Walker & Crown: An 80s Time Capsule for Modern Watch Collectors
- Jilliano Romano
- Aug 14
- 5 min read
It should come as no surprise to you by now, but just in case it needs to be stated, I love watches. I love them whether they are popular, unpopular, expensive, inexpensive - I even love them when the model I want is constantly sold-out. However, it is quite rare for me to just see a watch, and immediately think, I need this in my life. The Revival series by British microbrand Walker & Crown has managed exactly that.
This is not a full review article (a review for each model of the collection will come later); instead, it is my honest, unfiltered first impressions about the brand and its watches. I am not being compensated for this article, and I am doing it purely because I believe in these watches (does that count as a spoiler?).
Before we go into what sets these watches apart, however, we must first ask: Who is Walker & Crown?
The Story of Walker & Crown
Like most microbrands, it all started with one thing: memory. For many of us, we associate watches with major milestones, people, and fond memories of days gone by. In the case of Jonny Walker, it was the memory of his late grandfather, and the watch that he had worn all his life. Through some twist of fate, this watch was lost, and Jonny was unable to wear this heirloom on his wedding day. The watch was from Boodle & Dunthorne, and while it may not have been special from a specs perspective, it became more important by virtue of the man wearing the watch.
This led to Jonny recreating the watch, which he now has as part of his permanent collection, but it was like a seed had been planted - it was the desire to create something more. Instead of just recreating his grandfather’s lost watch, there was now an urge to create a watch that likeminded enthusiasts could enjoy.
With the support and the help of his new bride, Colette, Jonny decided to go all the way, and bring Walker & Crown to life.
Since I will be going into greater detail about this in the full review, I’ve decided to just cover the broad strokes of Walker & Crown’s origins.
Every Detail Matters
It’s rare to find a brand that puts an equal amount of thought into the packaging as they do with the watch. Often, the packaging is the area that microbrands - especially new ones - can reduce costs by going for something standard. There are a few notable microbrands that take it the extra mile, such as UBIQ, which has fantastic packaging that reflects its design philosophy, and includes a rugged watch case inside, which can store the extra straps. The German brand, Vandaag, has a dark wooden box that has a heft to it contained within a black box, which makes sense, considering its more traditional designs. For UBIQ and Vandaag, their packaging is a reflection of their watches, and Walker & Crown has done the same, except in a completely new, whimsical fashion.
Walker & Crown’s debut collection, the Revival series which is an Ode to 80s culture, has four unique models - the Electric Lagoon, the Memphis Beat, the Clerk, and the Laser Drift. Each comes in a sizeable, colorful box, which also includes a color-matched Saffiano leather strap, and an honest-to-goodness cassette tape. This cassette tape’s design matches the respective watch, and it even comes with a track list. Due to copyright issues, each cassette tape is actually blank, but all it takes is one tap with your phone to activate the NFC chip inside the tape, and it will open a playlist curated specifically for your new watch. They have also leaned into the fact that the tape is blank by recommending each user to - if possible - create their own mixtape. Not only is this a novel idea, I think it shows that every single detail was carefully thought out to enhance the concept of the watch, as well as the enjoyment of the collector.
The Watches: This is Why I Love Microbrands
Mainstream brands have many distinct advantages over microbrands and independent watchmakers. They have exponentially more resources, they have heritage to fall back on, and they are - more often than not - so well-known that they barely need to break the bank for their marketing campaigns. Microbrands, on the other hand, have one huge advantage: they can try new things. This isn’t to say that major brands aren’t allowed to try new things, but there are definitely more factors to consider, more cooks in the kitchen, and of course, greater ramifications.
For Walker & Crown, Jonny took advantage of starting fresh by developing a square, 37mm by 37mm case with a flat sapphire crystal, a bracelet that looks like the 80s Casio A158, yet made with solid links, and a sliding clasp mechanism that is endlessly easy to adjust, yet durable to the point that it can withstand 10 kilos of pressure. Each watch also sports a screwdown crown and 100M of water resistance, and all are hi-beat due to the Miyota 9039 movement (except for The Clerk, which features a Miyota 9015 due to the date window).
In my opinion, going for a square case is a bold decision, and one that has paid off. The watches are terrifically comfortable on the wrist, and they look quite good to boot. With its 37mm size, the watches are in that dress watch range, but because of the square case shape, it has a decent, notable wrist presence like one would expect from a sports watch or a “loud” field watch.
I have had all four of these watches for about a week, and the Electric Lagoon and the Clerk are definitely my favorites, although each one has a distinct “personality” or genre. This is the rare collection where I would encourage completionists to collect all four watches, as they each offer something different from the other, despite having the same case.
Release
Ordinarily, this is the part where the other shoe drops. This should be the part where I suddenly mention an astronomical price, or that it’s a Kickstarter project with an estimated fulfillment date of late 2027. Fortunately, Jonny and Colette, his partner-in-watches, have invested everything to ensure that I won’t have to share any unfortunate drawbacks. It’s worth noting that while Jonny focuses on the design and the production, Colette handles perhaps the hardest part – public relations, customer service, warranty guidelines, and Jonny’s least favorite part, social media.
The first two watches of the collection - The Clerk and the black-DLC Laser Drift - will be available for sale this September 2026 with fulfillment to follow immediately after they complete seven business days of quality assurance testing. The desire to avoid lengthy production delays is the reason why Jonny and Colette decided to self-fund the entire collection instead of going down the safer crowdfunding route.
And the price? It is finalized at 379 Great British Pounds.
I spoke with Jonny just recently during a recording for an upcoming episode of Between 2 Lugs, my podcast co-hosted with Jay from Dang Horology, and we discussed that while the Revival is a celebration of 80s nostalgia, it has also been made to be accessible to anyone, even if they weren’t 80s kids like Jonny. As someone who missed the 80s by two decades, it felt like opening up someone else’s time capsule of an incredibly fun era - an era I thought was locked away. Thanks to Walker & Crown and the Revival series, however, I am able to have a small taste of what it was like.
Sign up for the September release at their website: Walker & Crown.
Walker & Crown: Specifications
Case Size: 37mm x 37mm
Case Thickness: 10mm
Movement: Miyota 9039 (9015 for The Clerk)
Lume: BGW9 Super-Luminova
Water Resistance: 100M (screwdown crown)
Price: 379 GBP
Great review of a brand flying under my radar. Love the white dial version and as commented by Jilliano in the review, a square watch was an unusual design choice but it works, especially as its dimensions aren’t oversized (square and rectangular designs wear larger).
At this price, it’s going on the want list.
Great introduction of the brand and the watches! Can't wait to read your full review