The watch industry is unquestionably healthy right now, especially here in Britain. A handful of brands – like Fears and Christopher Ward – have pushed the envelope for what's expected of the industry at home, leading to an explosion of smaller manufacturers.
Recently, I've had my hands on the new Swan & Edgar Horizon. The brand – which has previously made a few collections of affordable watches you might find on Amazon – has raised the bar with this model, teaming up with Horologium, the same house behind – and recently purchased by – Studio Underd0g.
With an enviable sounding spec sheet and the backing of a major player in the UK watch industry, the Horizon sounds like a step up compared to the brand's historic releases. But is is as good as it sounds? Well, let's find out.
Swan & Edgar Horizon: key specs
Up first, let's look at specs. The Horizon boasts a 39.5mm case crafted from 316L stainless steel, which sits a respectable 11.3mm thick.
The real calling card here sits within that, though, with a dial crafted from enamel. That's a really difficult process, often seen on watches costing 50-100 times what this does – I'm looking at you, A Lange and Söhne.
Finding it on a watch at this price point is rare, and it looks fantastic. It's also worth noting that there is a second colour variant – white – which uses a slab of quartz as the dial, instead of enamel.
Elsewhere, the dial keeps things minimal with a mostly sans-indices design which is only broken in two places. First is at three o'clock, where a date window sits within a small, round aperture.
The much more interesting one sits at the 12 o'clock position, though, with a giant gold triangle and an Arabic numeral marker. That's plated with 18-carat gold to a thickness of 10 microns or 0.01mm.
The watch comes with an Italian suede strap as standard, in grey for the blue model and black for the white dial. That's also fitted to the shape of the case, for a more seamless transition from dial to strap.
On the rear of the case, you'll find an engraving of the white cliffs of Dover. That – along with the triangle motif at 12 o'clock which comes from the Battle of Britain sector clock – are two nods which subtly showcase the military inspiration for the piece.
Inside, you'll find a Miyota 9015 movement. That's accurate to -10/+30 seconds per day, and offers 42 hours of power reserve.
What is the Swan & Edgar Horizon like on the wrist?
As you've probably guessed from the dimensions, this thing wears like a dream. 39mm is a personal sweet spot for me, and wearing this has only enforced that more.
It's not just the svelte case diameter, though – the thickness ensures this piece wears like a dream, without catching on a shirt cuff. I'm not sure you could really call this a dress watch, but physically it would be at home in those situations.
Kudos to the designers of this watch for electing to use a traditional closed case back here. It's trendy to have a display back right now, but those often bump up the thickness unnecessarily, so this feels like a good call.
Then, there's the dial. I'll say it right now – I suspect this is the best dial under £1,000, and I don't doubt it'll keep that title for a while. It's impressive enough to look at, with a beautiful texture and lots of depth afforded by the sunburst gradient, but knowing how involved the process is just makes this feel even more special.
The strap is the coup de grâce here. Italian suede – even the words sound luxurious, and the experience on the wrist is just fantastic. It's soft, it's supple, it's everything you'd want from a watch strap. No notes.
Is the Swan & Edgar Horizon worth the money?
Priced at £795 / €926.95 / US$1,088 / AU$1,632, I can see why some might have questions over whether this one is worth the money. As I eluded to back at the start, the Swan & Edgar of old was a brand which made cheap watches which were often regarded with a degree of trepidation.
I can't speak for them, but I can say this much – Horizon feels like it's entirely different to those models. The Miyota movement is reliable, the strap is exotic and the dial finishing is exquisite.
Just 300 pieces will be made as part of the first run, and I fully expect that to sell out fast. If you're looking for a great, modern watch which wears well and acts dressy – even if it doesn't entirely look it – look no further.
