If you were to ask which country makes the best luxury watches, many would answer with “Switzerland”. After all, Swiss brands like Omega, TAG Heuer and Breitling are renowned for the craftsmanship and exceptional quality of their timepieces.
However, it was not always so. Throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the British were regarded as the best watchmakers in the world – and their legacy continues to this day.
The Great Watchmakers
As mentioned in our history of the ladies’ watch, it was in the seventeenth century that the introduction of the balance spring allowed the creation of watches with a reasonable margin of accuracy; this was first developed by the English polymath Robert Hooke.
The lever escapement, commonly regarded as the greatest single improvement in the trade, was invented by English horologist Thomas Mudge in around 1755.
The term “Chronometer” in its modern sense, meaning a precision timekeeping device, was introduced by another Englishman, John Arnold, who was the first to design a watch that was both practical and accurate. One of his inventions, the Overcoil balance spring, was patented in 1782 and is still found today in many precision mechanical watches.
The automatic or self-winding watch was invented by John Harwood, a watchmaker from Bolton in Lancashire in the 1920s.
Even the coaxial escapement that is at the heart of Swiss brand Omega’s finest timepieces is, in fact, British; it was invented in 1974 by George Daniels, an extraordinary British horologist who was one of the few modern watchmakers to build entire timepieces by hand.
In recent years, the art of watchmaking has seen something of a resurgence on British shores – and one of the biggest names in British watchmaking is, of course, Bremont. Founded in 2002, they have stated their determination to reinvigorate the British watchmaking industry.
Every Bremont timepiece is designed, manufactured and assembled here in the UK. Their headquarters in Henley-on-Thames is a stunning, custom-built oak-framed building, where all of their key movement and case components are assembled and finished. Last year, they launched a new facility in Silverstone to produce case and movement components. Much of the movement may still be Swiss-made, but Bremont are increasingly bringing production to our shores in order to produce truly British timepieces.
Whether you’re looking for a classically British piece from Bremont watches, or you prefer a Swiss-made timepiece with British innovations from the likes of Omega, at Banks Lyon we offer an extensive range of exquisite luxury watches. For more information, call us on 01524 384858, or visit us in our Lancaster store to speak to one of our friendly horology experts. You can also keep in touch with us on Facebook and Twitter for up-to-date industry news.