There is no point re-writing this article. It looks very exciting.
British Auction Action
Category Archives: British watch
Bremont – New Movement
Last Wednesday week’s I was very disappointed, Bremont were having a major event at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, 850 metres away from my house and I didn’t get an invite. This was especially disapppointing because as well as the launch of Bremont’s latest limited edition watch, the Longtitude, it was the announcement of a new Bremont proprietary movement. Given all the fuss about “in-house, not in-house”, especially at Bremont this is potentially an important moment in the revival of the British watch industry.
The Longtitude
The Limited Edition Bremont Longitude, available in steel, white or rose gold, houses the brand’s first manufactured movement the new ENG300 movement.
Bremont has acquired the full rights to manufacture and
re-engineer the celebrated K1 calibre from the Swiss firm “THE+” and launches the ENG300 movement series. The machining base components and assembly will all be carried out in the new Bremont Manufacturing & Technology Centre “The Wing” based in Henley-on-Thames. Bremont has re-engineered 80% of the base calibre, including making a number of design improvements, in order to build a proprietary movement to their unique specification. After their contraversial claim in 2014, when they claimed total proprietorship over a movement that proved to have been created by La Joux-Perret this time Bremont have gone to great lengths to justify their defintition as “proprietary”. I have read that they have upgraded 80 percent of the movement in-house and that they are manufacturing 55 percent of the movement by weight in Henley (five parts in all – the base plate and four bridges). “By weight” seems an unusal measure, which you might gain further insight to by listening to the Scottish Watches podcast on the subjet. It will be very intersting to see how this is all taken by the watch world. The movement is rated to “Chronometer” standard, but not COSC certified, as this is reserved for Swiss made movements.
As you will see from the images above the Longditude does have the “dressy” look of previous special editions like the Victory or Wright Flyer. As with these earlier watches and also incorporates some material of “historical” interest, in this case original brass from the historic Flamsteed Meridian Line at the Royal Observatory Greenwich on the outer edge of the movement.
The other neat feature is the small power reserve indicator that mimics the Time Ball on the top of the Royal Observatory. The Time Ball was first used in 1833 and still operates today. Normally each day, at 12.55pm, the time ball rises half way up its mast. At 12.58pm it rises all the way to the top. At 1pm exactly, the ball falls.
You can find full details of the watches on Bremont’s website . The real story here though is the movement. I look forward to seeing how it develops. Let’s hope this really is the beginning of volume production of watch movements in Britain
Fear’s 175th Bash
Any readers who might have visited this blog before will be aware that I have known Nicholas Bowman-Scargill, the 4th Managing Director of Fears Watches for a few years. I was therefore very pleased to receive an invitation to the celebration of this important anniversary. Given the recent lack of any watch connected social life the invitation itself regardless of the location would have been accepted in double quick time, but this party was held on the top three floors of the Shard in London. Apparently the tallest building in Europe – wow.
The event as well as a great excuse for a party was an opportunity for Nicholas to showcase his latest book of the company’s history and the limited edition commemorative watches.
The book I have already covered in a recent post has received a positive reaction from those that have seen it. I particularily enjoyed Nicholas’s exhaustive background explanation as a guest on a recent Scottish Watches podcast ( here’s a link)
You will notice commerative watches, plural. The commerative series is known as Archival and it comes in two variants, both of which based on a 1930’s model suitably scaled to a more modern size. Consistent with Nicholas’s attention to detail the size increase is 17.5%.
The two variants are the Archival 1930 and Archival 1930 Small Seconds. The series will be limited to 175 pieces, one for each year ot the history of Fears. Each watch will have the number of a year engraved on the case back.
Of the entire series 39 will be the small seconds version, these watches representing the years that the Fears company was dormant before being re-started by Nicholas.
The two models differ by the movements that power them, with the two-handed Archival 1930 (136 watches) using a new old stock manual winding movement dating from the 1960s. While the three-handed Archival 1930 Small Seconds uses a new old stock manual winding movement dating from the 1930s. Both are movements that Fears used in the past. Each movement, having never previously been used, has undergone a full re-build and recondition in the workshop while receiving an upgraded mainspring to enhance reliability. The small seconds version using a NOS Swiss made ZentRa 185/ETA 717, circa 1935, and in the two handed version you will find a ETA 2360, from circa 1968. Both movements are manual wound running at 18,000 vph.
As we have come to expect from Fears both of these watches are beautifully made. I was lucky enough to have the chance to see and try the in the metal a few days before the anniversay event.
The17.5% size increase nicely satisfies modern tastes, this is a watch that sites very snuggly on the wrist, this helped by the gentle curve of the caseback. This stikes me as being a watch that offers similar utility to the Brunswick, a watch that can be dressed up or down by using a different strap. I continue to suggest to Nicholas how good his watches can be “casualised” using prelon straps. You can just see this watch on wrists at the Hamptons over the summer.
The hint in much of the the Fears literature is that these watches are the first of the Archival series. I am sure many of us will be looking at the back catalogue and will have our own ideas of what should be next. Always be wary of suggesting a dive watch, how many times has Nicholsa been quoted as saying he cannot swim. Maybe if he had swimming lessons he might change his mind.
Here are the full technical specs:
Archival 1930 specification
| CASE | 316L stainless steel, 40mm x 22mm rectangular-shaped with curved front and back (depth 8.54mm). Closed caseback. Made in Germany |
| LUG WIDTH | 20mm |
| MOVEMENT | New-Old-Stock, Swiss made ETA 2360, circa 1968, manual winding, 17 jewels, 18,000vph (2.5Hz) and 40 hr power reserve. Reconditioned, serviced, and fitted with an upgraded main spring in the UK |
| GLASS | Sapphire Crystal to front with ARdur® Swiss anti-reflective coating on inside and outside. Crystals made in Hong Kong, Anti-reflective coating applied in Switzerland |
| DIAL | Vintage Champagne with 18ct yellow gold coating. Polished and matte finishes. Glossy black printing. Made in Germany |
| HANDS | ‘Fears’ hands – Bevelled, diamond polished and Blued. Made in Germany |
| FUNCTIONS | Time |
| WARRENTY | 2 Year guarantee from date of purchase |
| STRAP | Oxblood Red, British calf leather, lined in Alcantara®, handmade. Leather tanned in the UK, Strap made in Belgium |
| SERIAL NUMBER | Individually numbered, sequentially |
| LIMITED EDITION | Engraved with a unique year from 1846 – 1976 and 2016 – 2021 |
| MODEL REFERENCE | BS8-1930-0 |
| RETAIL PRICE | £3,500 inc. VAT (£2,916.67 ex. VAT) |
Archival 1930 Small Seconds specification
| CASE | 316L stainless steel, 40mm x 22mm rectangular-shaped with curved front and back (depth 9.28mm). Closed caseback. Made in Germany |
| LUG WIDTH | 20mm |
| MOVEMENT | New-Old-Stock, Swiss made ZentRa 185/ETA 717, circa 1935, manual winding, 15 jewels, 18,000vph (2.5Hz) and 38 hr power reserve. Reconditioned, serviced, and fitted with an upgraded main spring in the UK |
| GLASS | Sapphire Crystal to front with ARdur® Swiss anti-reflective coating on inside and outside. Crystals made in Hong Kong, Anti-reflective coating applied in Switzerland |
| DIAL | Vintage Champagne with 18ct yellow gold coating. Polished and matte finishes. Glossy black printing. Made in Germany |
| HANDS | ‘Fears’ hands – Bevelled, diamond polished and Blued. Made in Germany |
| FUNCTIONS | Time with subsidiary seconds at 6 o’clock |
| WARRENTY | 2 Year guarantee from date of purchase |
| STRAP | Oxblood Red, British calf leather, lined in Alcantara®, handmade. Leather tanned in the UK, Strap made in Belgium |
| SERIAL NUMBER | Individually numbered, sequentially |
| LIMITED EDITION | Engraved with a unique year from 1977 – 2015 |
| MODEL REFERENCE | BS8-1930-0 |
| RETAIL PRICE | £3,950 inc. VAT (£3,291.67 ex. VAT) |
Britain’s Work Benches
If you have not signed up to Giles Ellis of Schofield Watches ‘ amusing weekly newsletter you would have missed this interesting insight to the lives of some of the people behind Britain’s exciting watch sector. Giles posted images of their desks. If you do not want to miss further insights into the world of Schofield you can sign up on the Scofield website.
I hope this has not taken away any of the mystery
Fears Book
I started my journey into the world of British watch brands by asking myself questions about the importance of heritage. This question coming from the appearance of Bremont on the market. I think most watch enthusiasts would agree that alongside prestige, heritage or at least a story is an important element of consideration in the choice of a watch.
On person that has understood this very well is Nicholas Bowman-Scargill the (4th) Managing Director of Fears Watches. Until the companies re-launch at Salon QP in 2016, Fears was not a brand most enthusiasts would, as marketing people would say, name spontaneously. Within the space of very few years Nicholas has very skillfully has managed to remind the watch comunity of his brands heritage, which I have not heard anyone question. As well as making the most of this history Nicholas has very successfully and tastefully taken design elements from the company’s history.
Last week saw the announcement by Bristol Books publishes a 176-page book today about the 175-year history of the Fears Watch Company. Titled, “Elegantly Understated: 175 years of the Fears Watch Company” the book takes a detailed look at one of Britain’s oldest watch companies from its founding in 1846, through to its closure in the late 1970s and its re-birth in 2016. Researched and written by Bristol-based author Jane Duffus, the book traces Fears’ extensive history across four chapters, each covering the era of one of the Fear family’s managing directors. The book’s foreword has been written by Roger Smith OBE, renowned watchmaker and Chairman of the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers.
Printed and hardback bound in the United Kingdom, “Elegantly Understated” includes numerous photographs and illustrations from the Fears archive. Both watches and artefacts are reproduced in full colour along with maps of the former locations and the logos used by the company in each era. “Elegantly Understated” has been published in the year in which Fears celebrates the 175th anniversary of Edwin Fear founding his workshop on Redcliff Street, Bristol in 1846.
The author’s research over two years unearthed many new facts about the company, which had been thought lost when it closed its doors in the late 1970s. Her numerous interviews included members of the Fear family as well as one of the final watchmakers to work for the company in its first incarnation. This research has resulted in a detailed history not only of one of the oldest watch companies in Britain, but also of a family business that persevered through numerous world catastrophes such as two world wars and the great depression.
Commenting on “Elegantly Understated” being published, Nicholas Bowman-Scargill, (4th) Managing Director of Fears Watch Company, says “I am delighted that the history of the company which I’m honoured to run today, has been published in time for such a significant milestone year in Fears’ history. Jane’s enthusiasm for creating this book meant her research left no stone unturned and resulted in her discovering new information that I’d previously not been aware of. To have this all in one place, in a beautifully bound book, filled with interesting anecdotes and numerous pictures is a huge joy for me. I hope that people enjoy reading and learning about Fears’ extensive history as much as I have.”
Commenting on writing “Elegantly Understated”, Jane Duffus, author, says “Tracing the Fear family’s history through time has been such a rewarding experience. This is a story that is about more than watches, because the Fears story also covers two world wars, a financial depression and even a global pandemic. This story about a heritage watch brand has also become a reflection of British society through the past 175 years, and I feel very proud to have been involved with this project. I hope others will enjoy the book just as much as I enjoyed working on it.”
In writing the foreword for “Elegantly Understated”, Roger Smith OBE commented “The 175th anniversary of Fears arrives at a pivotal time for British watchmaking. When we founded the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers to guide the resurgence of our sector, we immediately recognised the importance of Fears as one of our true heritage makers with a fascinating and genuine continuation of one of Britain’s oldest watchmaking families. It was therefore a privilege to contribute a foreword for this important book and I wish Nicholas and the Fears family my very best for another 175 years – and volume 2!”
This initiative underlines to me what an excellent PR job Nicholas is doing for his re-born company. This following his very innovative offer of the loan of a Fears watch to those needing to make the right impression for a job interview. Should Nicholas ever decide watches are no longer for him he would have a great future in PR. We all hope he continue with his current calling – watches
Beautiful Schofield
I have not posted for some time, there are a couple of reasons for this but it mainly because the pleasure of meeting the watch community in person is severely restricted. An e-mail from Giles Ellis of Schofield has jolted me into action, thank you Giles. We have to pick ourselves up after this epidemic and make the best of it.
I have always had a soft spot for the Schofield Bronze Beater, it always reminds me of my early visits to Salon QP. These distinctive British watches offering something very different to the Swiss mainstream. Then made from bronze which do my mind is the horological equivalent of selvedge denim.
This the latest “Japanese” edition is limited to 29 pieces is built is inspired by Giles Ellis’ love of that country, its people and their traditions.
The dial is the colour of Indigo dyed Boro, a unique patched and repaired workwear cloth. The British made case is heavily patinated bronze.The case back depicts Daruma-San a traditional Japanese doll. The
character on his chest means good luck and these dolls are often given as gifts prior to a challenge or task. The case back engraving
also shows a Tokyo drain cover design of ginkgo and cherry blossom.
The watch strap is Mudcloth, a tough canvas fixed with plant seeds and mud for six months to achieve this rich colour.
You will notice from the techenical specification below this Beater features an STP movement. To be completely honest I only looked at the specifications to see if thi “Japanese” edition also used a Japanese movement. I questioned Giles about this choice and he told me that all the Schofield Beaters are now transitioning to STP 1-11 movements from the ETA 2724.
So as we have come to expect from Schofield a beautifully presented watch with loads details to talk about. I look forward to being able to do that in person, hopefully soon. Stay safe everyone.
Technical
Movement STP 1-11, self-winding mechanical. Hours, minutes and hacking sweep seconds
Power reserve 44 hours
Diameter 25.6mm
Height 4.6mm with rotor
Jewels 26
Power reserve 44 hours
Frequency 28,800 VPH 4Hz
Case Bronze Patinated
Diameter 44mm
Crystal diameter 35.5mm
Height not including lugs 14.8mm
Width between lugs 24mm
Weight with strap and buckle 128 grams
Crystal Sapphire, AR coating
Case Back Heavily engraved Japanese design
Crown Double o-ring push in type with gold nail groove
Dials Split-level, painted, lacquered
Date None
Luminescence Super-LumiNova C3 green emission
Hands Brushed gold, Super-LumiNova C3 blue emission
Strap 24mm tapering to 22mm – Japanese Mudcloth pale face
Buckle Brushed steel
Box Ash and cedar
Serial Limited to 29 watches worldwide
Water resistance 200m
Warranty 2 years
Price is £3280 including VAT (UK / free shipping) or £2733 excluding VAT (US, Canada, Europe ROW + shipping)
Fears – Bling
As my regular readers will know Fears is one of my favourite British watch brands, they have been an important part of my Grinidgetime journey. I have closely followed their progress starting from my first chat with Nicholas Bowman-Scargill over a couple of beers in 2016, when he proudly showed me the quartz powered Redcliff range. I could not imagine then that only five years later Fears would launch a hand made platinum watch ; a tremendous effort for a small self financing company.
Unfortunately, due to the current restrictions on our social and business lives I was not able to meet Nicholas for a secret preview so we organised a Zoom call. From Nicholas’s description this is a watch I really want to see in the metal and hold in my hands. This is the video he used to show me the watch.
We are now used to the Fears attention to detail, detail and more detail, watches all superbly finished. It looks as though this watch takes this obsession to another level. Each platinum case takes over one hundred hours to shape and polish by the goldsmith Justin Richardson in Canterbury . After the use of platimum there is more “bling” the use of diamonds on the dial and the crown. Personally, before seeing this watch I could not image even considering a watch with diamonds but I must admitt their use on this Brunswick is very indescrete and of course very elegantly done. As these watches are by no means mass produced, there maybe five a year, they can also be made without the diamonds.
The dial is Anthracite Grey, made using a coating of real Anthracite. Each dial is hand finished, involving over 58 processes, and features a contemporary layout with alternating platinum plated Arabic numerals and diamonds. The discreet diamond markers complement the D-colour, flawless diamond set into the Platinum winding crown.
Then the next surprise, the strap. We are by now used to Fears watches offering straps made from traditional materials, even if wool has not tradationally been used on straps. The Brunswick comes with a hand sewn strap, made using Kevlar with contrasting platinum coloured stitching and Fears Blue Alcantara lining. The strap is joined by a platinum pin buckle, whose shape mirrors the silhouette and cross section of the watch’s case.
Turning the watch over we discover the next surprise, a solid caseback in hallmarked platinum. True to form even the hallmark is special.
Continuing a Fears tradition since 1846, the company’s hallmark is the initials of the Managing Director at the time, and so the case and buckle have been marked by the London Assay Office with the initials of Fears’ current Managing Director: “NBS”.
Purely by coincidence whilst writing this post I came another episode of the Scottish Watches podcast in which Nicholas talks about this watch. Listen here http://www.scottishwatches.co.uk/2021/03/26/scottish-watches-podcast-242-chatting-with-nicholas-from-fears-about-the-new-brunswick-pt-platinum-watch/
At this point you need to find £28,200 and visit the Fears website : https://www.fearswatches.com/products/brunswick-pt
Another – “How I started a watch company”
Since I started writing this blog it seems to me that there are more and more watch companies starting up, and this trend isn’t limited to the UK.
Bearing this in mind I assume there are also people out there thinking “I’d like to start a watch company – how do you do it ? “. Well with this post I don’t aim to answer this question, just to point you in the direction of another great interview on the Scottish Watches podcast, this time with Paul Sweetenham of the British brand Farer Watches.
Isotope GMT 0º – A unique traveller’s watch
Once Jose, the co-founder of Isotope Watches, started telling me about his new GMT watch I noticed a plethora of new GMT models being announced.. Maybe watch lovers are pinning for more normal times when they could use the GMT functionality, that is when we could travel.
The Isotope GMT 0º is the company’s recognition of the international importance of Greenwich, and hence Greenwich Mean Time, to horology, from a British based international watch brand. Appropriately for an international company, Isotope has worked again with the Russian designer Vikenty Gryaznov.
I have been lucky enough to get my hands on a very early example of this interesting watch. As you will see from the images the design team have come up with a unique solution that however remains faithful to the design direction of previous watches from Isotope. The key element being the “lacrima” shape in the centre of the dial., actually twice, the smaller version indicating the second time zone. The dial is best thought of as consisting of three elements. The first being the normal two hands, skeletonised, showing the hours and minutes in the usual way. The hour indicies being slots in the dial. Then working towards the centre of the dial we next find a circle of thirty-one holes through which the rotating dial underneath indicates the date with a red dot. The final element is incorporates the lacrima shape and it is here the smaller lacrima indicates the second time zone.
The black dialled version I am reviewing takes a little concentration to read, especially in the low light of this season, as the lume is limited to the tips of the skeletonised hands and is the same colour as the GMT lacrima. Anyone wanting greater legability would probably be wiser to choose one of the other coloured or white versions. The black being for those who prefer a more strealthy look.
I should then move onto the screwed down caseback. I am not personally a huge fan of display backs, especially on fairly everday movements. I think here Isotope have come up with an excellent compromise solution, a small window within which the customised Isotope rotor on the movement can seen powering the watch. The remaining space on the back then is engraved with the names of key international cities and their time differences relative to Greenwich (GMT).
The 42mm steel case bespoke case is subtly different to the usual circular shape, it is actually “0 – zero” shaped, a homage to the latitude at Greenwich. Despite being a relatively high 14.2mm, the watch sits well on e wrist. Clearly, the the height is necessary given the automatic GMT movement. The first thing you have to do before using any watch is adjust it to the right date and time, with the GMT Zero this is managed very intiutively using the single screw down crown. The Swisstech movement winding very smoothly.
On the subject of the movement many of you, like me, might not be familiar with Swisstech. I questioned Jose about this choice and he explained a friend of his works directly with the Swisstech factory in Botyre. He sent him a couple of samples when he knew he was starting to develop a GMT watch. After testing the movement for a few months, Jose was able to verify it is accurate and robust. It is a work horse created and assembled with the Swiss certifications both manufacturing and assembly. Jose summed it up as accurate, resistant, has a good finishing, it’s easily serviced by any WOSTEP watchmaker and in the end, after seeing the amazing design we achieved, they wanted to be onboard and they are offering 3 years warranty.
You will have understood by now that details are important to Isotope. So they could not finish the watch of with a regular strap. My watch came with a 24mm wide leather backed strap which screws into the lugs Panerai style. The design elements on the lugs are repeated on the buckle that is screwed to the strap. Customer watches will be supplied also with a full leather. Personally, I would have preferred a strap that would enable the wearer to take advantage of the 200m water resistance. Maybe this will come at a later date.
So to conclude, this watch offers a great deal, every element is bespoke, there is nothing “off the shelf”. The designers have found an innovative solution to showing the second time zone and date that builds on the brands design DNA. When we can travel again this watch would be an ideal companion. This is available at the very reasonable price point that we have come to expect from Isotope of £710.
The GMT 0º will initially be available in one of six versions: White, Black, Blue, Olive Green Steel, Olive Green Black DLC and Ruby.
For more details and ordering https://isotopewatches.com/
Technical Specifications
- Brushed case, 316L stainless steel/Black Diamond-like Carbon
- Case diameter 41.5mm x 39.5mm (44.7mm with lugs)
- Height 14.2mm
- Exhibition screwed case back with the world’s major cities time-zone
- Anti-reflective domed crystal sapphire
- Single Screw-down crown at 3 o’clock
- Hands applied with Super-LumiNova®
- 24mm strap tapered to 22mm
- Matching Buckle
- Water-resistance 200m / 20 atm / 656 ft
Swiss made Swisstech S24-45 :
- Automatic, self-winding
- Power reserve 40 hours
- 28 Jewels, 28800A/h
- Accuracy -12/+12 s/day
- Customised finishing, date and rotor
In the Box:
- A numbered GMT 0º
- A specific Cordura strap with a high-end buckle
- Extra leather strap
- Exclusive Isotope tool
- Limited Warranty Card (36 Months)
Hampshire Watches
As someone born and brought up in Hampshire this is a phase I could not have ever imagined writing, but there are now at least two Hampshire based watch companies, Hamtun, from Southampton and Zero West actually from my birthplace, Emsworth.
The first of theses two companies to come to my notice was Hamtun a brand that started as a kickstarter project in 2015. I was honestly curious about the brand name which immediatly made me suspect a connection to the city of Southampton, 20 miles from the village I grew up in. For us Southampton was always the other city in Hampshire, but I still felt a connection. On investigating the brand I went on to discover that Hamtun was the name of the original settlement that grew into Southampton.
Hamtun was founded by two friends lead by co-founder and designer Ross Davis, the aim was to create the watches that they wanted to own but, as family men with normal jobs, could not afford. By cutting out all of the extra layers of bureaucracy and by working to sensible margins, they set out to make high quality watches.
Their first watch was the H1, a fairly classic looking dive watch in titanium. The 41 mm case houses the tried and trusted Seiko NH35a automatic movement.The H1 sold out very quickly. I still have not managed to get hold of one to review despite several attempts at trying to meet Ross at Waterloo station.
The H1 is no longer available, it has evolved into the Kraken H2. It has been joined by the Nanok which is Hamtun’s answer to a famous Swiss brand’s Day-Date at a significantly lower price point.
Then having established themselves Hamtun have recently launched a “value” brand Phantom, offering a regular diver style watch with a Seiko NH35a movement for a remarkable £262.80. ( an amusingly precise price point). For more news I recommend visiting the Hamtun website.
This brings me on to the revelation that after finding a watch company from my birth county one turns up in the town of my birth, the small coastal town of Emsworth founded by two friends in 2016.
Zero West work out of their converted boathouse, over looking the mill pond.The site itself providing inspiration for their watches. The boathouse was formerly owned by George Gray, a panelling expert from London who worked on Malcolm Campbell legendary Bluebird land-speed vehicles and the record breaking Railton Mobil Special, as well as creating the bodywork for the first Vanwall racing cars back in the 1950s. George’s talents also won him a contract to build Spitfire fuselages after the bombing of the factory in Southampton during World War Two, which he did at one of the many shadow factories set up along the south coast.
As well as the Longtitude model I reviewed (4/11/2018) The company currently offers a range of what can only be described as “Boy’s Own” watches principly drawing inspiration from 20th century British automotive and aviation history.
The majority of the watches are based on the unique Zero West 44mm case design housing either an ETA 2824 or Valjoux 7750 automatic movement.
.
Above is an example of the aircraft themed watches the Spitfire S2. This watch uses metal recovered from an actual Spitfire pulled out of Poole Harbour.
The automotive styled models include two chronographs, the more traditionally styled CR-1 above and the “bulls head” style Landspeed, below. Both watches using Valjoux 7750 automatic movements.
Zero West’s watches range from £2200 to £3300 for the chronographs. Details of all the watches can be found at the Zerowest website.
These are the only two current Hampshire watch brands I have come across, I would love to discover more. In the meantime, despite being at different price points, as well as being from the same county these two companies are run by incredibly enthusiastic owners. Best of luck to both.
I am now starting to think of other British counties that are home to multiple watch brands. The first that springs to mind is Oxfordshire with Bremont and Pinion. I will get digging.