Rich red agate, lush natural wood and sparkling pink rubellite were the stars of the show when Dennison brought its new line of naturally-toned timepieces to Dubai — and, to be quite frank, we just couldn’t get enough of them. Combining retro-modern lines, extreme wearability and a temptingly reasonable price point, Dennison’s ALD Collection has everything that a vintage watch fan could lust over. And now, having added the 1960s vibe that only a natural stone dial can achieve, we couldn’t be more here for it. Dennison’s story is nothing short of fascinating. Originating in 1872, not as an horologer but as a maker of the highest quality watch cases, this British brand reached the peak of its importance when developing water-tight cases for Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctician expeditions in 1914, later producing the case for the timepiece that Edmund Hillary wore as he became the first person to summit Mount Everest in 1953. However, despite the Birmingham based business’s success, its time came to a natural close in 1967 and its name became a footnote in horological history — until now.
As co-founder of high-end London-based rare and collectable timepiece specialist Watches of Knightsbridge, Toby Sutton just couldn’t let this sleeping dog lie — especially as he recognised its value to the somewhat under appreciated sphere of British horology. After a stuttering start in 2016 with an incredibly beautiful and complex timepiece which unfortunately just didn’t find its market niche, Toby regrouped and, late last year, resurrected Dennison once and for all with a new look — and boy, is it spectacular. Picking up where the brand left off in the late 1960s, its Emmanuel Gueit-designed organically smooth and curved form echoes the best of vintage mores, without ever overdoing it. And now with natural stone added into the mix, these affordably chic timepieces capture the best of a decade distinguished by its boldness and bravery — much like the city and the DIFC location where Toby chose to launch the precious new designs. “The aim was to connect with our online buyers and watch collector community in the UAE to introduce the brand and new models,” Toby explained to GMT GCC. “The Arts Club is the perfect place and they have been very supportive. It’s the unofficial home of Dennison in Dubai! The Middle East is our second biggest market after the US, so it’s very important. This region has really shown a lot of love for Dennison from the start, so we intend to really focus our attention here and we have some cool plans for the future.”
Could Dennison possibly get any cooler? With the red agate edition officially coming in as our team’s most-lusted after model this summer, we could be forgiven for thinking it’s not possible. But after hearing a few whispers about what might be in store this winter, we’ve had to think again — and we can’t wait to see what other tricks Toby has up his sleeve to keep the fire he’s lit under Dennison burning bright. Best of British? It’s all that and more.
