Best Watches at British Watchmakers' Day 2026 | 5-Category Challenge

Hello guys, we are here at British Watchmakers Day and James and I are going head to head in a competition. So we've got five categories today, we have the most daring design watch, we have best of British, we've got which watch you can have or you'd want in your personal collection, we also have the most whimsical watch and the most surprising as well. There's going to be something in there that's going to surprise us. There is, so it is up to you guys down in the comments to tell us who you think has won this competition but we've got to try and jump in front of this endless queue behind us to get in to try and find these watches before these guys lay their hands on them because there's a lot of watches in there but as we know British Watchmakers they sell quickly, it goes fast. So should we get in? Absolutely, it's going to be a tough competition. So James, we are now going to talk about the watches that we want to add to our personal collection. What are we going to get our wallet out and pay for? What have you gone for? For me, I've got to go for Bobcroft. Now I don't own a Bobcroft yet but this new Rebel Red works into my collection quite nicely. It does add to what I already have. So it's a tungsten carbide coating giving it that super stealthy black finish, works into the black finish that I have a little bit in my collection. That red dial to me is a bit different though, adds a little pop of color but I don't have in my collection right now. Everything's either black or silver, maybe a bit of blue. This to me stands out. I love what they do. I need something from them in my collection. So this makes me want a glass of red wine. It's a bit early for it. A strong Merlin. Yes, you know what I mean? That's what I want with this and I don't normally go for red wine but this will make me go for that. Absolutely. So this is what I'm going to have in my personal collection. James, do you want to find out what's going to be in yours? Absolutely. Let's do it. So this is my watch that I think I'd have in my collection. I was saying this earlier, I'm a bit of a stickler for Aventurine. You love Aventurine. I love it. It's sparkly, it's pretty but it can be so elegant but this is the Pinon Pure Charts. It's a 38 millimeter case so it's a good size for me because I'm only little and you've got a Silesia movement but what I love is they've changed it a bit to be gilt. So it's gold and only 50 of these were made. I feel like I could wear this a lot. We're not going very, we're not branching out in our personal collections are we here James? We're staying true to what we know and what we love. So I kind of enjoy that but we don't get to decide what's going to be added to our personal collection. It's down to you guys to vote in the comments which you think we should be adding. I think Beaucroft's got the pick over the Pinon but that dial is captivating. It's captivating as Aventurine always is. James, this is my biggest surprise of this fair. It's got to be... Where's it gone? Where's it gone? There it is. It's in high demand. It's in high demand. That's how good this watch is. Edward Christopher Ripple. Now I'm a sucker for an integrated bracelet. We know this but this isn't a brand I know much about. This isn't a brand I have much contact with. No. When I saw this come through on the press release, gobsmacked. The details in here, 3D ripple effect on the dial, monochrome to flow through. It's integrated bracelet and micro dusting cast. This was such a good choice. I kind of wish I chose it. It literally looks like you've thrown something in a pond. It's so pretty. And the details matter on this one as well. Integrated the crown into the case. They keep the design seamless. It's a piece of jewelry and a watch. Biggest surprise of the fair. I dare you to do one better, James. I'm going to have to try. We've got a lot of options. I'm going to... We'll see. Oh, I don't think he's going to do it. So this is my biggest surprise of the fair. This is the Moles & Co. Vista Mare and it's so different. I love vintage, anything mid-century and this epitomizes modern but mid-century design. You've got a Le Jouperie movement in, so you've got a very good movement. These guys started on Kickstarter in 2022 by a university student. So I think that's amazing to really check them out and look at this design. A good choice for a surprise because that caught me off guard entirely. But again, guys, let us know down in those comments. Is that beating the ripple? I mean, come on, I don't know. I don't know, but we'll let you decide down in the comments. Okay, we are here for my choice of daring design. There's only one place I could go and it is not because I'm being paid by these guys. Andrew, it's the burnt pizza. Talk us through it. Come on. Well, it is daring, but it's just a reconnection to what underdogs do so well. It's ridiculous. So why is it so ridiculous? Like you've burnt a pizza. Who's burning a pizza and putting it on a watch? Well, like stale pizza is usually better than fresh pizza, but we genuinely... So when the idea of bringing the watch back came up to celebrate New York and us opening a Discovery Studio in New York, I thought, how can we push this to an even crazier level? And everyone has had a big night, put a pizza in the oven, fallen asleep and woken up with the fire alarm going and a burnt pizza in the oven. And that is our inspiration. The untold story is this is the I find hangovers can be quite sumptuous, but when there's a burnt pizza in there, another level. James, can you beat this as a daring design? You can't beat this, James. I think I can beat, oh, I don't know. We're going to have to see. Let's find out. Let's find out. I think I've got a very good contender for daring design. Do you though? Yes. Can you beat a pizza watch that we're selling? Yes. This is the Enoma A1 Optical. Now, I am a big fan of art myself. You've got a degree in it, James. I may do, yes. Very different industry now, but this is all inspired by art, optical illusions, and the dial is gorgeous. It's made up of 50 different triangles that are off-center, and when the light hits it, it creates this beautiful effect. Matteo is coming out with some amazing designs at the moment. There's a lot more fun stuff to come, and daring design, nothing beats this. Look, Matteo knows what he's doing. I've known the man for nearly a decade at this point, but you've gone very different in our design choices. Yes. So I think it's going to be a tough choice now for those guys down in the comments choosing between a pizza, burnt pizza, and sculptural art. It's like a beautiful chromed modern car, but also mid-century at the same time. That's a tough choice for me. I can't pick. You guys are going to have to down in the comments, though. Right, now we've got another one to go to. Whimsical. Just opposite. Yes. Come on, then. Let's go and have a look. Next, we're doing most whimsical design, and I've chosen Apia. So this one is so much fun. I'm a Londoner myself now, and when I saw this, my eyes just lit up. So this one is inspired by the London tube map by an artist that's made the tube map circular, and when I looked at this dial, I tried to look for my tube stock. All of their parts are designed in the UK, and it's just beautiful, and it kind of reminds me of home. I probably look a little annoyed, and that's because I am, because I was going to pick this. I stole it from you. You stole it right off me. This is great. I mean, look, Apia are an engineering brand, first and foremost, that just happened to make watches. Additive construction on the case, and then... The case is gorgeous. That's created in the UK. The dial is CNC'd in the UK, and then the paint that you're seeing on there, that colorful design, is the dial artist, who we know and love. That's a very good point. So look, this is a great watch to add a bit of whimsy, add a bit of fun. This whole category is about adding levity to watchmaking, and these guys have hit the nail on the head on this. And it's so British as well. I'm now going to try and compete with this. Right, let's go. Okay, when we talk about whimsy in the watch industry, I don't think you can beat Mr. Jones. Now, these guys are making this watch literally around the corner from my flat, and so this is a local for me. This is a perfectly useless afternoon. This is the quintessential Mr. Jones watch, and this is really the watch that launched the brand. And so when you're talking whimsy, you're talking Mr. Jones, you're talking a perfectly useless afternoon. And well, we've both gone very London-centric with this category, and I love that because we're British watchmakers there, it makes a lot of sense. This, to me, I think just caps it off as whimsy in one go. Absolutely. I love this watch because it kind of has like an escapism element to it. It does. You look at it, it makes you smile. I love Mr. Jones. They have some amazing other designs as well, like the Ferris wheel one, which I'm a big fan of. Yeah. But I remember seeing this a few years ago and just thinking it's so smart. Yeah. But look, I'm going to have to apologize to yourself and to AP, because I think I win this one in the comments. It's pretty easy. Okay. This one is quintessentially British and nothing beats it more, in my opinion, than Fierce. This is the new Fierce 1846 in sterling silver. It is absolutely gorgeous. It's so British in design. It's very much inspired by 1800s pocket watches, if you're a fan of antiques like I am. So you've got Roman numerals, you've got a redesigned case in sterling silver, a diamond in the crown as well. A little cabochon. Yeah, cabochon. Cheeky cabochon, we love cabochon. Yeah, they've thinned out the case as well. I think we've both gone very British in our picks. You've gone old school British. I've gone new school British. Okay. So I think it's going to be a battle between old school and new school. Let's go straight over and check out my pick. This is gorgeous. Now, this is the newest of the new from Christopher Ward. We know I'm a Christopher Ward fan. That is on the record. But when the Loco came out, I wrote an article, which I had Mike France, the founder of Christopher Ward, telling me that was a cheeky title. So I called the Loco a Belcanto killer. This, to me, amps up the classicism that the Loco can bring. It's so classy. It's still got the Loco movement inside, but they've put it into their light catcher case, full polish, and you get a great shot of that movement on the back. I mean, look at this. Is it still 144 hour power reserve? Of course it is. Yeah, it's the same movement. So you've got everything in there. A bit of that classicism on that blue dial, Roman numerals again. But this is what modern watchmaking in Britain is today. And I find that very hard to beat. I do love the fizz, but that Union Jack is so subtle. They've done it so well. It's so modern as well. Just some gravy on the background there. I don't know guys, you tell us in the comment, are you old school British or new school British? Let us know. So that is a wrap on British Watchmakers Day. On our challenge video, this is the first time we've gone head to head. This is the first time you've appeared in a long form video, James. Quickly tell us, how was it for you? It was good. I hope it wasn't too intense for you guys. A bit intense for me, but yeah, I won. Oh, well, that's up to the audience to decide. Get down in the comments. You've got five categories to vote on. You've got the most whimsical, the biggest surprise, the most daring design, the one that we want to add to our personal collection. And of course, British Watchmakers Day, the most quintessentially British watch of the fair. So you've got five choices to pick between the two of us. There is going to be a clear winner. I'm going to make Zach Blass count all the votes up personally. Who do you think is going to win? Oh, well, come on. It's going to be me, but we will see. I'm really excited to see the results, to be fair. Love it. Well, we'll see all you guys down in the comments. Thank you very much for joining us here, for being with us along on this ride. And don't forget, subscribe to the Time Inside YouTube channel. And bye-bye for now.