But then again, there are mainstream ‘watches’, and there are exclusive ‘timepieces’. A brand that stocks only the latter, is Page and Cooper. This luxury watch retailer celebrates the fact that most of the items they stock can’t be found on the high street, because Page and Cooper are driven not by price and popularity, but by quality and exclusivity. All the watches they sell come from ateliers Page and Cooper have personally visited and invariably, have fascinating, little known stories behind them.

Page and Cooper

An example of the small slice of history Page and Cooper throw in for free when you purchase one of their timepieces, is their Squale Vintage Master Limited Edition. On a visit to the Squale workshops in Milan a couple of years ago, Page and Cooper uncovered 60 unused Squale Master Bezels from the early 1960’s in a drawer. Squale gave them permission to use the bezels, Page and Cooper took them off to Switzerland to have the rest of the watch components handmade, and the Vintage Master was born. Each of these incredible vintage watches comes with a watch roll made by Saville Row tailor Timothy Everest, and pocket knife made by Joseph Rodgers of Sheffield.

Intriguing Watch

If you’re after something a little more rugged, look no further than their Marathon Watches collection. Marathon watches are standard issue for the US Marine Corps, Department of Homeland Security, The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (the Mounties) and the Toronto Police Force Emergency Task Force. The watches are all waterproof, dustproof, and able to withstand high levels of impact. And crucially, they won’t break the bank! Although Page and Cooper stock watches costing thousands of pounds, they also stock models that come in at under £100 – like the Marathon General Purpose. It’s all about style and the story behind each watch.

Essentially, they’re not about ostentation or charging high prices for high prices sake. It’s about letting the history behind the model, behind the brand, resonate. Pure class.