Tonight we see the final of Britain’s Got Talent and, as usual, there’s a dog act, a magician and a number of dance troupes. With Simon Cowell sitting on the judging panel hoping for an act with as much longevity and success as Diversity, rather than Jai McDowall (who, incidentally, went on tour with another “successful” reality star, Gareth Gates, in 2014).
Beyond the bright lights of ITV and The Fountain Studio’s in Wembley, Britain has a lot more than just reality TV stars to be proud of. Today we’ll look at the best British watch brands for fashion – and we aren’t going to be including any wildcards in our watches finale, we’re only going to include the best fashion watches Britain has to offer.
All of these watches would get four yeses from any BGT judging panel!
Accurist – The Best British Watch For Accuracy
Launched in 1947 by Asher and Rebecca Loftus, Accurist have become synonymous with British timekeeping ever since. If, like me, you remember dialling 123 for the talking clock if you were out and about without a wristwatch – you’ll remember the famous greeting “At the third stroke, the time sponsored by Accurist will be…”.
Which was memorable, if annoying when you were paying by the second for the phone call!
Accurist are not only known for their accuracy, they are also known for being one of the first manufacturers to make watches fashionable. Famous wearers of Accurist watches included The Beatles and Princess Anne.
Accuracy is not just something buyers of the most expensive watches can afford to have. Accurist watches start from as low as £40 – and don’t forget, quartz movements found in cheaper watches have a lower standard deviation than the higher priced mechanical watches, so they will remain accurate for much much longer than your Rolex!
Pick This One Up: Want a Chronograph, but don’t want to break the bank. Get this Accurist Men’s Stainless Steel Chronograph – usually only £140, but currently in the sale for just £73.96!
Ted Baker – The Best British Watch For Fashion Aficionado’s
For people who don’t like fashion, the only time they usually pick up a Ted Baker product is when they are picking up last minute Christmas presents in the 3 for 2 Boots sale. But for those who love their fashion, Ted Baker is where it’s at for clothing, fragrances and, of course, watches.
The Ted Baker story started in Glasgow and, despite their strict No Advertising stance, they have grown to a worldwide megabrand in the fashion world. With stores all over the world from London to NYC to Beijing, you don’t have to travel far to get your Ted Baker fix! The Ted Baker watch collection launched in 2002 and have been a welcome addition to the fashion range. Whether you’re looking for something cute, something stylish or something bang on time – you are sure to find it within this awesome range.
Pick This One Up: If you need a gorgeous watch to tell your time while matching almost any outfit then pick up this Ted Baker Ladies Stainless Steel Analogue Watch – usually only £125, but currently on sale for £99.
Lipsy of London – The Best British Watch For those Lipsy Girls!
Anyone with an interest in young women’s fashion in Britain will know all about Lipsy – a brand which is all about glitz and glamour. Lipsy was formed in 1988 and had grown into a wildly popular fashion brand for young women before being acquired by fashion retailer Next in 2008.
Lipsy are known for the celebrity links with fashion icons like Pixie Lott and the Kardashians, who have fronted different fashion ranges released by the brand. The Lipsy watch range is no different, it was originally fronted by Kimberly Wyatt, who is most known for being one of the Pussycat Dolls… who wasn’t Nicole Scherzinger.
The Lipsy brand is described as being “fun, flirty and sexy” – which the watch range encompasses perfectly, while also adding the adjective “affordable” into the mix. Most of the watch range costs less than £50… without the need for a Coupofy coupon! So if your boyfriend tells you he can’t afford to buy one for you, let him know that he certainly won’t be able to afford the next edition of FIFA when it comes out!
Pick This One Up: Do you prefer little watches which are basically bracelets that tell the time? Then pick up this Lipsy Ladies Stainless Steel Watch – looks pretty and is the perfect accessory to any outfit… oh, and it tells the time too!
Ben Sherman – The Best British Watch For The Fashionable Man
Ben Sherman are always up to date with the latest trends, their buttoned up and collared shirts have been worn by young men on British nights out for decades. The brand is well known for being affordable and always looking stylish… even when worn by men who have had “one-too-many!”
The Ben Sherman watch range is a perfect compliment to the famous clothing range, at a price which doesn’t break the bank. Whether you’re looking for something stylish and understated, or you’re looking for a watch with a chronograph – you’re sure to find it somewhere in the range. With most of the watches coming somewhere between £50-£100 you’ll still have some money left over for a few more drinks, or another couple of shirts… you decide which!
Pick This One Up: If a classic, uncomplicated design is what you’re looking for then you’re sure to find it in the Ben Sherman watch collection. This Ben Sherman Gents Black Leather Analogue Watch is only £76.50, but is incredibly stylish and accurate.
Daniel Wellington – The Best British Watch Which Isn’t Really British
Admittedly, as it’s not a British company, this may not be in the spirit of “the best British watch brands for fashion” – but it was, apparently, inspired by a British man… so I’m letting it count!
Filip Tysander launched the Daniel Wellington brand in 2011 after a chance meeting with a British man named, unsurprisingly, Daniel Wellington when he was backpacking in Australia. The man was wearing a customized Rolex Submariner on a NATO strap. This inspired Filip to design his own range of watches which are all worn on a NATO strap to fit in with the preppy fashion which is very popular.
While Daniel Wellington might not be, technically, a British brand, the brands style is incredibly original and certainly British-inspired. If you want something casual, relaxed and stylish then you can’t go far wrong with a watch from Daniel Wellington collection. The good news is – if, after a while, you get bored of one colour… just buy another strap, switch them over and – voilà… new watch!
Pick This One Up: Many of the watches look similar, Ladies can pick up this Daniel Wellington Ladies Blue Watch and Gents can pick up this Daniel Wellington Gents Blue Watch. If you want to change the strap you can always choose from other colours like this, this and this!
Barbour – The Best British Watch For Unique British Heritage
With over 120 years of history, Barbour have become so iconic that the famous waxed jacket which they released in 1983 has become known simply as the “Barbour jacket”. The brand history ranges from importing oil cloth, to producing a motorcycle range worn by the British International Motorcycle team for over 40 years and, now, a popular watch range which has been roundly praised since it’s début!
The Barbour watch collection was called a “natural progression for Barbour” upon its first unveiling in October 2014. The collection includes British made fabrics produced by Barbour and they completely capture the original style of the Barbour brand. If you want to wear something uniquely British which will make you stand out amongst the crowd, then you can’t go wrong with something from Barbour.
Pick This One Up: If you are looking for something uniquely Barbour then you must pick up this Barbour Gents Green Fabric Watch. By incorporating Barbour’s own fabrics into the design, this watch will stand out amongst the crowd of other watches and you will not regret adding it to your collection!
Karen Millen – The Best British Watch For Stylish Ladies Fashion
Known all around the world for creating beautiful fashion, Karen Millen is a truly international fashion brand. Formed in 1981 with a loan of just £100, this British success story grown from a successful party plan network to a world famous fashion house.
The Karen Millen watch collection is stylish and sophisticated – whether you want a classic design or a unique and daring watch design, you’ll find it here. If you wear your watch as a fashion accessory then this range is perfect for you, you will almost certainly find a watch to match your outfit somewhere in this diverse range.
Pick This One Up: If you like your watch to stand out then this Karen Millen Ladies Gold Plated Crystal Bracelet is perfect for you. With an incredible thin, feminine design it is certain to add to any outfit for any occasion.
Pocket – The Best British Watch For Originality
Pocket say that everyone should carry with them a small work of art to enrich their lives, they take their inspiration from pocket art and turn it into, well, wrist-art Thanks to the interesting colour schemes and stylized numbers you will stand out as much as the watch does!
Pocket have grown quickly over the last year. A competition to find the “Face of Pocket” was won by Siena Hemmings, a former Miss Lincolnshire and an online craze of “Pocket Selfies”, which is people taking a selfie with their new watch, has become very popular.
If you like the idea of wristwatch-as-art then Pocket could be the perfect brand for you. And you needn’t worry about your new piece of wrist-art getting damaged in your day-to-day life, the durable materials will help ensure that your new piece of art will stand the test of time. Just make sure you don’t forget to take your Pocket Selfie when first unpackage your new watch!
Pick This One Up: It’s hard to choose one watch from the collection, because you want to choose the style which is most likely to suit you. This Pocket Ladies Blue Leather Watch is original, stylish and beautiful – but look through the collection and something will certainly catch your eye!
Conclusion
Watches have become a big fashion accessory over the last few years and there’s no doubt that you can find a lot of top watches to show off your style and add to any outfit from these British watch manufacturers.
Is your watch of choice in the list above? Or do you opt for something different?
Comment below to tell us!
