{"id":1488,"date":"2022-09-10T12:29:01","date_gmt":"2022-09-10T11:29:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bwcmg.org\/?p=1488"},"modified":"2022-09-14T14:21:48","modified_gmt":"2022-09-14T13:21:48","slug":"the-few-the-spitfire-watch-colin-andrews-fbhi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bwcmg.org\/index.php\/2022\/09\/10\/the-few-the-spitfire-watch-colin-andrews-fbhi\/","title":{"rendered":"The Few – The Spitfire Watch – Colin Andrews FBHI"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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BWCMG member Colin Andrews has embarked on a very special project \u2013 hand-making British watches using parts of an old war-time spitfire.<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Colin at the Bench<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Since embarking upon my career as a watchmaker I always had the ambition to be just that \u2013 a maker of watches. I was fortunate that when I initially contacted my local horologist for advice on how best to train, that happened to be Robert Loomes, who was, and continues to be, incredibly enthusiastic and supportive.<\/span><\/p>\n

After enrolling as a full-time horology student, I learned about the historic role Britain had played in the development of watchmaking and the subsequent decline and collapse of the industry. It seemed a shame, but I could see other nations \u2013 notably Germany \u2013 had enjoyed a tremendous revival of their watchmaking industry around Glash\u00fctte and in my optimism I didn\u2019t see any reason why the same couldn\u2019t apply in Britain.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Collecting the British Watch & Clock Makers\u2019 Guild Prize from Chairman\nPaul Roberson FBHI in 2014<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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As the Second World War raged in Europe, the world\u2019s most famous aircraft \u2013 the Spitfire \u2013 was at the forefront of operations to liberate the continent.<\/span><\/p>

Soon after D-Day on 30 July 1944, one of these Spitfires, registered as ML295, was being flown by pilot Harold Kramer over Nazi-occupied France. It was on its 67th mission.<\/span><\/p>

The aircraft was an LF Mark 9, which was a Spitfire variant designed for low altitude flight. At the time it was the cutting edge of Allied aircraft technology, powered by a 27 litre V12 Rolls Royce Merlin 66 engine, producing 1,705 horsepower and capable of reaching over 400mph. It was armed with two machine guns and two cannons in its wings and enough ammunition for 12 seconds of sustained fire.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

This formidable combination made the Spitfire both fast and deadly, and earned it a reputation, among both Allied and German pilots, as the greatest fighter aircraft of the war.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u00a0Spitfire ML295 had made a successful attack on a German convoy, when his squadron heard Kramer exclaim over the radio that he\u2019d been hit by enemy anti-aircraft fire and his\u00a0<\/span>engine had stopped. They watched as Spitfire ML295\u2019s propellor spun to a stop and the aircraft silently glided out of formation and out of sight.<\/span><\/p>

Despite having only seconds to make his unplanned landing, Kramer skilfully managed to bring the Spitfire down in a marshy field. He emerged from the aircraft unharmed and made a dramatic escape. Now behind enemy lines, Kramer managed to evade capture for a month, before making his way back to Allied lines and his relieved squadron mates.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Reconstruction of Spitfire ML295 painted with invasion stripes soon after D-Day<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Spitfire ML295 at Biggin Hill Airfield in 1944, with Harold Karmer in\nthe pilot seat.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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My first watch featuring a regulator layout.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Making the case was quite a challenge,\nparticularly ensuring it was water resistant.\nHave a removable bezel allowed me to fit a\nlarger sized dial.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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great-british-watch.co.uk\n@ gb_watch\n<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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So, I founded my own business, Great British Watch Company, with the aim of eventually producing my own British-made watches.<\/span><\/p>

Over the next seven years I produced my first watch and built my website, which featured content about aspects of watchmaking and had a particular focus on British watchmaking. It has proven to be popular and since its creation has attracted more than five million unique visitors.<\/span><\/p>

The work on my watch began while I was still studying for my BHI exams and it continued during the evenings and weekends when I began to work full-time in the industry.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Although that watch is finished, there are always parts that I would want to remake or redesign. One of the reasons it had taken so long to complete was that as I finished a new part and my skill level increased, I would look at some of the earlier work and think that I could remake that a bit better. This would start a domino effect and eventually I\u2019d find myself remaking other older parts. That cycle happened 10 times before I decided to finally accept that the watch was as finished as it would be.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Clearly, replicating such a long turnaround wasn\u2019t something that could become a commercial enterprise and so I was always on the lookout for inspiration for a series of watches that I could make for the public.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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For the Spitfire watch, first I produced technical drawings of the design\nand then translated those into a 3D image. I was then able to quickly\n3D print the model in resin to check how everything fitted together,\nalong with aspects of the design. Discussing with modern-day Spitfire\npilots, using the model we decided to reduce the case size from 42mm to 40mm.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Since its crash in 1944, Spitfire ML295 had remained where it landed; submerged in the middle of a pond in Northern France. Almost 75 years later, the wreck was recovered and transferred to Biggin Hill Airfield in Kent to undergo a full restoration.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

I became linked to the Spitfire through my cousin, an experienced pilot who had just started training to fly Spitfires. The restoration of Spitfire ML295 had not yet begun and I was invited down to the hangar to take a look; even although at this stage it was still just a skeletal frame. After chatting with the owner and engineers who would work on bringing the Spitfire back to life, I was made aware that there would be parts of the original Spitfire that couldn\u2019t be reused in the restoration \u2013 with their condition not being suitable for an airworthy aircraft \u2013 and so I had an idea that I could incorporate some of that material in a commemorative watch.<\/span><\/p>

Early into the project I realised the incredibly powerful connection that people felt with the Spitfire. By creating an emotional link to the DNA of the Spitfire and her pilots, it was my intention that the watch was not just a timepiece, but also a visceral reminder of those pilots and the sacrifices they made.<\/span><\/p>

With the scale of the project becoming apparent, I knew that this wasn\u2019t something that I could complete in my spare time \u2013 if I wanted the endeavour to be successful, it would need my full attention. So I made the decision to leave work, create my own workshop and begin working on the project full-time.<\/span><\/p>

After some research into the design, I settled on an homage to the watch that many Spitfire pilots wore, the Omega CK 2129, also known as the Weems watch. Working alongside current\u00a0<\/span>Spitfire pilots to help design the timepiece, we came to modify and upgrade the original watch design so that they could wear it today as part of their pilot\u2019s uniform.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

I also aspired to build the watch entirely in Britain \u2013 that was my company\u2019s objective, after all. To be able to complete such a series of watches though, I would need help, as I did not have\u00a0<\/span>access to the sort of high precision automated machinery that would be needed, nor the time to create each component of the watch by hand, as I had done with my first watch.<\/span><\/p>

\u00a0This was certainly a challenge, as the UK currently has a very small watchmaking industry and there was not an opportunity to use third parties to readily produce parts needed \u2013 as would be possible if I went to Switzerland or China.<\/span><\/p>

Despite this lack of infrastructure, the difficulty of working with material from the 1940s and the onset of a global pandemic I knew, having already made my own watch by hand, that it was achievable.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The crown of the watch at 3 o'clock is made\nfrom an original blackened bolt from the\nSpitfire. The crown at 4 o'clock is used to lock\nthe bezel into position.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The back of The Few featuring the names of\nthe 11 pilots that flew in Spitfire ML295, along\nwith part of Winston Churchill's famous Battle of Britain speech.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Using advanced 3D printing technology, I\nexperimented with printing in metal. Although\na nice show piece, the material requires a lot of\nfinishing, which along with the high cost of\nproduction meant it wasn't suitable for the\nproject<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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There was certainly world-class skill, expertise and equipment in the UK \u2013 it was all just working within different industries. So, my initial challenge was to try to convince this talent to become involved with the project. I was aided in this task by being able to draw upon the powerful name of an iconic aircraft.<\/span><\/p>

Even after more than 80 years since the Battle of Britain, when people hear \u2018Spitfire\u2019 the hairs stand up on the back of their neck and they are reminded of the deadly ballet these men and their machines performed, as they fought for the salvation and liberation of those enslaved by tyranny.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Each Spitfire is built using around 80,000 rivets, each fitted by hand. Here\nis the unpainted fuselage with one of the wings in the background<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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With persistent enthusiasm, I found world-class artisans and engineers who were eager to be part of the project \u2013 the majority being within just 20 miles of my workshop. With their help, the watch turned from an idea into a reality.<\/span><\/p>

The watch initially had the working title of \u2018Spitfire Watch\u2019, although it soon became known as \u2018The Few\u2019, in honour of the name given by Winston Churchill to those few pilots who saved Britain during her darkest and finest hour. It also represented the few remaining Spitfires that are left and the limited number of watches that would be created to celebrate the heroic pilots and their iconic aircraft. As my research uncovered the story of the Spitfire from which The Few would be made and the men who flew her, it became apparent that to do justice to their legacy I needed to build that soul into the watch.<\/span><\/p>

Work soon began to get underway on the watch and progress was being made \u2013 then Covid19 arrived. This frustrated a lot of the development, however it allowed me to concentrate on other areas \u2013 particularly the research into the Spitfire and the pilots.<\/span><\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

To be continued\u2026<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BWCMG member Colin Andrews has embarked on a very special project \u2013 hand-making British watches using parts of an old war-time spitfire. Colin at the Bench Since embarking upon my career as a watchmaker I always had the ambition to be just that \u2013 a maker of watches. I was fortunate that when I initially […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1524,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1488","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","entry","has-media"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bwcmg.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1488"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bwcmg.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bwcmg.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bwcmg.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bwcmg.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1488"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/bwcmg.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1488\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1525,"href":"https:\/\/bwcmg.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1488\/revisions\/1525"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bwcmg.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1524"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bwcmg.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1488"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bwcmg.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1488"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bwcmg.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1488"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}