The William Wood Bronze Amethyst 5-Year Anniversary Edition

William Wood Watches is a young British watchmaking company that started out life through Kickstarter but since then has moved on to become a full-fledged brand. William Wood is dedicated to upholding three key principles in everything they do: upcycled materials – charitable donations – outstanding customer service. While we cannot vouch for the latter, the other two are very much tangible elements. Celebrating five years of watchmaking, the newly presented William Wood Bronze Amethyst 5-year Anniversary Edition in a striking combination of colours and materials.

William Wood was a firefighter with the British Fire Service for over 25 years and stationed in the Newcastle region of the UK, and the grandfather to Jonny Garrett, founder of William Wood Watches. The brand pays homage to firefighters across the globe in honour of the risks they take in order to save others. A portion of all sales is donated to charity, and to date, William Wood has contributed over GBP 75,000 to charitable organisations worldwide. Not bad for such a young company.

Five years in the making, William Wood now celebrates its anniversary with the Bronze Amethyst, based on the design of the existing Valiant collection. First and foremost, is the bold use of plum violet, in reference to the gemstone of the month of the company’s launch. Second, and just as important is the full bronze case. And lastly, as you’ve come to expect from William Wood, is the incorporation of multiple hints to the noble act of firefighting.

The 41mm wide and 16mm tall case is made of solid bronze, as are the bezel and crown. The crown is given a special insert made from a 1920s brass fireman’s helmet and engraved with the William Wood logo. The bezel has an “Amethyst” plum violet insert with a bronze coloured diving scale with luminous pip. The case is fully brushed and engraved with a unique number between 1 and 55, in accordance with the watch’s limitation.

The domed dial has the same vibrant plum violet colour as the bezel, which shines under direct light thanks to a fine sunray brushing. It is a sandwich constructed dial, with a luminous backing visible through the cutouts. At 5 o’clock, there’s a special 5-shaped cutout to mark the brand’s anniversary. The double hour marker at 12 is a nod to the rank of Crew Manager of the Fire Brigade, something he/she would wear on the collar of his/her uniform. Aged rose gold plated hands indicate the time, with each having a luminous insert. Around the outer perimeter is a white checkered minute track. A date window is positioned at 3 o’clock.

Inside ticks the Seiko NH35 automatic movement. This reliable workhorse can be seen through the caseback, which is decorated with a bright purple flame and a 5-shaped window allowing for details of the movement to shine through. It uses 24 jewels, runs at a frequency of 21,600vph and offers 41 hours of autonomy when fully wound.

The William Wood Bronze Amethyst 5-Year Anniversary Edition is worn on a strap made with upcycled firefighting materials. You’re given the option of a fire hose strap, made from actual rubber cut from fire hoses that served for a minimum of ten years, or a fire kit strap made with materials from the kit firefighters use on the job. Either way, the material is backed by a soft silicone rubber base, and secured to the wrist with a steel pin buckle. It is presented as a limited edition of 55 pieces and is directly available through William Wood at a price of GBP 955 or EUR 1,135.86. It’s open to order from today, 10 AM CET.

For more information, please visit WilliamWoodWatches.com