Rule Britannia with Mappin & Webb's military watches

Mappin & Webb revives a crucial piece of British history with the re-edition of its military watch.

Mappin & Webb and military watches? Hardly the kind of product you would expect to see in the elegant showcases of this venerable British institution, more renowned for its silverware and honourable role as the custodian of the Crown Jewels.

However, in addition to crafting magnificent silverware for Queen Victoria, Mappin & Webb confected articles for the men who forged the mighty British Empire, including one of the first wristwatches to accompany soldiers on to the battlefield. Once shunned by men who considered wristlets feminine trinkets and who preferred the size and weight of a pocket watch, the practicalities of wearing a wristwatch in battle would soon become apparent.

Soldiers engaged in the Boer Wars of South Africa in the late 1800s soon… view