Even if you aren’t familiar with the name, it’s likely you’ve already experienced watch envy because of Uniform Wares.
Considering it's a brand only born as recently as 2009, it’s fair to say that this young British watchmaker has been punching above its weight since then.
Its signature minimalist design has been enough to launch the brand around the world and attract a raft of fans – and imitators. It was always going to be interesting to see how that distinctive design ethos might evolve and also how far they could juggle between luxury ambitions and affordable prices.
With their new collection, out this week, UW has definitely headed upscale by announcing all its watches are now Swiss-made, using Ronda or ETA premium quartz movements and upping the quality throughout with applied batons and scratch-resistant sapphire glass across the range. And prices have moved on to reflect this, with the most expensive model now at £980.
What used to be a slightly confusing number of model lines, now there are only two.
Broadly speaking, the M-Line offers the more immediately familiar trademark stripped back aesthetic and circular case. It’s the C-Line where things get interesting and the more intricate detailing marks a subtle step forward in the brand’s development, with the C41 chronographs a definite highlight.
It'll be interesting to watch how things move on again in another 5 years.
