Sometimes when doing research for an in depth review you get a sense of Déjà vu. A few months ago I wrote an editorial featuring the wonderful Égard Hunter Blue. Owner Ilan Srulovicz designed his first watch as a surprise present for his fathers 65th birthday. Amazingly Tom Kennett also invented his debut timepiece to commemorate his fathers 60th birthday. This fantastic watch was called the Savro and attracted a lot of positive attention within the industry.
In 2009 Tom Kennett left a high profile job and invested his savings to establish his own watch brand. Even though their timepieces are manufactured in China the company’s headquarters and design studio are located in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. Recently I have featured a few British watchmakers targeting different price ranges. Essentially what Kennett Timepieces offer is an exciting series of well-designed affordable watches. The Challenger series perfectly illustrates this point.
My initial introduction to the brand was through contact with the dynamic sales director Tom McCulloch. He is very keen to raise the brands profile worldwide and passionate about the quality of the product. Kennett Timepieces currently have a range of different men’s collections including the Savro, Altitude Valour and my personal favourite the Challenger. Within this series there are also numerous models with different colour combinations to choose from. I opted to review the Silver Dial And Grey Face.
When the watch arrived I was really impressed with the attention to detail. Dimensionally the Challenger measures 45mm x 13mm excluding the crown and pushers. These proportions should definitely appeal to a broad spectrum of buyers. I felt the timepieces sat comfortably on my wrist without any friction from the lugs. Ultimately this is down to the elegant design of the cushion shaped case. The watch is also pretty lightweight and weighs only 92 grams. Realistically this timepiece could be worn for any occasion and is practical for daily usage.
Visually the Challenger has the appearance of a much more expensive watch. The dial has a sleek grey background, which compliments the stylish brushed stainless steel case. I love the electric blue counter and the contrasting bright red hands. This injection of colour gives the watch real texture and form. Other attractive features include the chrome indexes, open worked hands and black tachymeter chapter ring. Overall the sporty façade is incredibly effective and superbly executed.
Beneath the robust exterior the watch is equipped with a reliable Japanese Miyota OS20. This quartz movement has an estimated five-year battery life and oscillates at a frequency of 32,768 Hz. It also has an accuracy rate of +/-20 seconds a month. The Challenger features hours, minutes, seconds, date, tachymeter and chronograph functions.
The Challenger has a durable PU rubber strap with engraved steel buckle and is water resistant to a depth of 50 meters. Priced competitively at £260 (approximately $418.26).
http://www.kennettonline.com