On Saturday 13th November, I took the 50-minute train from Rugby station to London Euston. 15 minutes and 4 underground stops later, I arrived at my destination, like an excited little boy ready to see hundreds of watches.
The Londoner is a spectacular hotel. Thankfully I had my covid card with my record of vaccination, and after giving my name I received my Press pass.
There was a lot of security and staff everywhere, which made the whole experience feel rather safe. The Salon itself was down two floors, in a delightful large room, where all the exhibitors were in a circle around the outer edge and inner area.
Please excuse the pictures, the lighting could have been a little bit better.
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It was all very luxurious and a very pleasant experience. The size of the venue was just right too; not too large so it felt empty, but not too small so you were cramped. Each exhibitor had enough space to cater for a good handful of visitors.
Throughout the day, there were a few talks and panel discussions upstairs, which were rather interesting. It allowed you to take a breather and split up the day well, instead of just walking around talking watches non-stop.
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Here are a few of the highlights!
It was great seeing Grand Seiko in the metal, as I rarely see them in the wild. The dial on the snowflake was as stunning as I imagined it would be.
![](https://12and60.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/watchpro-salon-2021-7-1024x683.jpg)
Oris watches are always great to check out – such tremendous watches for the money.
![](https://12and60.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/watchpro-salon-2021-13-1024x683.jpg)
Junghans is another brand that nails it every time in the design department. Some of the nicest Bauhaus watches available.
![](https://12and60.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/watchpro-salon-2021-4-1024x683.jpg)
Sidereus are relatively new (a couple of years old), and I was really impressed by their back story, the heritage and inspiration, and that case is simply sublime.
![](https://12and60.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/watchpro-salon-2021-3-1024x683.jpg)
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Christopher Ward is one of my favourite brands as I’m sure you know, so it was great to catch up with the powers at be. Fun fact: CW were the very first brand that supported WIAA by sending me a watch to review, 8 years ago.
![](https://12and60.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/watchpro-salon-2021-32-1024x683.jpg)
Sinn was a very popular brand, and it’s easy to see why. Brilliant watches at a very reasonable price-point, from a fully independent watch brand battling with the big boys. The oil-filled UX is unbelievable, it’s like the dial is on the top of the crystal. It also has a very clever caseback that contracts and expands with the oil.
![](https://12and60.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/watchpro-salon-2021-16-1024x683.jpg)
![](https://12and60.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/watchpro-salon-2021-19-1024x683.jpg)
Marathon had a superb selection of rugged, affordable timepieces, with a great history behind them.
![](https://12and60.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/watchpro-salon-2021-15-1024x683.jpg)
Speake-Marin. Just look at them. That is all.
![](https://12and60.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/watchpro-salon-2021-12-1024x683.jpg)
William Wood had a very popular stand, their firefighter inspired pieces are very impressive at a decent price.
![](https://12and60.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/watchpro-salon-2021-5-1024x683.jpg)
Duckworth Prestex is another superb new British brand (launched this year). Their lineup is classy, well designed and built, and competitively priced.
![](https://12and60.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/watchpro-salon-2021-10-1024x683.jpg)
![](https://12and60.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/watchpro-salon-2021-31-683x1024.jpg)
Uboat also had some interesting oil-filled models.
![](https://12and60.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/watchpro-salon-2021-11-1024x683.jpg)
Schofield are a proper British brand through-and-through, and they are built to last, and to impress. They do both of those things very well indeed.
![](https://12and60.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/watchpro-salon-2021-1-e1637143976103-683x1024.jpg)
Allemano looked brilliant in the metal, they really caught my eye.
![](https://12and60.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/watchpro-salon-2021-9-1024x683.jpg)
I also had a great chat with some fellow watch enthusiasts, in particular Tim Vaux and Bradwatch. In addition, I had the pleasure of meeting Rich from Studio Underd0g – they are going to go from strength to strength.
Roger Smith was even there, what a legend!
![](https://12and60.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/watchpro-salon-2021-20-1024x683.jpg)