Graham watches take their name from the English watch company’s founder, George Graham, who was born in 1673. The master watchmaker lived in Fleet Street, London, United Kingdom and specialised in the minutiae of watchmaking. Propelled by his passion for coming up with innovative ideas, it was the concept of timekeeping that interested George Graham rather than prosperity. Not only did he invent the pendulum system made from mercury for enabling a clock to keep accurate time despite temperature increases or decreases, but he also created the first stopwatch. Today Graham watches are developed at the company’s La Chaux de Fonds manufacturing facilities in Switzerland and are each equipped with a high quality Swiss made movement.
During George Graham’s life he created a number of mechanisms to help with improving and maintaining a smooth performance and unwavering accuracy. The dead boat escapement made clocks generally more accurate, including the master clock he built for the Greenwich Royal Observatory. The escapement is now known today as the Graham escapement and became the predecessor for the anchor escapement which is still used in many modern wristwatches today.
In his lifetime, George Graham made around 3000 watches, each one inscribed with a unique serial number on its back, along with his name which was also adorned to the surface of the watch’s pillar plate making it difficult for anyone to forge. The watchmaking company today is a combination of engineers, designers and watchmakers who keep the design codes and values of each timepiece faithful to the company’s founder. The style of a Graham watch is bold and confident. Their cases take residence upon the wrist, exuding a presence that gets a wearer instantly noticed. Big pushers, big cases and big movements define this manufacturer, with bodywork developed from innovative hard wearing materials like ceramic and carbon fibre.
Graham Chronofighter watches remain one of the company’s most popular collections. The timepieces are defined by their left sided lever, positioned onto a case either made from steel, ceramic or carbon. GMT models belong to this collection also, equipped with sapphire bezels and an easy to read triangular tipped GMT hand for monitoring more than one time zone at a time. Other branches of the Graham Chronofighter watch collection include the Vintage GMT models with dashing retro aesthetics, and the Chronofighter Grand Vintage Special series, which feature broad 47mm case diameters and elaborate dial designs.
Graham Silverstone watches connect the brand to its links with the motorsport industry. These racing inspired designs influenced by racing car dashboards cleverly balance vivid injections of colour with sporty straps and functions like day date features and tachymeter bezels. High end watchmaking remains the sole focus of each Graham watch, however. Thus, the sporty wristwatches from this collection are equipped with a precise beating heart developed and arranged in Switzerland.
Today Graham is a watchmaker that continues to innovate by extending popular lines like its Swordfish collection. Named after the underwater predator, these Graham watches boast bold attention demanding aesthetics. Colourful chronograph sub dials are placed underneath magnified sapphire crystal glass, and paired with chunky push pieces that protrude from the side of the case for an unmistakable look.
