Elliot Brown is a British brand of classic, highly durable watches designed to be worn every day, even in harsh conditions. A little over a year old, the brand has already picked up several industry awards and is the brainchild of Ian Elliot, co-founder of Animal, and Alex Brown, esteemed horologist.
> Please tell us a little bit of the background of Elliot Brown and how the company was formed?
> EB: We both learned our trade whilst working at Animal. We learnt a lot and saw just about everything that could go wrong with a watch. We both went our separate ways for a few years but stayed good friends. We realised that we weren’t using the unique skills we’d both developed and hatched a plan to build the toughest, most elegant watches that would suit our active outdoor lifestyles.
What was your vision when you started the brand and what are your core principles?
> EB: To re-think how a watch could be built starting with a blank sheet. Our vision was to create a best-of-both-worlds watch, engineered to a new standard that re-defines the action sports watch category with a refreshing fit-for-purpose honesty about it. In our first year, armed only with samples, we won WatchPro’s Watch of The Year Award 2013 – a good start!
What’s so special about your watch collection?
> EB: Every watch contains a shock-resistant movement housing to protect the Swiss movement from impacts, a new crown and pusher sealing system that works 100% of the time – even when they’re in the ‘out’ or ‘adjust ‘position – and an extreme testing regime that includes placing every single watch into water at 200m. We spent 2 and a half years working nights, obsessing over every detail – it’s the little details that shine through when you pick up one of our watches.
What are the differences between the Bloxworth and the Canford?
> EB: The Canford is an understated, less-is-more kind of watch. Classic pilot styling with broader shoulders that work just as well in the office or the mountain. The Bloxworth is our take on a traditional sport diver with tough credentials to match. Surprising new looks can be created simply by swapping straps. Both models use jewelled Swiss-made movements for peace of mind.
> Was the outdoor and snow-sports market always something the watches aimed for?
EB: We live for the outdoors – I’m an avid skier, snowboarder, surfer and mountain biker – but we have jobs too, so we designed something that works in all situations. Highly durable 316L marine-grade stainless features outside and in (for the shock-resistant movement housing), and there’s 3mm-thick hardened mineral glass for all-round durability. Check out our website for an in-depth overview of the tech spec.
> What would you say is the harshest environment Elliot Brown watches have been tested in?
EB: The harshest test we’re aware of in the watch industry is the one we did last year. We submerged a standard Bloxworth in Poole harbour, initially intending to leave it for 30 days. In the end we left it submerged for 6 months over the winter and it survived. It had things growing on it and was so covered in grime and crustaceans that we could no longer see it to photograph under water. We’ve heard of someone leaving one in a freezer for 48 hours at minus 16c, although we wouldn’t recommend it!
