirely.
More details at Farer.
Fears Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour ‘Edwardian Edition’
The Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour is becoming something of a signature model when it comes to Fears and British watchmaking, first catching headlines in its Alliance collaboration with Christopher Ward a few years ago. For 2025 they’ve dressed it up in full British luxury with a sterling silver case and white lacquer dial inspired by the Edwardian period.
More details at Fears.
Geckota Pioneer Special Edition in Lapis Blue
The Pioneer is Geckota’s signature model, having seen constant production since its launch in 2017. For the special edition they’ve redesigned the dial with a new Lapis Blue colourway that looks really smart alongside the pale-yellow minute track and lumed indexes. Inside it houses the Seiko NH35 automatic movement.
More details at Geckota.
Golby The Coastal
At time of writing Golby haven’t revealed any images of their new range yet, including the special edition version that will accompany them to British Watchmakers’ Day. They describe it as a practical tool watch with custom lighthouse hands and hour markers at 12/3/6/9. Considering that lighthouses are a common sight along the coast of Britain, it sounds like a fitting watch for the occasion.
More details at Golby.
Isotope Mercury Cloisonné & Micro Marquetry
Isotope revealed some work in progress teaser images of the British Watchmakers’ Day timepieces which showcase deeply patriotic takes on Metiers d’Art. As some collectors have noted the outsourcing of these dials to artisans in other countries does take a little off the edge of the idea of Britishness but it’s still cool to see British design expand its reach around the globe.
More details at Isotope.
Marloe Watch Company Morar 310 “A Decade in Time”
The Morar 310 “A Decade in Time” also serves as Marloe’s 10th anniversary timepiece. It features a colourful design with a white ceramic bezel, sky blue dial and yellow accents. These colours were chosen due to their shared use on the flags of Sweden and the Isle of Skye in Scotland, places significant in the history of the team behind the brand. It also has 310m water resistance putting it about 10m ahead of the dive watch standard these days.
More details at Marloe.
Monro MOA-BWD
The Monro MOA-BWD, or Monro Adventure – British Watchmakers’ Day, is actually a one-of-one piece unique that will be available at the event. They describe that it will be won by a lucky visitor who registers with them throughout the day. It’s a patriotic red, white and blue rendition of their core model, complete with their signature handset.
More details at Monro.
Mr Jones Khaosify Mechanical
If Mr Jones produced more mechanical watches, I could talk about their wacky designs all day. Unfortunately, many of their coolest creations like the Khaosify are only available in quartz, until now! For British Watchmakers’ Day, the zany design of the Khaosify is receiving a mechanical upgrade courtesy of the Sellita SW200.
More details at Mr Jones.
Nomadic Fior 555 British Watchmakers’ Day LE
Nomadic are releasing their first GMT wristwatch in the form of the Fior 555, named after the Irish word for ‘true’ and the coordinates for Belfast (54°34′ North, 5°55′ West), the city they call home. It pays homage to the legendary ‘Pepsi’ design of GMT watches with two-tone 24-hour GMT bezels. They get away with it because of course, paired with that dial, it’s a red, white and blue combination.
More details at Nomadic.
Olivier Meylan PES Special Edition
It’s well known that a lot of British watchmaking involves importing parts from around the world but the more of it we can do at home the better, so any improvement however small is significant. Olivier Meylan’s PES Special Edition is their first to be assembled in the UK, starting to bring part of the production process to home shores in addition to its design.
More details at Olivier Meylan.
Omologato Arnage 24h GMT Rouge
Omologato appear to have taken a leaf out of the Bell & Ross playbook for the Arnage 24h GMT with its 1970s inspired square case with rounded, cushion bezel. The launch celebrates 10 years of Omologato and their motorsport inspired watches. For British Watchmakers’ Day they have produced a limited edition version of the watch with rouge dial. Of note, this is also one of Omologato’s automatic models housing a Miyota movement rather than quartz.
More details at Omologato.
Pinion Neutron Violet
Look at the dial of the Pinion Neutron Violet and it’s a beautiful piece of design with electroplated violet guilloché. Turn the watch over and it’s an arachnophobe’s worst nightmare with one of the gnarliest depictions of a spider I’ve ever seen on a watch. Plus, it has a human eye in its abdomen. Gothic as all hell. Which is very British in its own Mary Shelley kind of way (I almost said Bram Stoker, which would have upset a lot of people).
More details at Pinion.
Pompeak Smoked Red Gentlemens Edition
The Pompeak Gentlemen is their most popular collection and the natural fit for an event exclusive special edition. For this piece they’ve given it a rich red dial with a slight gradient towards black around the edge, giving it a smoky appearance. If this was France or Switzerland, you’d call it fumé, but this is Britain, so it’s smoked.
More details at Pompeak.
Schofield x Guffee B6 Deep Blue, Shallow Green and Sea-Change
Schofield, not content with just one special edition, are bringing three limited pieces to the British Watchmakers’ Day. All three are based on the same watch with variations in design. The core model is the B6, their bronze watch with aged patina. The B6 Deep Blue and Shallow Green are variations of the same design, which features a mermaid caseback, in their titular colours. The Sea-Change features an enamel caseback designed by American artist Benjamin Guffee, inspired by a line from Shakespeare’s The Tempest.
More details at Schofield.
Sidereus Gordon Bennett
The Sidereus Gordon Bennett features a racing green dial based on the famous British racing green colour that was first used at the Gordon Bennett Cup in 1903, which was hosted in Ireland and hence the shamrock shade. While “Gordon Bennett” used as a swear also feels very British due to its frequent use in Only Fools and Horses as well as other sitcoms, it unfortunately has nothing to do with this watch. At least the PR line makes no mention of it, I’m sure that secretly it must be an intentional double meaning.
More details at Sidereus.
Fears x Studio Underd0g The Gimlet
The Fears x Studio Underd0g The Gimlet is another wristwatch we’ve already been hands-on with, inspired by the cocktail of the same name. It’s perhaps the watch most in the spirit of the event, fusing the design codes of two powerhouses of the British industry. The dial is taken from the 02Series while the case is pure Brunswick.
More details at Studio Underd0g.
Vertex M60 Taormina
Vertex have decided not to fall into the trap of creating an overly patriotic watch and instead dedicated theirs to Taormina. Taormina is a well-loved free diving location in Sicily, hence that watch’s dive watch specs and vibrant blue dial inspired by the Ionian Sea. It has a 600m water resistance rating, the highest of any British Watchmakers’ Day exclusive.
More details at Vertex.
Zero West S5e and S6e Limited Edition
Like Golby, Zero West are yet to fully reveal their limited editions. All we know so far is they’re called the S5e and S6e, each limited to 99 pieces. What they are is a complete mystery but given we’re talking about Zero West they’re likely to have a vintage aviation or military connection.
More details at Zero West.
Just received the email that British Watchmakers Day 2025 has sold out within 24 hours.
As always, a great review across all sectors.
Choice of watches as we all know is very personal and to a large degree, dependant upon each person’s cost criteria and style considerations.
For me, my favourites from the watches reviewed, are Farer (as I tend to like most of their output), Pinion and Prestex. My absolute favourite though is the Fears Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour ‘Edwardian edition’, but, as a very, very, limited edition of a total run of only 10 watches, it’s going to be very expensive, and over subscribed. Luck will also play a massive part in obtaining one of these, even for those people that are on the “Fears golden Willy Wonka ticket list”. Envious me, yes.