Time to watch out for a top Swiss-made brand

If you are in the market for a new watch and are looking for something with style, sophistication and, of course, longevity, the Anglo-Swedish brand, Larsson & Jennings (L&J), might well be for you. The brand is relatively new, founded in 2012 by Joakim Larsson and Andrew Jennings. It wouldn’t be known by too many people, making it kind of a hidden treasure.
The combination of Scandi minimalism and timeless British elegance really works. The brand uses Swiss watch movements and its straps are made in countries known for their style, like Britain, Italy and Sweden. Larsson & Jennings offer a selection of quartz, quartz chronograph and manual movement watches. 

Larsson & Jennings (L&J) have six collections - Lugano, Norse, Saxon, Meridian, Rally and Opera. The Lugano collection caters for everyone, with different watch styles at various prices, ranging from €215 to the €965 with mechanical features. The Norse range (€245 - €965) features the more formal square-shaped watch cases, with some mechanical models.

The Saxon range (€300-€860) includes watches with automatic movement and circular cases showing the date and time. Most of the straps are metal. The Meridian collection (€320-€365) takes inspiration from aviation and has a sub dial, counting the seconds. The watch dials light up in the dark. It also shows the date.
If you want a quartz chronograph watch, the Rally collection (€480) is for you as it counts seconds, minutes and hours. The Opera collection (€340-275) records the date and has guilloche dials and Arabic numeral indexes applied by hand. It’s possible to buy multiple straps for your watch - opting for enhanced style to suit the occasion.

It’s better to pay over the odds for a quality Swiss-made watch that’ll probably last you for years instead of buying less expensive watches that regularly let you down. In fact, the brand is so confident of the quality of its watches that it gives customers a five-year warranty. You’re bound to find something you like, at a price that suits you.

​Some Swiss-made watches sell for thousands of euro. While, L&J can also offer less expensive watches which look effortlessly stylish. The watches can be bought on its e-shop, which features a useful live chat function. L&J has great mid-season sales where you can get up to 40% off the recommended retail price. Check its website every now and again, it could pay off. The brand also has a shop in London for anyone who prefers to try out a watch first hand.

I have two L&J watches with quartz movement. I bought the first one five years ago and it was part of the Kulor collection, which is now discontinued. I bought the blue and red striped nylon NATO strap, which is pictured above to the right. I bought it for about €150 in one of its sales. The bottom of the strap is made from Italian leather. I felt the nylon strap might get dirty easy and require replacing.
​However, it has proved highly durable and it was only after three years of constant wear that I needed a new model. The watch face looks good as new, thanks to L&J using crystal sapphire glass which is scratch resistant. L&J watch faces are simple.
The watch can be paired with numerous styles depending on the strap. The metal knob on the right side of the watch allows you to change the time and has an engraving of the brand’s logo, which is their take on an ampersand. You'll know what I mean when you see the picture of the watch knob at the end of this post. 

I recently bought the Lugano Sloane 40mm, pictured at the top left. It's priced at €245. It has a brown leather strap and a gold coloured watch face. It’s also available in silver with a brown strap and gold with a black strap. Brown leather straps can be paired with a jeans and a t-shirt, without looking over-dressed. They can also be worn with a suit, if you want to look dapper.
Brown is one of the best colours to go for in terms of versatility when choosing a leather strap. The case diameter of the watch is 40mm, the widest diameter the brand offers. Having fairly thin wrists, I had a feeling that the watch case might look too big on my wrist. So I made sure that the watch was buckled tight and the fit wasn’t an issue as a result.

L&J has altered its watch design down the years. The watch brand has incorporated push-pins on its watches so it’s easy to change the straps. It includes a watch band push bar tool, (pictured at the bottom of the page) which is used to change the strap. It also has a cloth to polish the watch face. Its older versions didn’t offer these two items as part of the watch purchase.

The polished brass watch hands, its casing and raised numerical indexes are all gold coloured. These features look slick with the white watch face. The newest collections of L&J watches have the engraving, ‘STHLM/LDN’ on the left-hand side of the watch as a nod to the origins of the brand’s founders.

​L&J says the watch’s 3D design was inspired by the British Museum. The watch face is reminiscent of the design seen on Big Ben, giving it extra character. The strap and clasp is polished gold and has a luxurious look to it. It’s also water proof up to 50 metres, although it might be advisable to remove the watch when showering and swimming. L&J pay great attention to detail, making the brand one of the best watch makers I’ve ever encountered.
 
I’m delighted with my two watches and find them reliable. Next time you’re in the market for a new watch, keep Larsson & Jennings (L&J) in mind as it’s not that easy to buy such a high quality, stylish Swiss-made watch that doesn’t ask too much of your wallet.