Christmas Buying Guide: Accessories From Schofield Watch Company
A couple of weeks back, I introduced the newest watch from one of my favorite brands. The Schofield Strange Lights was surely an early Christmas gift and would certainly make a very generous stocking filler. But for those of us that don’t quite have that kind of spending power, I have some other options from the Sussex-based brand. I’ve got straps, pens, and perhaps the most opulent, divinely crafted watch box you’ve ever seen to show you. Grab a fresh mug of cocoa and warm your feet by the fire. This list is about to get festive…
Do you ever wonder what to buy the watch lover in your life? It can be tough buying meaningful gifts for friends and family members that clearly (by their interest in luxury watches) have a fair bit of disposable cash with which they are likely wont to buy pretty much everything they want for themselves. However, it is possible. By looking a little off the beaten track, you will find some wonderful options. The key to buying a great gift for a luxury watch lover? Quality. The use of good materials and the implementation of conscious design should never be overlooked.
So, without further ado (as RJ would say) let me introduce to you three stunningly beautiful options from Schofield Watch Company for your lucky watch nut…
Straps, straps, straps, and… STRAPS
Few companies offer a better strap selection than Schofield. The lineup is ever-changing. It evolves with the founder’s taste and the seasonal availability of materials. Certain fabrics, such as traditionally-woven tweeds, as not made in large batches at all. Furthermore, each and every batch comes out slightly different from the previous one. That’s great if you’re comfortable with constant evolution (as Schofield is), bad if you have a habit of lingering on the trigger…
My runaway favorite strap style in the Schofield collection are those made from tweed. I have a (healthy) obsession with this material anyway and am always on the lookout to add new tweed goods to my collection. But, I must admit, there is a new strap in the Schofield family that I simply can’t get enough of…
I mentioned it obliquely in my recent review of the new Schofield Strange Lights model… The strap catching my eye has a soft purple/pink velvet upper that goes with nothing and everything at once. It is pure opulence. It is totally crazy and crazy cool as a result. If you’re looking for something truly different (and supremely Schofield), this could liven up any tired old beater in a flash. The Purple Pink Silk Velvet strap costs £142. See it in all its fuzzy glory here.
The Schofield P-2
Schofield has long had an interest in high-quality pen production. As a writer, you might expect me to have a large collection of lovely pens. I don’t. I know very little about pens. Amazingly, there have only been two pens I ever desired in my life. One is the Montblanc Heritage ballpoint (the red/orange one with the snake-style clip), and the other is this: the Schofield P-2.
Specifically, I chased the Stargate Edition. I love the crazy, swirling use of colors. More still, I love the way it feels in the hand and the way it writes. You can fill these with any color ink you desire. I went for green (my favorite color) and I have to say that ever since I started using it, I’ve enjoyed the act of (physically) writing more. I’ve started setting aside time in the evening to sit down and use the pen — even if I have very little to say or very little of note to write with it. I am enjoying the interaction with the product. In turn, the product is encouraging me to take more control over my free time. It is a weirdly satisfying relationship that wouldn’t have come about were it not for the way this thing is styled.
Pen design
I’m positive that people on the outside of the watchmaking industry looking in, think we are crazy. They must think that the way we obsess over the tiniest details is bizarre. Bonkers, even. To non-watch-nerds (or “muggles”, as I call them), hands are hands. A watch case is a watch case (if they ever even thought about the component as something distinct from the other components that comprise a watch, of course). In the same way, I have come to appreciate my own ignorance when it comes to pen design.
I grew up on cheap Bics and old pencils I literally inherited. They weren’t fancy. They weren’t family heirlooms. No, they simply still had useable lead in them when my grandfather died so I got them. Not I own a pen that is as much a work of art as many of the finest watches I have in my collection. I marvel at how little I knew about or appreciated pen design before I started using the P-2 daily. If you think you know someone that might like to experience that feeling also, this is a nice gift for them. The P-2 series retails at £416 each and they are delivered in a smart carbon tube.
UV-1
Here’s another type of accessory that many of my WIS buddies have in spades. Torches. They are actually essential kit for watch journos, as we often have to check and photograph lume on the go. I don’t want to carry around a traditional desk lamp all the time, so a small, pocket-sized torch is an ideal alternative. Typically, Schofield decided to oblige.
This one is made from nickel-plated aluminum. It measures 75.5mm long, 26mm in diameter, and weighs 75 grams. Pleasingly, the battery within it is rechargeable and the bulb is a very bright UV CREE LED (which I’m reliably informed boasts a wavelength of 395–410nm). A quick blast of that bulb will bring even the most stubborn lume to life in a flash.
As with the lower case band of the new Schofield Strange Lights model, the UV-1 is engraved in the same style (as is the P-2 pen). It gives this piece a highly technical appearance, which is tempered by its compact form and curvaceous lens (made from polycarbonate).
WAPHTTTB
Catchy name, eh? No, don’t try and say it out loud. There’s no need. In fact, if you’re really tempted to try it, just replace every one of those eight letters with the letter “O”. That’s the kind of reaction I’d expect from you anyway. It’s the kind of reaction I’d expect from anyone that is able to recognize effort and diligence manifested when it’s placed before their eyes.
…it can be screwed down to reduce the likelihood of it and its contents being swiped by passing scallywags.
Schofield is proud of its tendency to over-engineer everything it makes. Everything is better than it needs to be. It is the same kind of pursuit that drives more famous brands like Grand Seiko. It is the same kind of attention to detail that makes similarly fringe companies like Minase worth their weight in gold (not literally). This kind of considerate design is rare.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSrQfRHqXi0&feature=emb_logo
Look, we’re talking about a watch box that costs £1,120 and holds a maximum of ten watches. That’s a lot of money for sure, but in comparison to some recently released alternatives (Rimowa, I am looking RIGHT AT YOU), this is streets ahead. And because its creator knows how desirable this customizable cocoon really is, it can be screwed down to reduce the likelihood of it and its contents being swiped by passing scallywags. Don’t underestimate smart storage solutions for your collection. It deserves something nice, and so do you! Learn more at schofieldwatchcompany.com.
