Daniel Gorman: The Watches Making Mechanical Horology Cool Again
There is something happening in watches that we find particularly interesting at The Wind Up. A new generation of brands is beginning to understand that younger watch buyers do not necessarily want another slightly tweaked interpretation of a 1960s dive watch. They want something that looks different. Something that feels modern. Something that works as part of an outfit rather than simply looking like a smaller version of what their dad wears.
Daniel Gorman appears to have understood that perfectly.
The brand's collection is packed with watches that are bold, futuristic, colourful and unapologetically designed to get noticed. Yet underneath the deliberately contemporary styling is something that makes them considerably more interesting to watch enthusiasts: mechanical movements, sapphire crystal, serious construction and the visual language of considerably more expensive watches.
It is a surprisingly difficult combination to get right. Daniel Gorman seems to have found the sweet spot.
This Doesn't Look Like Traditional Watchmaking
Look at a Daniel Gorman watch and the first thing you notice probably isn't the movement. It is the design.
The brand describes itself as producing retro futuristic watches, and that is an unusually accurate description. There are bold geometric cases, unusual dial layouts, skeletonised elements, vibrant colours and designs that look more at home alongside contemporary fashion and industrial design than in a traditional watch boutique. And that is precisely why we think the brand is interesting.
There is a growing number of younger people getting interested in watches, but they are coming into the hobby from a completely different direction. They have grown up with trainers, streetwear, gaming, contemporary design and social media. They are not necessarily looking for a watch that looks like it came from 1972.
They want something that looks like it came from 2032. Daniel Gorman is clearly leaning into that.
The Clever Bit Is Making It Look Expensive
There is a difference between making a cheap watch and making an affordable watch that looks expensive.
The first is relatively easy. Put an inexpensive movement inside a basic case, add a dial and strap and you've got a watch that costs very little to produce. The second is considerably harder. The customer has to perceive value.
That is where Daniel Gorman's design language becomes so important. The cases and dials are visually complicated, the proportions are unusual and the overall watches have significantly more presence than you might expect at this price.
You don't necessarily look at one and think, "That looks like a £180 watch."
You look at it and think, "That's interesting. I wonder how much that costs?"
And when the answer is around £150 to £200, that's a pretty good result for the brand.
But They Aren't Just Fashion Accessories
For all the emphasis on design, Daniel Gorman has clearly thought about the practical side of making watches as well.
The company says its watches are fully submerged and pressure tested beyond their rated water resistance. It also says its watches undergo shock testing equivalent to a one metre drop onto a hard wooden surface, with impact loads reaching up to 5,000 G on a standard 150 gram watch head.
That is considerably more testing than you would expect from something that could easily be dismissed as a fashion watch.
There is also a 12 month warranty and a 14 day money back guarantee, while the company handles worldwide shipping and says it covers import duties and taxes.
So while Daniel Gorman is clearly interested in making watches that look cool, it isn't treating them as disposable fashion accessories.
The Value Proposition Is Pretty Simple
Ultimately, Daniel Gorman has found an interesting formula.
Start with an affordable mechanical movement. Build a distinctive case around it. Spend a disproportionate amount of attention on the design and visual impact. Sell directly to customers rather than building an expensive traditional retail network, and keep the price accessible enough that somebody who has never owned a mechanical watch can realistically take the plunge.
The result is something that looks considerably more expensive than it actually is.
And that is exactly what affordable watchmaking should be about.
It isn't about pretending a £180 watch is secretly a £10,000 watch. It is about asking how much enjoyment, personality and mechanical interest you can squeeze into £180. Daniel Gorman appears to be answering that question rather well.
The Specifications
Mechanical and quartz watches available
Dedicated mechanical collection
Retro futuristic design language
Automatic mechanical movements on mechanical models
Stainless steel cases on applicable models
Water resistance varies by model
Shock testing undertaken by the brand
12 month warranty
14 day money back guarantee
Free worldwide shipping
Import duties and taxes covered by Daniel Gorman
Mechanical models available in the approximate £150 to £200 price range
Winding Things Up
Daniel Gorman is one of those brands that makes you reconsider what an affordable mechanical watch is supposed to look like.
It doesn't look cheap. It doesn't look traditional. It doesn't look like a Rolex homage and it certainly doesn't look like the sort of watch your dad would have bought in 1998. It looks cool.
And that might sound like a fairly superficial reason to buy a watch, but ultimately it is one of the most important reasons people buy watches in the first place. We wear them because we like them. We like looking at them. We like showing them to other people. We like the little bit of mechanical magic happening underneath the dial.
Daniel Gorman has taken those ingredients and packaged them in a way that feels much more relevant to a younger generation of watch buyers. The watches have personality, they look considerably more expensive than their price tags suggest and, importantly, you don't need to spend thousands to get into the mechanical side of the collection.
For around £150 to £200, you can get an automatic watch that looks like someone spent considerably more money designing it.
And perhaps that is the secret. It almost feels Swatch like in bringing value and interesting design to the masses.
Daniel Gorman isn't trying to make an inexpensive watch look expensive by copying an expensive watch.
It is making an affordable watch look expensive by making it look bloody good.
And frankly, that's a much more interesting way to do it.
