The Camden Watch Company No.29 automatic watch is real labour of love. A watch that has been meticulously designed and thought through to the very last detail. Our magnum opus.
Over a year in the making, this is a watch that has been refined, reworked, modified and distilled until just right.
A watch designed not only to look beautiful but to also be extremely wearable. This is not a watch to dust off once a year for special occasions. Or a watch to be prized but ultimately forgotten at the back of a drawer - thoughtfully gifted only to be put to one side.
This is a watch to be worn.
A watch to be put to use; loved and looked at every single day. Dressed up with a dinner jacket or dressed down with a t-shirt, paired with whichever clothes the wearer desires.
An affordable automatic timepiece full of details, inspired by Victorian Britain with the modern customer in mind.
When it came to designing our automatic range, we first looked to our current collection for inspiration. The choice was clear; the No.29 is overwhelmingly our most popular watch, so this should be the cornerstone of our first automatic range.
The case is 43 mm in diameter, lending a hardwearing and substantial feel to the watch - but by combining this with a large dial opening and tapered case body, we have made sure that it feels in no way bulky like other watches of this size can sometimes seem.
The case finishings are an intricate mix of polished edges and fine brushings, a nod to the industrial inspiration of the watch that also lends an elegant feel to the overall design.
The overarching idea inspiring the design of the dial comes from traction engines, a Victorian invention that revolutionised manual labour. As was often the case with the Victorians, these machines weren’t just built to be practical, but were designed to be beautiful. A high level of craftsmanship, quality and intricate design details can all be seen on machines from this era.
The numbers and surrounding frame are inspired by the front plate found on these engines, and the machined pattern in the centre of the dial is inspired by the detailing found on Victorian steam engines in general.
As an added industrial touch we have used a circular brushed metal finish on the dial, ensuring that although it is still classic, it is also a thoroughly modern design.
The crown shape is based on the crowns found on vintage pocket watches, and as a final flourish, the crown engraving is based on a section of bridge that spans Regent’s Canal in Camden.
A perfect example of the Victorian engineering that inspires so much of what we do.
