Brathwait Watches: simple, affordable style

Watches are great examples of the rule that simply-designed objects look better than those that are over-elaborate. It's a bonus when, as with these Brathwait watches, the product is a fair price.

 Automatic mechanical movement minimalist Brathwait watch

Brathwait sent me sent two watches to try and review. The first (automatic movement minimalist, above) has a Japanese mechanical movement and date function. Being automatic means that it's kept wound by the movement of your wrist. The second watch (slim steel quartz, below) has a Swiss precision quartz movement powered by a battery with a 40 month life expectancy. 

I generally prefer mechanical watches as I love having a little spring-powered motor ticking away on my wrist. However, while the battery-driven quartz movement may lack that mechanical appeal, it is more accurate and allows the watch itself to be a few millimetres slimmer in profile. 

Classic slim steel quartz movement Brathwait watch

Both watches have sapphire glass and high quality stainless 40mm steel cases. The quartz has kept almost perfect time over a week or more; the mechanical gains a few seconds a day, excellent for a mechanical watch costing around £230. The straps are good quality and a selection of steel, leather and nylon is available.

Have a look around Brathwait's excellent website. You may want to know how to wind (if mechanical) and set your watch, as that information doesn't come with the watch. It can be hard to track down some of this information, but persevere because there is a lot of interest. Brathwait are very open about how much their watches cost to make and they also explain about the movements they use in their watches. You can also read about Richard Brathwait, a seventeenth century London gentleman and poet, who is the inspiration for the brand. Brathwait's The English Gentleman & English Gentlewoman, published in 1631, can be downloaded from their site (free).

Prices from $150 (quartz movement with NATO-style strap) to $359 (for automatic movement) [about £104 to £230 at the time of writing]. Prices include international postage. Brathwait is based in the US but clearly pride themselves on their global customer service. My watches arrived within a few days of being ordered; impressively fast turnaround. See Brathwait.