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The Games can certainly leave a legacy for watches

We begin September preparing a big farewell to what has been a summer all about Great Britain and what it means to be both great and British.

While most magazines were running their British specials in the run-up to and during the Games we’ve decided to publish ours as this very special Great British summer comes to a close, as our focus is on extending the feelings whipped up by this summer for the benefit of the future rather than just the enjoyment of the moment.

I am of course talking about the British watchmaking industry. For regular readers of WatchPro you will know that this is a subject area we are a little obsessed with and we have been documenting the increasing number of watch companies basing themselves in Britain and on being British.

As part of our Team GB special edition we hear from 10 British watch companies – and believe me there are many more that could have been included – operating at all levels of the market about what their vision of the British watchmaking scene is and their personal trajectories. If one thing can be true of all of them, it is that they are driving a thriving hub of design, innovation and quality, and are all achingly proud of being British.

But we’ve not just limited our vision to our tiny isles this month, we have also had the fortune to meet two inspiring international watchmakers.

If the Brits have a passion for anything it would be products that are a little left of centre but inherently well made, and that’s exactly what Swiss brand Romain Jerome is all about. This month we meet its chief executive Manuel Emch, a man with a fervour for art who adores mashing two worlds together to create something fresh and exciting. Watches are his medium for adventure and he is looking at the UK market as fertile ground for expansion.

Next up is Mick Mooren, a Dutch watchmaker who rose to prominence among the watch blogs and online forums last year after Zenith chief executive Jean-Frederic Dufour gifted him a new dial and components to help him refurbish an old El Primero. His USP? He’s just 19 years old and has an inspiring tale to share with us.

Both Mooren and Emch are doing something a little bold, a little pioneering and are certainly going to give food for thought to the next generation of British watch designers currently being cultivated by our very own Team GB.

 

To read a digital version of the September issue of WatchPro click here

 

 

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