The Great British Watch Company is creating “The Few”; a British watch handmade from a WW2 Spitfire that allows enthusiasts to get closer to the aircraft by providing an authentic connection to their passion.
Britain is the historic home of watchmaking and most of the technology in a modern watch originated here.
I am passionate about preserving and promoting British history. What better represents our world class engineering and ingenuity, the British character of defiance in the face of adversity and a splash of dashing and daring – than the Spitfire.
Named after the pilots who saved Britain in her darkest hour, “The Few” is a watch based on what these heroic Spitfire pilots wore as they soared through our skies. I will use my watchmaking expertise to take parts from a Spitfire undergoing restoration and transform them into a watch; allowing you to touch a piece of history and connect directly with this iconic aircraft.
“Made in Great Britain, The Few is a tribute to the watches worn by Spitfire pilots. Almost 80 years later, as the Spitfire used in crafting the timepiece comes alive and takes to the skies again, the watch represents the last and only chance to be one of The Few.”
The Last of the Few
Sadly, in 2020 one of the last few remaining veterans of the Battle of Britain died. This leaves just one pilot surviving; Flying Officer John Hemingway aged 103 years old.
Just like these legendary pilots, the Spitfires that are airworthy are also very few in number.
They really are the last of The Few.
Both the pilots and the Spitfires are rightly revered around the world. Thankfully there are people dedicated to restoring and flying these aircraft so that future generations can share in their magnificence. I am pleased to say that my cousin, who is already a respected flight instructor, is now training to fly these icons of the sky.
Once he passes his final flight tests he will be the only Spitfire pilot in northern Britain; taking enthusiasts out for flights in renovated Spitfire planes. Ensuring that future generations remember what happened over the skies of Britain and Europe.
It is important that we never forget the sacrifice and the splendour of the pilots and their magnificent machines.
As part of the restoration work, some of the original aircraft cannot be reused.
This has presented a once in a lifetime opportunity for original parts from these historical Spitfires to be preserved forever, by being built into a unique series of watches.
These watches are authentic, beautiful and respectful to the legacy of the world’s most famous and iconic aircraft.
The Spitfire Watch “The Few”
The dial, hands and crown are all constructed from original Spitfire parts.
When a pilot ran his hand along the surface of the Spitfire as part of the pre-flight inspection, when the aircraft dove through clouds and picked up condensation on the wings, when the cockpit vibrated as the powerful cannons poured fire upon the enemy, the material in The Few bore witness to it.
This raw, authentic metal has, etched into the surface, both the memory and legacy of the Spitfire and her pilots, giving the wearer a direct connection to the aircraft.
The case, glass, strap, box and accessories are all made in the UK, with an option to also have a British-made movement fitted; making the watch as British as the original Spitfire.
The watch is named “The Few”; in honour of those few pilots who saved Britain during her darkest and finest hour. It also represents the few remaining Spitfires that are left and the limited number of watches that will be created to celebrate the heroic pilots and their iconic aircraft.
The Spitfire
The Spitfire, a MK IX variant, is one of the last to be restored with an active combat history. It represents one of the final opportunities for original untouched WW2 Spitfire parts to be available.
The details of the Spitfire can be read in one of my Sortie posts here, where I share some of the thrilling details with you.
For those who want an experience as close to the original Spitfire pilots as possible, there will also be an opportunity to fly in the restored WW2 Spitfire, while wearing a Spitfire watch made from the same aircraft.
Part of each watch sale will go towards the restoration and upkeep of the Spitfire, ensuring that it remains airworthy and able to be enjoyed by future generations.
The Design of The Few
The design of The Few is based on the original watch that Spitfire pilots wore during the Battle of Britain; the Omega CK2129, also known as the Weems watch.
If you’ve seen the film Dunkirk then you may recognise the watch. Tom Hardy’s character wears the model and frequently uses it to check how much fuel he has remaining.
Whilst a tribute to the original watch, this model will have some modern updates. These include a larger size at 40mm, a choice of movement (Swiss or British), non-reflective sapphire glass and water resistance.
The case will be made from aerospace-grade steel and machined at the UK’s premiere science and technology facility.
Although the watch design is based on what WW2 era Spitfire pilots wore, it is also practical enough that modern pilots, including modern Spitfire pilots, can wear one as part of their uniform.
The Few
Most of the watches have already been sold. However, there are a very limited number still available to order. They are offered on a strict first-come first-served basis, and once they are sold out the opportunity to order a watch will be gone forever.
However, the spirit of the Spitfire will live on, on the wrists of those who wear them.
Will you be one of “The Few”?
If you are interested knowing more and would like a brochure, please email me at colin@gbwatch.co.uk.
I have written a lengthy summary of the progress of The Few watch project here: https://www.great-british-watch.co.uk/the-few-watch-summary/
Sortie
Roughly every month I publish a newsletter, Sortie. You can sign up above to receive it emailed to you early.
If you’re interested in the watch, the Spitfire, or both, then you can work your way through the previous Sorties. It starts with the link below, where I explain where the inspiration for The Few came from:
https://www.great-british-watch.co.uk/sortie-1-inspiration-for-the-few/
Richard Sutton
15 May, 2020 at 10:55 am
Just a quick comment on the ‘Spitfire’ watch. The mock-up looks incredible and I wish you lots of luck, although I don’t think you’ll need it. I wish I could put my name on the list, but fear it will be well beyond my means.
Take care Richard.
Simon Porter
17 May, 2020 at 7:15 pm
Would love one, but it is bound to be out of my reach.
Colin
18 May, 2020 at 11:19 am
Hi Richard and Simon,
Thank you both for your comments and kind words. Please do follow the progress, hopefully you’ll find it fascinating; and even if you don’t end up being one of “The Few”, I do hope to be able to offer other items linked to the Spitfire.
Colin
Christopher Catto
9 July, 2022 at 4:27 pm
Is there any chance of these watches coming up forsale?
Colin
9 July, 2022 at 5:43 pm
Hi Christopher, thanks for your message.
The Spitfire watches are all currently made to order only, as they are all heavily personalised. Please get in touch if you are interested: colin@gbwatch.co.uk.
Thanks
Colin
Morgan McCarthy
18 May, 2020 at 11:19 am
Please send me more details, like the earlier comments would love to won one but would consider whether it is affordable.
Best regards and a great idea, one of the few!
Morgan
Colin
19 May, 2020 at 3:27 pm
Hi Morgan
Many thanks for your comment! If you sign up for the newsletter you’ll get more the details about the watch, and that hopefully will answer all your questions.
Colin
New Watch Alert 5/22/2020 - The Truth About Watches
22 May, 2020 at 1:01 pm
[…] Great British Watch Company The Spitfire Watch – $? […]
Stanley Abor.
22 May, 2020 at 4:57 pm
This a very educative site. I would like subscribe on this on this website.
Colin
25 May, 2020 at 3:45 pm
Thank you Stanley, I hope you enjoy the updates!
Colin
Stephen
25 May, 2020 at 2:08 pm
Stephen Thomas 15:00 25 05 2020
Hi.
Could you give me a sale price of this spitfire watch, and would it come with any
authenticity certificate papers in the presentation box.
kind regards
Colin
25 May, 2020 at 3:51 pm
Hi Stephen,
Thanks for your comment. The watch is not for sale yet, and so there isn’t a price yet; if you’ve subscribed to the newsletter you’ll be the first to know.
The full provenance of the watch and the history of the aircraft will be an integral part of the packaging of the watch. Every part that is taken and used will have it’s position marked and recorded – you’ll be able to look at the Spitfire and point out where your watch came from.
Colin
Stephen Thomas’s
25 May, 2020 at 6:04 pm
Hi Colin.
Thanks for your info.
Kind regards.
Stephen
Tony
4 June, 2020 at 1:05 pm
Hello Colin,
Great to see your proposed hommage to the Weems watch. The eventual owners will certainly be amongst the fortunate few. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll be one of them.
I look forward to receiving news of your progress via the newsletter.
I wish you all the very best with your Spitfire watch project.
Cheers!
Tony
Colin
5 June, 2020 at 11:31 am
Hi Tony,
Thanks for your comment and kind words.
I hope you enjoy all the updates.
Cheers
Colin
David Burns
27 June, 2020 at 9:39 pm
Fantastic website and great to read about the spitfire watch.
I’ve subscribed and eagerly await updates.
Great to see the work you’re doing, keep it up.
David.
Colin
29 June, 2020 at 9:59 am
Hi David,
Thanks a lot, I hope you find the updates interesting!
Colin
Paul Preston
4 July, 2020 at 7:11 am
Good day Colin,
I would love to sell your watches.
They are beautiful!
Please call me for a chat.
Thanks Paul
Colin
5 July, 2020 at 12:50 pm
Hi Paul
Many thanks for your kind comment!
I intend to only sell my watches directly to customers, to help provide more value for money, and allow me to speak with each of them directly.
All the watches I will, and plan to, sell in the future will also be very limited in number.
I do appreciate your interest though.
Colin
Kenneth Nash
21 October, 2020 at 6:42 pm
Colin,
Looking forward to seeing the Spitfire watch, keeping my fingers crossed that it turns out to be a ‘Masterpiece’ of British watchmaking.
Colin
22 October, 2020 at 6:42 pm
Many thanks Kevin
Yang Gao
24 February, 2021 at 6:17 am
Hello,Collin:
I am a fans of British Army from China.Can you send me more informations of this watch? I wonder which movements you will use.
Thanks
Colin
24 February, 2021 at 9:48 pm
Hi Yang,
If you sign up to the newsletter you will get all the details as they are released. You can sign up here: http://eepurl.com/g0kgEf
The movements of the watch were discussed in Sortie 9.
Many thanks for your interest!
Colin
Slavomir
9 May, 2021 at 10:48 am
Hi.
Could you give me a sale price of this spitfire watch and more detail about your watches?
Thank you very much in the advance
kind regards
Colin
28 May, 2021 at 5:28 pm
Hi Slavomir,
Thanks for your comment. The watch isn’t for sale yet and so there isn’t a sale price at the moment.
If you subscribe to the newsletter, you’ll be the first to know about the price and any other details as soon as they are released.
Many thanks
Colin
Christopher Porter
21 June, 2021 at 5:30 pm
Hi,
Very in treating read of your latest update.
I have a question or two
Is the back of the case going to have any engraving or is the movement going to be visible.
Any ideas of a completion timeframe.
Colin
21 June, 2021 at 6:49 pm
Hi Christopher
Thank you!
The caseback will be engraved. The design at the moment will be the basic details of the Spitfire, along with each name of the 11 pilots that flew in her. There may be an opportunity to personalise it too.
Some parts of the watch are finished, some parts are almost ready and other parts have been delayed. Most of the delays are out of my hands unfortunately and so it is very difficult for me to give a timeframe with any certainty. I had hoped for the first watch to be finished by now, but the effects of the lockdown have been quite severe.
Currently, I can see no reason why the first watch won’t be finished this year; with all the manufacturing processes finalised. Each watch will then be made to order.
Colin
Michael John Lane
13 September, 2021 at 2:54 pm
My cousin was Wing Commander S/Ldr Brian John Edward Lane DFC 19 RAF Spitfire Squadron Duxford. Sadly shot down and killed over the N Sea on 13 December 1942. I will normally pay anything for collection items and this would be the icing on the cake but I do not think I will be able to rise to this one. Absolute shame but I will sign up for information. Michael John Lane
Colin
14 September, 2021 at 10:53 am
Hi Michael,
Many thanks for your comment. I hope you enjoy reading the story of the Spitfire and her pilots as it unfolds.
Colin
Jennifer
12 November, 2022 at 4:04 am
Hi Michael,
My great-uncle was a Spitfire/Mustang pilot for 19 Squadron but not until Feb 1944. He was a Canadian pilot posted to RAF squadron. He was like a father to me, I have all of his logbooks, diaries, medals. Thank you for sharing!
And Colin, I LOVE these watches. Thanks for making them!
Colin
21 November, 2022 at 4:14 pm
Thank you Jennifer!
Paul-André Lazure
11 April, 2022 at 8:32 pm
This is really a fantastic story and the result of an admirable research.
I will be in England shortly and will try to connect with you and if it’s possible have an eye on ML 295 as well as on a watch manufactured in Britain…
PAL
Colin
24 May, 2022 at 12:11 pm
Thank you Paul-Andre, I appreciate it. Please feel free to connect when you are visiting.
Breitling Jet Team Pilots – brujasdeaskani
6 June, 2022 at 11:28 am
[…] The design of The Few is based on the original watch that Spitfire pilots wore during the Battle of Britain; the Omega CK2129, also known as the Weems watch. If you've seen the film Dunkirk then you may recognise the watch. via […]
john cooper
30 July, 2022 at 9:26 am
Please send me information on the Spitfire watch , either with the British or Omega movement . I have a 50th anniversary Omega Moonwatch.
My father , Stanislaw Bednarczyk , was a Spitfire pilot in RAF 308 Krakowski SQN , Towards the end of the war he spent time in RAF Grantham hospital with frost bite on his lungs and feet , due to high altitude photographic reconnaissance. When he went into hospital his house in Falkirk Scotland was burgled and all his medals , log book etc were stolen. “Fortunately” , he never knew this as he never returned from hospital . I have copies of some of his medals and would love to have a watch .
Colin
1 August, 2022 at 3:14 pm
Hi John,
Thank you for your message, I’ll email you the brochure for the watch.
That’s a really terrible story for your father’s medals and other items to have been stolen. The Polish pilots had a tremendous impact on the Allies’ success, as they already had been training specifically to fight the Germans for years, and passed on a lot of their strategies – which were a lot more aggressive. Is this your father in these photos (#25 and #27 http://www.polishsquadronsremembered.com/who/PWQ.html)?
Colin
Nigel Evans
31 July, 2022 at 7:53 pm
Looks fabulous – I’ve signed up to receive Sortie, where I hope I’ll be able to find out the cost. My father, who would’ve been 100 last January and served in the RAF, would have been really interested in the story
Colin
1 August, 2022 at 3:04 pm
Hi Nigel, thank you very much. It is a really great story, which I’m incredibly happy to be able to tell.
Your father would have been roughly the same age as the pilots of Spitfire ML295, and so I’m sure that adds an extra personal element into the story.
I will send you a copy of the brochure, which has all the details in there – including the cost.
Colin
The Dirty Dozen – Great British Watch Company
15 August, 2022 at 5:00 pm
[…] The Spitfire Watch […]
mike casey-smith
30 October, 2022 at 4:49 pm
Hi Colin,
I have just signed up to Sortie, and look forward to the next edition. My great grandfather served in WW1, my grandfather in WWII, and my father was in the RAF from 1960 until retirement age, earning a B.E.M. amongst others.
I myself have been lucky enough to take a flight in an EE Lightning, but the Spitfire is the icon, and to ‘own’ a piece, through the watch would be something I could pass on to my son, keeping our family link to the RAF alive.
Please advise how I purchase the watch.
Thanks
Mike
Colin
1 November, 2022 at 9:19 pm
Hi Mike,
What a wonderful family link you have. I have emailed you the details about the watch.
Colin
Jayendra Shah
19 January, 2023 at 5:43 am
Look at the case back screws! I commend you for paying attention to how they eventually align. Something I find annoyingly thought even in extremely high end watches.
Colin
23 January, 2023 at 9:54 am
Thank you Jayendra!
Gui Kurtz
21 January, 2023 at 12:13 pm
Hello,
I have a watch, bought by my father in the 1940´, made by J Pool from Liverpool. Could you provide any information on this maker Thank you.
Best,
Gui
Colin
23 January, 2023 at 9:56 am
Hi Gui,
Sorry, I don’t know that brand. J Pool could well be the name of the retailer that sold the watch, rather than the watchmaker – so perhaps a small jewellers.
Colin
Gui Kurtz
27 January, 2023 at 6:03 pm
Hello Colin.
I don´t think it is the retailer, because JPool is written on the watch’s face, just above Liverpool. But, thanksso much for your prompt reply. The nice thing it that the watch still works perfectly
Best,
Gui
Watch Guider
23 April, 2023 at 10:21 am
WOW! what I think is. this is a unique and authentic watch created by The Great British Watch Company, using original parts from a WWII Spitfire aircraft. It pays tribute to the heroic pilots who flew these iconic planes and saved Britain during her darkest hour. With only a limited number of watches available, “The Few” provides a direct connection to the aircraft and the pilots, making it a true piece of history.
Colin
24 April, 2023 at 4:30 pm
Thank you very much!
Alaya
23 April, 2023 at 10:24 am
The idea of incorporating original parts of a historic aircraft into a British-made watch is a unique and fascinating concept. It offers enthusiasts a tangible connection to an iconic piece of history, while also preserving the legacy of those who made it possible. It’s heartening to see that efforts are being made to restore and maintain these historic planes so that future generations can appreciate their magnificence and remember the sacrifices made by those who flew them. The Great British Watch Company’s tribute is a fitting and respectful way to honor the bravery and ingenuity of those who contributed to this important part of history.
Colin
24 April, 2023 at 4:31 pm
Thank you, I appreciate your enthusiasm for what I am doing.
Charles
4 August, 2023 at 11:27 pm
Hi Colin, can you please advise how I can purchase on Australia as I am residing here at present? I love the watch and all it represents.
Ross
Charles
Colin
5 August, 2023 at 4:28 pm
Hi Charles, many thanks! You can order a watch from anywhere in the world, as they are all made to order. I’ve sent you through the details.
Colin
4 November, 2023 at 11:44 pm
Hi Charles, thanks for your comment!
I already have a number of orders from Australia and it doesn’t pose any issue to sell or send a watch there. You will just be responsible for paying the VAT equivalent when the watch arrives in the Australian customs. I’ll send you a brochure so you can look at all the details of the watch.
Watchmaking Tools
19 September, 2023 at 10:42 pm
Beautiful watch and great concept to remember those that dedicated themselves to the service and our freedom. A piece of history on your wrist.
Colin
4 November, 2023 at 11:27 pm
Many thanks, I hope it will be a fitting tribute.