The WatchIt! Fair landed in the heart of the UK last weekend – here’s how it went down

Tom Austin

On Saturday, the UK watch community descended on Birmingham for the annual WatchIt! Fair, a one-day event showcasing the very best that independent microbrands have to offer. Two veterans of the watch community, Joshua Clare-Flagg and James Mulvale, founders of 12&60, organised the event, and this weekend marked the 6th consecutive year for the fair.

The fair took place in a small hotel near Birmingham Airport, and despite around 600 visitors being registered for the event, it still felt intimate, providing an excellent opportunity to connect with and spend time with some new brands you may not have seen before. Forty-one different brands exhibited, not limited to those from the UK and Europe, with some brands travelling from much further afield – such as CIGA Design, whose GPHG award-winning Blue Planet was on display.

The air-conditioned conference room provided visitors with a much-needed respite from the unusually hot British weather, creating a genuinely relaxed atmosphere for the day. The great thing about shows like this is that you not only get the chance to connect with other enthusiasts, but also get up close and personal with some fascinating watches.

Christopher Ward was in attendance, with their new C12 Loco stealing the show. It was tough to get a moment with it to grab a shot, but it was definitely worth the wait. They were the brand with the largest selection of watches on show, with everything from every variety of C1 Bel Canto to their latest release, the C60 Trident Reef.

Cased in Time, following on from their smash hit Time+Tide collab D’ohnut cases, launched their latest hilarious creation at the show, making visitors hungry for the Royale with Cheese. Boken made an appearance, too, with their cases filled with the new Breacher GMT model, also showcasing the custom 1/1 piece in collaboration with The Dial Artist.

Congratulations were in order for Monceau for the successful relaunch of their brand and the all-new Model 01, featuring an awesome 3-dimensional wave dial that stopped everybody in their tracks. Another brand that caught my attention was Ember, with their angular Rocket model. Ember is a passion project from designer John Glinister, which started around four years ago. It was excellent to get a hands-on experience with the watch, and it was exciting to hear John’s story and see the genuine passion that had been poured into the project.

Another popular stand was, of course, Farer. Manned by the show organiser himself, James Mulvale, the brand showcased their entire range, including their latest GMT and the fantastic Aqua Compressor. What struck me about Farer, when seeing everything together, was the sheer variety of colour across the range.

Loresum was another brand that caught my eye, with their unique approaches to displaying time. It’s the brainchild of founder and designer Jason Chan, and brings high-level complications and dial layouts right down to earth with affordable prices. Isotope bought along its wacky creations, and their chunky, futuristic Chronograph Moonshot made a lasting impression. It’s a big watch, but it wears well and has a cool Blade Runner-style look to it, which was awesome.

There were too many brands at the fair to mention, but other standouts included Paulin, Vario, RZE, Sher, and Beaucroft, to name a few. As with all of these events, though, it’s not just about the watches, it’s about the people. It was great to connect with everyone, and the fair was just the right size to avoid feeling too overwhelmed and crowded. All the brands were super welcoming, and it’s fantastic to have events like this where they’re all in one spot for everyone to enjoy. Thanks to the organisers 12&60 for putting on such a great fair.