By now you shouldn’t need me to tell you that British watchmaking is on a tear and I’m not here to throw numbers at you. I’m here to throw watches. Metaphorically at least. Because as exciting as it is that British watchmaking saw an 18% increase despite an incredibly difficult year, that there are more brands than ever doing better than ever and that we’re starting to sink serious money into building the actual industry at home… it’s the watches you’re interested in.
And boy, do we have you covered. From accessible – if cynical – fun to hand-made enamel via colourful beaters aplenty, expect fun and accessibility in equal measure from the Best British watches of 2026. So far, obviously.
Mr Jones Feline Fine, £225
How’s your year going so far? Having a good 2026? Well then, you’re doing better than Mr Jones’ latest mascot, designed by illustrator Eleanor Dalzell – a cigarette-smoking cat draped in a blanket of indifference. With hands ready to light and throw a Molotov cocktail, this is a watch where half the time ‘everything is fine’, half the time ‘everything is fucked’ and only one of those feels sarcastic. Whether you’re an optimist with a sense of humour or a pessimist needing a horological outlet, this is a typically accessible, atypically cynical bit of wristwear courtesy of one of Britain’s most unique watch brands.
Case/dial: 37mm diameter, stainless steel, illustrated cat design by Eleanor Dalzell
Water resistance: 50m (5 bar)
Movement: Quartz
Strap: Black suede
Price: £225
Montford Rubus, £350
Field watches are historically associated with the military, but where better to wear such expedition focused watches than on safari? Unfortunately, leave it too long and there may be fewer animals to spot – which is why Montford’s debut timepiece is a field watch dedicated to helping save those animals, in particular the elephant. Not only does the Rubus have a dial modelled after elephant skin, textured and grey but in a way that looks genuinely cool, but 44% of the sale price of each watch goes to conservation charity Tusk. That’s a more generous donation than pretty much any charity watch out there but honestly, the solid, 40mm case and unique dial make the accessible ticket price appealing either way.
Case/dial: 40mm diameter, stainless steel, elephant skin texture grey dial
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: Miyota calibre 8215 automatic movement with 40-hour power reserve
Strap: Khaki tan soft vegan leather
Price: £350, limited to 100 pieces
Detrash McQ Salmon, £445
Despite their tagline of ‘made from trash’ due to their recycled steel cases, Detrash’s ode to the horological stylings of Steve McQueen is anything but trashy. Drawing inspiration from watches like the Thomas Crown Affair’s Jaeger-LeCoultre Memevox to the Patek Philippe Calatrava, it aims high. Whether they quite hit those notes or not, the end result is a decidedly elegant daily wear watch with a handsome salmon dial that’s slim enough to double as a dress watch. Powered by an automatic Japanese movement, it’s also much more accessible than any vintage Patek or JLC – and now that we’re no longer swimming in salmon, I’m into a bit of the colour.
Case/dial: 38mm diameter, recycled stainless steel, salmon dial
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: Miyota calibre 9039 automatic movement with 42-hour power reserve
Strap: Brown beerskin
Price: £445
Bovaro Solar Aureate, £500
A quartz-powered calendar is a solid way to get all the hallmarks and genuine usefulness of having day, date and month on your wrist without a prestige price tag – and the Ethereal Frost by Zimbabwean-British brand Bovaro, pairs that accessibility with an eye-catching splash of yellow. Available on either a contrasting brown crocodile strap or a matching bright yellow number, there’s certainly no missing it either way. Wrist presence doesn’t even come into it; shy and retiring the Solar Aureate is not.
Case/dial: 40mm diameter, stainless steel, yellow dial
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: Quartz
Strap: Brown crocodile strap or yellow strap
Price: £500
Kompas, £535
The debut, self-titled watch from new British brand Kompas is inspired by… well, a compass. No prizes for guessing that. But it’s just how they’ve taken that direction that makes the Kompas an intriguing proposition. There are no compass bezels here, just directional geometry. Rather than a traditional minute scale, the watch uses a series of distinctive coloured triangles, each representing a five-minute segment. This leaves plenty of space in the middle of the dial for marking out the second 24 hours of the day. Housed in a rugged, 39mm field watch case and with colourways dedicated to each of the cardinal directions, it’s a fun, fittingly adventurous design and already has me wondering what the brand will do next.
Case/dial: 39mm diameter, stainless steel, geometric direction-themed dial with coloured triangles and 24-hour scale
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: Miyota calibre 9039 automatic movement with 42-hour power reserve
Strap: Rubber or nylon
Price: £535
Oriorwaith J. Sarnowski Y Sgowt Onyx, £550
There’s a reason Onyx has quickly become an insanely popular dial material for watchmakers. The depth of colour is something you just can’t get with enamel, lacquer or any other technique – and the latest edition of Welsh watchmaker J. Sarnowski’s field watch makes the most of the stone. The stark contrast between the deep black stone and bright stainless steel is as eye-catching as any panda dial, making for a watch that’s far more handsome than you’d expect from its practical specs and tempting accessibility. It’s a solid daily wearer wrapped in the refinement of a dress watch. And with a Welsh dragon engraved onto the balance cock, there’s no mistaking where it’s from.
Case/dial: 39mm diameter, stainless steel, onyx stone black dial
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: Customised Miyota calibre 9039 automatic movement with 42-hour power reserve
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Price: £550
Ontic Utility, £599
With a name like Utility you’d expect a tool watch that can take a beating – and you wouldn’t be wrong. Ontic’s 40mm diver amps up the hardness of its Grade 2 titanium case with a DLC coating, making it light and rugged, complete with a ceramic bezel. On top of that it’s powered by a solar quartz movement, meaning it’ll just keep on trucking, whether you smack it against underwater rocks or not. But outside its utilitarian remit, the diver is a looker and a half, with colourful textured dials and lashings of lume blocks – including a cool frame around the six o’clock date window. Want a beater with a bit of personality? Here you go.
Case/dial: 40mm diameter, grade 2 titanium with DLC coating, ceramic bezel, textured dial
Water resistance: 300m (30 bar)
Movement: Ronda Solartech 215, solar quartz
Strap: FKM rubber
Price: £599
Clemence Photic MKII Moray, £600
Channelling the more elegant side of the dive watch spectrum drawn from the Fifty Fathoms, Clemence’s latest generation of Photic diver does the job in style. Slimmer than most tool watches at 9.9mm (10.5 with the crystal), the dial is clean and clear but with a dash of personality from the unusual layout of 12 and six displayed as numerals, the rest in pleasingly blocky hour markers. It’s not just a looker; with a hardened steel surface and intense magnetic shielding, it has the specs and accessibility of a survivalist beater with the look of a prestige marine watch.
Case/dial: 38.5mm diameter x 9.9mm thickness, hardened stainless steel, black dial
Water resistance: 200m (20 bar)
Movement: Miyota calibre 9039 automatic movement with 42-hour power reserve
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Price: £575
Abinger NIMROD Herne, £650
How do you build a watch designed for everyone that still has its own personality? Ask Abinger. The NIMROD not only has goldilocks sizing with its 38.5mm diameter, but the combination of field watch vibes with a minimalist 12-hour bezel for use as a second time zone, there’s not a wrist it wouldn’t suit. That’s doubly true of the Herne edition, which pairs a black bezel with a military green dial. It’s rugged, sure, but in the kind of layered, refined approach that makes it a solid travel watch without all the baggage that comes with a classic GMT. It also means you’re getting a dual time watch with time-only pricing, which is always nice.
Case/dial: 38mm diameter x 10.9mm thickness, stainless steel, military green dial, black bezel
Water resistance: 200m (20 bar)
Movement: Miyota calibre 9039 automatic movement with 42-hour power reserve
Strap: Strap
Price: £650
McQuaide C1 Solstice, £650
Damascus steel is cool, there’s no denying that. But there’s also no denying that McQuaide’s launch line-up cut an imposing figure with big, dive watch cases. Now though the brand’s opting for a more accessible silhouette in their new Cosmopolitan collection, shrinking down to a much more manageable 39mm diameter. And I’m here for it. The cushion case is innately elegant and the dial colours are far from the utilitarian manliness of the Quest. It’s still relatively rugged with 100m water resistance, but this is Damascus steel in a handsome daily wearer – and I love it.
Case/dial: 39mm diameter x 12mm thickness, Damascus steel cushion case
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: Sellita calibre SW200-01b automatic movement with 38-hour power reserve
Strap: Leather
Price: £650
Elliot Brown Beachmaster, £750
Like the original Beachmaster, Elliot Brown’s latest version is built with proper action in mind. Indeed, its patented mission timing function – counting down to mission start, then up to rendezvous – was developed at the request of the Royal Marines. Here though it’s presented with a wavy blue sunray dial that sands off its utilitarian edges a touch and makes it a bit more wearable when you’re not in the field. It’s still a survivalist beast of a watch (hence the quartz movement), but one aesthetically suited to civilian life.
Case/dial: 40mm diameter, stainless steel, blue sunray dial
Water resistance: 300m (30 bar)
Movement: Ronda 515.24H quartz
Strap: Rubber
Price: £750
Swan & Edgar Horizon, £795
Like Sortie, over in our In Focus section, the inspiration behind the Horizon is the Battle of Britain, an event that British watchmakers are rightly proud of. That inspiration is perhaps a bit more obvious here however, as not only does the gorgeous blue enamel have undertones of the English Channel, but that triangle at 12 o’clock is directly taken from an RAF plotting clock. Though it has the additional effect of reminding me of Moser’s rich Passion Fruit watch. Just you know, at a much, much lower price point.
Case/dial: 39.5mm diameter x 11.3mm thickness, stainless steel, blue enamel dial
Water resistance: 50m (5 bar)
Movement: Miyota calibre 9015 automatic movement with 42-hour power reserve
Strap: Suede italian leather
Price: £795
Moels 528s2 Hexara, £1,350
There’s retro cool then there’s whatever you want to call Moels’ TV-shaped slice of retrofuturism that is the 528s2. While the funky watch comes in a few colourful variations, there’s just something about the alternating grey and black of the Hexara that makes it feel gloriously anachronistic. The combination of wedges and off-centre handset really emphasises that this is anything but your standard British timekeeper, with a case only achievable with a five-axis CNC machine. Sure, you could opt for one of the subtler versions but where’s the fun in that? This is a watch that demands second looks. Own it.
Case/dial: 43mm width × 32mm height × 8.7mm thickness, five-axis CNC machined stainless steel, alternating grey and black dial
Water resistance: 50m (5 bar)
Movement: La Joux-Perret calibre D101 manual-wind movement with 50-hour power reserve
Strap: Epsom leather
Price: £1,350
Pinion Neutron Dual, £1,450
Despite a name like a science experiment, Pinion’s latest is actually a more visually restrained version of their seminal Neutron, even if it is a touch more complicated. That’s because of the centre dial, which in its time-only form is home to a wormhole of guilloche, has instead been replaced with a sleek 24-hour scale. In this new dual-time format, the Neutron is a bit more streamlined, a bit quieter and in this silky red, perfectly refined. And at 38mm across, it makes for a compact – and undeniably British – travelling companion.
Case/dial: 38mm diameter x 11mm thickness, stainless steel, red dial
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: ETA calibre 2893-2 automatic movement with 42-hour power reserve
Strap: Strap
Price: £1,450
Christopher Ward C60 Clipper GMT, £1,450
It’s no secret that we have PanAm largely to thank for the GMT as it is today – via Rolex of course – meaning the airline’s place is firmly a part of horological history. And now that Pan American Airways is tentatively back, Christopher Ward is jumping on board with a new collaborative watch, the C60 Clipper GMT. Using the airline’s signature livery of blue and red and deftly avoiding the GMT Master-II comparisons with a solid blue, airport bezel, this 707-piece edition is a fitting tribute to the Boeing 707 ‘Clipper America’. For historians of the golden age of air travel, that means a lot. For the rest of us, it means a particularly cool Christopher Ward.
Case/dial: 42mm diameter x 12.45mm thickness, stainless steel, blue and red Pan American Airways livery dial, blue bezel
Water resistance: 300m (30 bar)
Movement: Sellita calibre SW330-2 automatic movement with 56-hour power reserve
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet and NATO strap
Price: £1,450, limited to 707 pieces
Farer Integra Viridis, £1,550
As there seems to be a distinct lack of stone dials in this round-up (for once) we turn to Farer to rectify the situation with their long overdue but perfectly baked Integra. The gorgeous Malachite dial shows off just why the stone seems to be a mainstay of the watch industry, matched with a green rehaut, hands, rotor and optional rubber strap. Which I would never wear this on. The integrated bracelet is just too good to countenance another option. The tonneau case is sporty and at 38.5mm makes it sporty but wearable for even diminutive wrists like mine. All in all, Farer knocked it out the park. Some things are worth the wait, apparently.
Case/dial: 38.5mm diameter x 10.3mm thickness, stainless steel tonneau case, malachite stone dial
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: Sellita calibre SW300-1 automatic movement with 56-hour power reserve
Strap: Integrated stainless steel bracelet and greeen rubber strap
Price: £1,550
Escudo Atlantic Sky, £1,685
Another year, another version of Escudo’s Portuguese exploration-inspired dive watch that makes it even more tempting than ever before. Dubbed the Atlantic Sky, the dial’s in a fittingly pale shade of icy blue, paired with Escudo’s signature compass-inspired indexes bordered in a darker shade of navy. With a 39mm case paired with a tonally matching but mirror-polished steel bezel – in a way that I always love – this new version begs for warm weather, cloudless skies and clear sailing. It’s a British brand, Portuguese heritage and summer-ready style all wrapped up in one handsome GADA watch.
Case/dial: 39mm diameter x 12.8mm thickness, stainless steel, mirror-polished bezel, icy blue dial
Water resistance: 200m (20 bar)
Movement: Sellita calibre SW200-1 automatic movement with 38-hour power reserve
Strap: Strap
Price: £1,685
Split In the Skies, £1,800
Split’s colourful, wellness-focused range of intensely sporty chronographs already have sledgehammer impact, so where do you take the collection’s Brutalist cases from there? Into the dark, apparently. In the day, this Seiko-equipped chronograph is a crisp white with ultra-legible black markers. At night however, the whole thing comes to life, similar to Bell & Ross’s full lume insanity. Here that all-over glowing case is achieved by mixing luminescent powder into the Ceramod material. It’s bright enough to keep you up at night. But it’s also good to know that, as the watch includes a donation of an hour’s therapy, in partnership with the Anna Freud Centre, you can help other people sleep better at night.
Case/dial: 42mm diameter x 15mm thickness, Ceramod+ case with luminescent powder, white dial, full lume
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: Seiko calibre NE86 automatic movement with 45-hour power reserve
Strap: FKM rubber
Price: £1,800, limited to 250 pieces
Aera D-1 Diver, £2,000
If you missed the first round of Aera’s now sold-out minimalist diving watch then have no fear! It may have taken them four years, but the British brand is finally reintroducing it – alongside its P-1 Pilot partner – to their line-up. Compared to the original it’s slimmer and more refined, the movements have been given a better finish and a slightly overhauled dial. They’re all small touches but add up to a watch that captures why the original put Aera on the (local) map, but in a way that genuinely improves that first launch. With 300 available, don’t expect them to hang around any longer than the first run.
Case/dial: 44mm diameter x 15.9mm thickness, stainless steel, black dial
Water resistance: 300m (30 bar)
Movement: Sellita calibre SW-200-1 Elabore automatic movement with 38-hour power reserve
Strap: Black rubber
Price: £2,000, limited to 300 pieces
Nomadic Céad 126, £2,450
Irish for ‘First’, Céad 126 is a fitting name for Belfast-based Nomadic’s debut chronograph, which itself is a tribute to Irish motorsport. First, it calls out ambassador Glenn Irwin and his 126mph average lap speed at the insane North West 200 race. Second, the eagle-eyed will notice that the tachymeter highlights 88 rather than the usual 90. That’s because of one of Belfast’s historic motoring names, DeLorean. If you need the change explaining any more than that, there’s no hope for you. Even if you’re not enamoured by Irish motoring references however, the Céad 126 is simply a great-looking, three-register chronograph, particularly in the classic Panda mix of black subdials on white.
Case/dial: 40mm diameter x 14.3mm thickness, stainless steel, panda dial
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: Sellita calibre SW500 manual-wind movement with 58-hour power reserve
Strap: Custom hand-stitched Strap Tailor Badalassi Rally
Price: £2,550
William Wood Triumph Vintage Edition, £2,995
While I tend to prefer clean over visually crowded, this edition of William Wood’s firefighter-inspired Triumph dive watch is certainly something. A diamond-cut bezel in champagne meets gold numerals, yellow-gold subdials inspired by fire engine pump gauges and a gold-plated case, it’s a melange of different antique hues. It all ties together with a black and gold strap into something very, very different from William Wood, something that looks and feels like a prestige piece unearthed at a junk shop and cleaned back up to working order.
Case/dial: 41mm diameter x 16mm thickness, gold-plated stainless steel, diamond-cut champagne bezel, gold numerals and yellow-gold subdials
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: Sellita calibre SW510 automatic movement with 48-hour power reserve
Strap: Black and gold firehose
Price: £2,995
Fears Brunswick De Stijl Edition, £3,550
Another supremely cool collaboration with Amsterdam-based Ace Jewellers, the latest version of Fear’s seminal Brunswick takes a more artistic approach to things. Inspired by the Dutch De Stijl art movement practiced by the likes of Piet Mondriaan, the dial is a colourful, geometric masterpiece that just about maintains an element of readability, complete with perfectly placed lettering. It’s a stark contrast with the 1930s-style case, even if the movement was decades earlier. It’s a supremely cool watch and a damn sight cheaper than trying to get a De Stijl painting for your wall.
Case/dial: 38mm diameter, stainless steel, colourful geometric De Stijl art-inspired white lacquer dial
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: La Joux-Perret calibre D100 manual-wind movement with 50-hour power reserve
Strap: Buffalo leather
Price: £3,550
Moriarty Hibernia, £3,695
A WOSTEP-trained watchmaker and self-taught enamelist, Alison Moriarty is a genuine artisan working at temptingly accessible levels. She’s like the UK’s answer to Laine – high praise, I know – and her particular breed of opaque enamel is certainly a unique twist on what we’ve come to know and love. The green-speckled Hibernia is a prime example, with a look more like mossy concrete than glossy enamel. Set in a classical 40mm case with echoes of traditional British watchmaking, it almost feels like Moriarty (a member of the Alliance of British Watch and Clockmakers) are underselling themselves at £3,695. Still, it’s early days; you’ll need to contact them on Instagram if you’re interested in a watch. And you should be, they’re deliciously interesting.
Case/dial: 40mm diameter, stainless steel, green-speckled opaque enamel dial
Water resistance: 30m (3 bar)
Movement: Sellita calibre SW300 automatic movement with 56-hour power reserve
Strap: Strap
Price: £3,695
The Clemence write up has errors re the numerals displayed
No Schofield Skeptico or Isotope Ovni? Big miss. Perhaps as they’re not ready yet, but available to order now.
The Clemence Photic 2 has not been distributed yet….I have one on order. So it cannot be that?
Isotope OVNI for the easy win. Incredible.