There are a lot of watch shops around. I mean, just stroll down Bond Street, Regent Street, or any high street in the UK and you’ll find at least one place selling a solid array of classic Swiss brands. That’s no bad thing but it is a bit… uninspiring. One chain store selling your Omegas, Rolexes, and other mainstream Swiss brands is generally the carbon copy of another. They might vary in size, but that’s about it.
As collectors, we want something different, something that doesn’t cater to the kind of brands splashed across advertising at the airport. And where London’s new poster child for independent watchmaking is Time + Tide, independent, interesting watchmaking is something that Glasgow’s James Porter & Son have been doing for years.
Founded in 1858, James Porter & Son is today run by the fifth generation of the family, Simon Porter and while they’ve been a mainstay in Glasgow’s renowned Argyll Arcade since the 1960s, the last few years has seen some serious expansion. That’s because in 2022 they opened a dedicated watch space further in the arcade – and took the opportunity to double down on the reputation for cool, independent brands they’d already been curating – and the key to that curation, other than an eye for a cool timepiece of course, is independence.
“These brands don’t make enough watches for every shop in the country to stock them”, explains Simon Porter. “But these are the brands that drive the collectors’ community. Even before lockdown we saw these watches on people’s wrists, the Doxas, the Sins, the Nomos Glashuttes. They were buying them online and internationally, brands that the bigger chain stores just couldn’t make sense of. It’s a relatively small market, but one we love and love catering to.”
That all said, as you might have gathered not just from our microbrand corner but our round-up of indie watchmakers at Geneva Watch Week, there’s more than a few to choose from. A lot of them are cool; a handful of them might be considered commercial. But there’s one rule of thumb that Simon always sticks to.
“First and foremost, we have to like them! It could be one model, one collection that draws you in. Sure, we hope it’ll be a good seller, but if one of us is drawn to a particular brand we’ll consider it. Micromilspec for example. I’d never heard of them before, but the Milgraph drew us in. Once you learn about their other watches you start to appreciate the brand as a whole, but there’s always that first touchstone.”
As for Simon’s particular tastes (independent brands take note): “personally I like a chronograph – and against all trends I like a large chronograph. I’ve always liked something a bit different. Although against type, the last watch I bought was the Grand Seiko Soko Frost we did with them. I wear a lot of light blue and I’ve been waiting for a steel, blue dial Grand Seiko, so our exclusive was the perfect opportunity.”
There’s a particular word in there that should excite some collectors: exclusive. James Porter & Son are known for offering some incredible exclusive colourways and variations on classic watches from their brands. Obviously, these pieces need to be in small quantities but given the store’s place at the heart of Glasgow’s collectors’ community, that makes a lot of sense. And while that’s enough to have brands lining up to do exclusives, there is another reason. A picture says a thousand words, which makes James Porter & Son particularly eloquent.
You might have come across their photography on Instagram. In fact, you probably did even if you didn’t know it at the time. Allen McLellan is a wizard behind a lens when it comes to shooting timepieces and while those pictures are fantastic in and of themselves – seriously, go check them out – it perhaps ties a bow on just why a single boutique in Scotland has become the go-to for the independent watch scene in the UK.
Despite their heritage, James Porter & Son is a store that’s moved with the times. As recent prices and sales figures show, mainstream watches have been in a bit of a slump. Not so niche independents, whose agile release slates, aggressive pricing and sheer cool factor have boomed. Simon has put James Porter & Son at the centre of that, through curation of some genuinely great brands from the uber-accessible Herbelin to prestige names like Czapek, an online presence with imagery Watches of Switzerland would kill for and an emphasis on collectors, rather than everyday punters. You can see why watch lovers shop there and watch brands love being there. As Nicholas Bowman-Scargill of Fears watches says:
“I’ve always thought of James Porter & Son as one of the premier watch (and jewellery) retailers in the UK since before Fears started working with them in 2022. Their style of combing extensive heritage with working as a thoroughly modern business has always impressed me as it results in a feel of traditional luxury. The Fears team and myself have the pleasure of working with Simon Porter and his knowledgeable and passionate team. Simon is one of the most professional store owners that I know and a retail man through and through.”
Obviously, the watch world keeps on producing more and more pieces, with more and more brands trying to crack the UK market. So, what’s on the horizon for James Porter and Son’s inventory?
“I think Norqain is quite exciting. The UK seems to be the last market for them, and I really like them,” says Simon. “We’ve just taken on Formex and I’ve been absolutely blown away, I can’t remember a brand I’ve been that excited about for quality and value. And when you delve into the history you understand why. Of course, we’ll see what else happens after Watches & Wonders.”
More details at James Porter & Son.
Oracle Time