Many British brands have signed up for the inaugural Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers exhibition on Saturday, 9 March. It will be an exciting event which brings together the leading players in the British watch industry. With both professional and public access, it will be a unique chance to see many brand portfolios. Some are even releasing special edition watches for sale at the show, for example, Duckworth Prestex.
While planning his special releases, Neil Duckworth noticed there are 24 characters in the name ‘British Watch & Clock Makers”. He conceived that these characters could be used for the hour markers, starting at 12 and moving round clockwise, with the second row of characters in a slightly smaller font size for balance. These form two distinct minute tracks.
It’s a very different design take on indices, however we have seen concentric markers before from other brands. It’s a great concept which works. The result is aesthetically neat and symmetrical. The B and H at 12 and 6 positions are similar in size, while the two Ts at 9 and 3 provide further symmetry. Duckworth states that at first glance, we do not perceive that there is anything obviously different on this dial as the human eye is used to seeing numbers or Roman numerals in a concentric pattern on a watch. It's only when we take a closer look at the dial that we click that it's letters and not numbers in the familiar places.
To emphasise the uniqueness of each model, this new limited-edition will be known simply by the name ‘No1‘, followed by its one-off colour. There will only be a single watch made in each colour, the end result being ten unique watches for sale ONLY on the day of the British Watch Show.
The special edition Duckworth Prestex colour variations will be black, white, dark blue, light blue, green, lilac, pink, orange, yellow, and burgundy. The 39mm case is in the distinctive cushion shape design that has become the signature of Duckworth Prestex.
Duckworth Prestex has been a key player in the UK watch world for many years and is closely connected with the historic tradition of British watchmaking, as the company’s home is in the northern town of Bolton, where John Harwood – the inventor of the world’s first fully automatic watch movement – was also born. Bolton is also the home town of Roger Smith, the most eminent British watchmaker of our time. Each of the new Duckworth Prestex watches will cost £950, and again, it is important to state they will only be available for purchase on the day of the British Watch Show.
Neil Duckworth said: “This has been a great project to have been involved in, with a purpose that is very close to our hearts: celebrating the amazing British watch industry. We’re delighted to join the ranks of British watchmakers displaying their fabulous creations at the show. Well done to the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers for making this initiative happen.”
