Mr. Jones (Watches) and Me

Embracing the British Watchmaking Movement with Mr. Jones Watches

If you’re someone who pays attention to the British watchmaking movement, then you’ll be very aware of brands like Studio Underd0g and Mr. Jones Watches. These two brands are not crafting pieces that fall into high horology. They aren’t placing thin tourbillons into their new masterpieces, nor are they charging $10,000. However, they are standing out among their peers because they bring a whole lot of fun, story, and color to their watches.

This week, I’m excited to talk about the newest piece in my collection, a Mr. Jones Watches piece artfully called “A Perfectly Useless Evening.” This isn’t a new release, but it has been a challenge to get hands-on because it’s been sold out.

Here are the vitals for this little piece of art:

   •    Size: 37mm diameter
   •    Lug tip to lug tip: 46mm
   •    Water resistance: 50m
   •    Lug width: 18mm
   •    Movement: Swiss quartz
   •    Glass: Sapphire crystal
   •    Case Material: 316L stainless steel with PVD coating

It wears very comfortably with nearly no weight to it. You’ll forget it’s there, except for the fact that you’ll be constantly looking at where our heroine is in her journey around the pool. We follow her longest pointed leg as the hour “foot” and the free-roaming beach ball as the minute marker.

The piece is a reminder from artist Kristof Devos to relax and not take everything so seriously. It’s a message that we could all stand to internalize a little more in this age of constant alerts, notifications, and tasks at our fingertips—or thumbs, as is the case with the iPhone in my pocket.

The inspiration for this piece came from a quote: “If you can spend a perfectly useless afternoon in a perfectly useless manner, you have learned how to live.”

Kristof is an award-winning illustrator who often tackles tough issues that challenge our children, like making friends, standing up for yourself, and even death. He wins awards for his work on a near-annual basis, and his recent work includes “The Wind and We,” “Olimillimeter & Megamond,” and “Fox, Bird, and I.”

The watch is a constant reminder of how much fun can exist in an industry that is often trying to inspire contemplation of high art and micro-engineering. In this instance, you can most certainly find deep appreciation for the unique artwork but can find it from Mr. Jones for as little as $275 USD. It’s a pure joy to see a watchmaker placing an approachable price point on their art.

Additionally, the size of the dial is most approachable and comes in at a size which more and more watchmakers are trying to transition to. The trend for this size of watch is one that is also enjoyable to see as we’ve moved from the more gaudy mid-40s and dropped into a much more gender-neutral sizing. The more people who can wear these little gems the better, in my eyes.

Mr. Jones Watches comes from the mind of Crispin Jones, the founder and owner of the company. This London-based brand, founded in 2007, has thrived in their corner of horology. Their storefront property allows you to peruse their wares, including clothing selections to accompany your new wrist-art. The space is also set up so you can see some of the hand assembly taking place, though the majority of the watchmaking is happening at their other location, more dedicated to their spatial needs for the brand. If you’re lucky, you’ll also get to run into Stanley the Dachshund, their mascot!

Dial design is where Mr. Jones Watches gains notoriety. They pad print their designs in a meticulous manner, gently applying each layer until the dial is as it was meant to be. Sometimes even printing directly onto the underside of the crystal to gain even more depth from their imagery.

Not all of their pieces are quartz. For a bit more, you can expand to those that have the optional automatic STP-11 movements, though automatic vs. quartz is unlikely to play a large part in your selection with this brand.

Their best seller is “A Perfectly Useless Afternoon,” the initial offering from the Kristof design. It’s more of a daytime scene and has our hero placed in a ’30s style bathing costume, accompanied by a joyous rubber duck sweeping the minutes away.

Other pieces on MrJonesWatches.com include:

   •    “Ricochet” - the robots playing pinball.
   •    “Beam Me Up” - The alien in a flying saucer chasing the little pig around a cow pasture.
   •    “Blueberry Late!” - with the slogan ‘ F*@# it! Time is Just a Social Construct’ which aligns on the hour, and throughout the rest of the hour is a mishmash of letters simply trying to form the eventual thought.
   •    “The Accurate” - a simple white sunburst dial with hands which say ‘remember’ and ‘you will die,’ a perpetual reminder of the eventuality of life.

There are many more, and all are worth your further exploration. They are guaranteed to put a smile on your face, which should be a primary outcome of watch collecting!

Mr. Jones Watches is a watch company worth your exploration. They are extremely playful in their art and offer great variety. If you are in the market for a little more joy in your watch collection, then you should certainly explore the site and pick yourself up a new watch!

Thanks for taking the time to read! #Watchcology is a passion project and I hope you’re enjoying it!

-Adam