WILLIAM WOODS Valiant Collection [Inspired by British FIREFIGHTERS]

Taking its name from the founder’s late grandfather who bravely served in the British Fire Service for 25 years and who is paid tribute to with –



the brand’s logo, a representation of a 1920's British fireman’s helmet, William Wood is a young British, sustainable watch brand that up-cycles old rescue-services’ materials.



This is their debut diver’s watch, the Valiant Collection, a 41mm, Stainless steel automatic dive watch available with a choice of either a Swiss ETA 2824 or Japanese Seiko NH35 automatic movement.



In addition to one or two up-cycled features the Valiant collection is literally brimming with Fire-service inspired details.



For starters the collection offers 5 color variants named: Red Watch, Yellow Watch, Blue Watch, White Watch, Rose Watch and Black Watch - as in a firefighter’s watch i.e. those hours when they are on active duty.



It’s just a small detail but the double markers at 12 o’clock on the dial recall the markings a Crew Manager would have on his or her uniform collar while the counter-weight of the seconds hand is reminiscent of the chime from an old fire engine bell.



The beautiful checkered markings printed around the perimeter of the dial are the same markings found on the side of a British fire engine.



Diver’s features include: a unidirectional diver’s bezel, Super-LumiNova, a screw-down case-back and crown, a 100 meters of water-resistance and a double domed Sapphire crystal with blue-tinted AR.



The crown boasts a special insert made from a 1920’s British brass firefighter’s helmet. All of the casting and craftsmanship was carried out in the heart of London’s prestigious Hatton Garden, jewelry district.

The crown insert is finished with a William Wood firefighter helmet logo engraving.



Something that William Woods are particularly proud of is the fact that they have created a unique strap that uses cast offs from old Angus Duraline British fire hose rubber.



Fire hose rubber is designed to be one of the most durable materials that there is which can withstand extreme conditions.



WW have a 70mm roll of Angus Duraline fire hose which has provided over 10 years of service to the UK Fire & Rescue community.



The straps are available in either red or yellow – and apparently you can still smell the smokiness in the rubber!



A Limited Edition of 250 pieces, each watch comes with a unique engraving between 1 - 250 on its case-back.



The watches of the William Woods Valiant Collection are available for PRE-ORDER with delivery in May of this year. MSRP is 499GBP (NH35) 699GBP (ETA).



Thoughts? This is such a nice way to honor all those brave firefighters who willingly lay down their lives to keep us safe.



While the watch itself is a little generic – albeit in a classic style, it is however packed with tons of thoughtful details that make for a good-looking timepiece.



I love the up-cycling elements in particular the yellow fire hose strap. The choice of movements is welcomed, too. Oh, and another 10atm next time, please! ;)

Follow the link embedded, below for a full list of specifications etc.