Henry London calling to old souls and romantics
Be square: Women’s case sizes come in 26mm while men’s are at 34mm, both in a range of colored dials and interchangeable leather and ’60s-style Milanese mesh straps.
Henry London Philippines’ Alan Dacanay wears a slim genuine leather watch from the brand fitted with the vintage watch-making touch of high double-dome acrylic lens, but none of these makes the timepiece as precious as the inscription on its stainless-steel case back and the occasion it commemorates: 40Ever, marking four blissful decades of marriage with co-managing director Dawn on the engraved date, 21 Nov 2016.
“Seventy percent of the watches that our customers order online are engraved and 65 percent of those are messages of love,” Henry London’s international sales director Paul Harry affirms. “Play of words on time like ‘Our love is timeless.’ This morning, I received an order, ‘On this date, you became my brother.’”
Alan recognized its affinity with Filipinos: “We love heritage pieces and we are very sentimental,” he surmised. “We celebrate every Hallmark holiday: Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, graduations...”
“We’re having a family reunion this October and one of the things I’ll give everyone is a Henry London watch with the date of the reunion. The value is affordable,” he shares. A Henry London watch with leather straps starts at P6,950, “but the message is what makes it special.”
“A friend gave it as a gift for his wife. He had a personal message engraved on the back. His wife told him, ‘This is the best gift ever!’ My friend thanked me because it’s not an expensive watch but the message gives it more value.
“We’re talking to an exclusive high school in the south who’s looking into making it the graduation gift for batch 2018 with the date engraved on the back of the watch instead of the usual graduation ring. I think it’s brilliant because a watch is something you can always wear and then keep even if they outgrow it,” shares Alan. Each purchase comes with personalized free engraving redeemable after a week in WristPod stores.
Henry London continues to be inspired by a found treasure, a classic 1960s Swiss timepiece in a Portobello Road Market stall in Notting Hill with an engraving on its case back that said “Henry, August 1965.” It looks very much like Alan’s watch, down to its minimalist dial, which is from the Henry London Heritage Signature collection.
The latest collections look like timepieces straight out of the ’60s… but not quite. Stainless-steel cases are paired with colored dials. It’s traditional styling with new trends and technology. The bracelets are constructed from high-quality stainless-steel Milanese mesh and straps are made from the finest of soft leathers in regal shades.
“Most brands now have a nubuck lining in the inside of the leather on the back to make it more robust,” Paul points out. “What we’ve done in our first collection and continued is keep the same leather top and bottom. We recreated this element from vintage watchmaking. You need high-quality leather to be this slim but strong enough not to have the nubuck lining.”
All three new collections have interchangeable straps, from a ’60s favorite Milanese mesh to leather and vice versa through quick-release clasps.
Square-shaped dials in rose gold, gold, and silver (26mm case styles for women and 34mm for men) reminiscent of designs from the 1960s from brands like Zenith, Omega, and Patek Philippe run on a Japanese quartz movement with mineral lens glass.
The second release, Iconic, combines Scandinavian minimalism with Henry London’s vintage-style DNA with high double-dome lens, a curved dial, and even curved hands.
The third drop is a range of mechanical Japanese Miyota 82S0 automatic movement watches at affordable price points. The beauty inside is on display through a skeleton dial with slim hour batons, allowing a glimpse into the mechanical movement as each second ticks by, in full view through an exhibition case back. The steel case sizes range from 40 to 42mm. A slightly higher-end model, available only in a 42mm case, uses a Japan Miyota 82S7.
The brand turns two next month but it’s already present in over 60 countries. Umbrella company Peers Hardy is the name behind some of the most recognizable faces in the watch industry, from Daniel Wellington to trademark brands like Disney. They find their heart with Henry London — and it’s a pretty sturdy heart.
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In the Philippines, Henry London is available in all Wristpod, Swissgear, Landmark Makati, and select SM Department Stores. Follow @henrywatchesph for updates.
