The new UK-based brand is looking for some attention, and it definitely caught ours. Their wide range of affordable timepieces will make you think, smile, and even cringe!

Mr Jones Watches is the new UK-based brand that’s looking to make some noise. But it’s not doing that in the typical UK (read “conservative”) style.

According to the brand their interest is not, nor will it ever be, to make something that looks like a Rolex. No kidding!

What Mr Jones Watches is trying to do is to bring a bit of “shock-and-awe” to the world of affordable watches. Their goal is to start a conversation with their timepieces, whether that’s to make you think, smile, or even cringe!

Their watches are designed by founder Crispin Jones and his singular vision. And his vision is definitely bold, and in some cases even shocking, as our cover photo shows.

Take the “Last Laugh” wristwatch, which features a 20 jewel automatic mechanical movement and specially commissioned artwork by British Tattoo Artist Adrian Willard. The design comes from the Mexican Day of the Dead festival and its iconic skull motif.

The watch also has substance, too. The time is cleverly displayed on the skull’s teeth with two teeth showing the hours on top and the minutes displayed on the bottom. The watch – and the associated marketing campaign - reminds us that life is short, and that we should take advantage of it before time ticks away and the worms come to get us.

Another is the vintage looking black and gold “Sun or Moon” model. The Sun moves across the crescent shaped sky from the left to the right and indicates the hours from 6am to 6pm. The Moon follows the same path and indicates the hours from 6pm until 6am.

In the brand’s typical fashion, a diverse cast of characters populate the day and night scenes, ranging from the benign sunflowers and unicorns of the daytime, to scary monsters who roam the darkness at night.

In terms of production, Mr Jones Watches plays the numbers game. Their watches are quite affordable and can be had for a few hundred British pounds a piece. As a result, they can produce a wide range of designs every year in a limited 100 edition release. If a specific design sells well, then it’s updated and reissued as a permanent collection.

To top it off, the company also sells vintage models by other brands. It’s a supplementary revenue stream to be sure, but it’s also connected to the overall brand philosophy of promoting watches that are unusual and have a distinctive story to tell.

To learn more about the unique brand, check out the video below, or visit their website.

The story behind Mr Jones Watches from Mr Jones on Vimeo.