Ben Sherman Watches
The British designer behind the eponymous Ben Sherman Watches brand designed everything from shirts to shoes over the years. His company has left a legacy of high quality pieces in his traditional lines as well as turning their hand to a number of accessories including timepieces.
Born in Brighton in 1925, the son of a tailor, Sherman left his home nation aged 20 for the US, raising a family in the San Fernando Valley area of California.
Ben Sherman Watches: - A Mix of the UK and USA
In the early 1960’s he returned home and set up a factory in Brighton’s Bedford Square. He launched his range of shirts in 1963. The range was based on the classic American Ivy League look, but with added English tailoring details such as placing a button on the back of the collar. Familiar with American techniques he continued to import high quality fabrics.
The shirt rose to prominence alongside a second wave of youth culture. This group, known as ‘Modernists’ or’ Mods’ loved the slim fitting Italianesque style, with its vibrant colours and designs. Barely able to cope with demand, the company opened a store in London’s Carnaby Street. By 1970 he was ordering a million yards of colourful material.
The company behind Ben Sherman Watches have seen their distinctive designs adopted by a wide range of youth cultures and style movement over the last five decades. From the Mods to 2-tone and Ska music through to the 1990’s trend of Britpop, the design team in charge of the new range of Ben Sherman Watches have seen their brand grow in popularity to the global phenomena it has become today.
The timepieces in the range feature high-quality precision quartz mechanisms and a choice of leather and stainless steel straps, presented in water resistant cases.
