Vertex
Vertex is a British watch manufacture originally founded in 1916 by Claude Lyons, which gained historical prominence as the only British company among the “Dirty Dozen” invited by the Ministry of Defence to produce custom-spec timepieces for the military during World War II. After closing in the 1970s due to the quartz crisis, the brand was revived in 2016 by the founder’s great-grandson, Don Cochrane, with a focus on high-end military-inspired tool watches. Its modern flagship model, the M100, is a contemporary reimagining of the original 1944 W.W.W. (Watch, Wrist, Waterproof) design, featuring a 40mm stainless steel case, a hand-wound Swiss movement, and distinctive three-dimensional molded Super-LumiNova Arabic numerals. Other key pieces in the collection include the MP45, a monopusher chronograph based on a 1945 design available in both manual and automatic versions, and the M60 Aqualion, an ISO 6425-certified dive watch waterproof to 600 meters that pays homage to the brand’s vintage divers from the 1950s and 60s. These timepieces are characterized by their adherence to military specifications, matte black dials with broad arrow markings, and robust construction intended for professional use.
Speedbird
Speedbird is a brand of watches produced by Time Factors, a British company founded by Eddie Platts in 1996. The brand is recognized for creating high-specification tool watches that pay homage to classic aviation and military designs, often noted for providing exceptional value relative to their construction quality. Its flagship model, the Speedbird III (PRS-22), is a pilot-style watch inspired by the IWC Mark XV, featuring a 39mm stainless steel case, a soft-iron anti-magnetic inner case, and a high-quality stainless steel bracelet with solid links. These timepieces typically utilize reliable Swiss automatic movements, such as the ETA 2824-2, and incorporate professional features like screw-down crowns and sapphire crystals tested for negative pressure. Other notable entries in the series include the Speedbird GMT and the smaller-cased Baby Speedbird, all of which maintain the brand’s signature sterile, logo-free dial designed for maximum legibility.
Richmond Spencer
Richmond Spencer is a watch brand produced by the British company Time Factors, known for creating timepieces that pay homage to historical and vintage horological designs. The brand is best represented by the Richmond Spencer PRS-8, a limited-edition model inspired by early 20th-century aesthetics. This timepiece typically features a 42mm stainless steel case, a sapphire crystal, and a manually wound Swiss Unitas 6498 movement, which is often visible through an exhibition caseback. Distinguished by its vintage-style dial, often in silver or white with heat-blued hands, the PRS-8 emphasizes traditional craftsmanship through details like a swan-neck regulator and Geneva stripes. The collection is characterized by its small-batch production runs, making these watches sought-after pieces for collectors of military and classic-inspired tool watches.
Mr Jones
Founded in London in 2007 by Crispin Jones, Mr Jones Watches is an independent brand known for its artistic and unconventional approach to horology, often collaborating with international illustrators and designers to create wearable art. The brand distinguishes itself by moving away from traditional hands, instead utilizing rotating discs and layered pad-printed dials to tell time through playful and narrative-driven visuals. Key pieces in their collection include A Perfectly Useless Afternoon, which features a figure lounging in a pool to indicate the time, and The Last Laugh, which uses a skull design where the teeth represent hours and minutes. Operating from two London-based workshops and a flagship store in Covent Garden, the company emphasizes hand-assembly and artisanal printing techniques, offering a range of both Swiss-made automatic and quartz models that prioritize storytelling and conversation over conventional functionality.
Dan Henry
Dan Henry is a microbrand wristwatch manufacturer founded in 2016 by Dan Henry, a prolific vintage watch collector with a personal archive of over 1,500 timepieces. The brand specializes in creating affordable, vintage-inspired watches that capture the design aesthetics of specific eras, with model names typically corresponding to a particular year of inspiration. Key pieces in the collection include the 1937 Dress Chronograph, which features Art Deco styling; the 1962 Racing Chronograph, known for its tachymeter bezel and panda dial options; and the 1970 Automatic Diver, which utilizes a Seiko NH35 movement and is styled after classic super compressor cases. Many of the brand’s chronographs utilize meca-quartz movements to combine the accuracy of quartz with the tactile feel of a mechanical stopwatch, and most models are produced in limited runs with case backs featuring intricate engravings, such as the Lockheed Blackbird or an Aston Martin DB5.
AVI-8
AVI-8 is a British watch brand founded in 2012 by Dartmouth Brands Ltd. that specializes in timepieces inspired by military aviation history and aeronautical engineering. The brand’s design philosophy centers on honoring iconic aircraft, pilots, and engineers, often incorporating aesthetic elements directly from vintage cockpits, such as instrument-style dials, specialized typography, and propeller-shaped hands. Its collections are predominantly named after historic fighter planes and bombers, with key pieces including the Hawker Hurricane, which pays tribute to the World War II single-seat fighter; the Spitfire, known for its classic pilot watch silhouette and interchangeable straps; and the Hawker Hunter, which features technical designs inspired by 1950s jet instrumentation. Other notable lines include the Flyboy collection, dedicated to the heroism of military aviators, and the Lancaster Bomber, which utilizes design cues from the heavy bomber’s fuselage and interior. AVI-8 watches typically utilize reliable Japanese quartz or automatic movements, positioning the brand as a provider of high-specification, functional tool watches at an accessible price point for enthusiasts and historians alike.
Anoma
Anoma is a London-based independent watch brand founded in 2024 by Matteo Violet-Vianello, focusing on timepieces characterized by atypical, sculptural case shapes and mid-century design influences. The brand’s inaugural release, the A1, features a polished 316L stainless steel case with a rounded triangular “pebble-like” silhouette inspired by a 1950s free-form table by designer Charlotte Perriand and the modernist sculptures of Constantin Brancusi. The A1 is notable for its lack of traditional lugs and its hidden crown, elements designed to maintain the purity of its organic form. Key iterations include the A1 First Series, which debuted with a multi-layered lacquered blue dial, and the A1 Optical, which features an intricately engraved dial inspired by Optical Art (Op Art) to create visual illusions of movement. These watches are manufactured in Switzerland, utilize reliable Sellita automatic movements, and are typically released in limited, numbered batches.