Britain’s independent watchmakers bring their own pieces to Lindley Hall, where collectors meet the makers and buy direct, special editions made for the day among them.
Britain’s independent watchmakers bring their own pieces to Lindley Hall in Westminster on Saturday 6 March 2027 for British Watchmakers’ Day, where collectors meet the makers and buy from them.
The Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers, a not-for-profit body chaired by the watchmaker Roger W. Smith, held the first edition in 2024. Its model was Record Store Day in music.
The 2025 edition drew 44 exhibitors, and its general-admission tickets sold out in 15 hours. Collectors queued from dawn, some of them having flown in from New York, Singapore and South Korea.
Each brand sells its own watches from its own stand, so the person across the table is often the one who built the watch. In 2026, 26 brands made special editions for visitors, some limited to a single piece.
Before the doors opened in 2025, Smith walked the queue with the Alliance’s chief executive, Alistair Audsley, to meet the visitors.
Exhibitors in 2026 included Bremont, Christopher Ward, Fears and Roger W. Smith.