Latest Review
In 2017, Simon Jeffs, an aero-mechanical engineer, founded Brooklands Watch Company with the help of his son Michael. The inspiration for the brand came from the historic track where British motorsport was born and the world’s first motor racing chronograph was invented in 1907 along with the father-son duo’s mutual love of timepieces. Five years after its founding, Michael tragically passed away from cancer at the incredibly young age of 28.
Two years following his death – the year Michael would have turned 30 – his mother, Sandra, launched the 30 for 30 campaign, aiming to raise £30,000 in his memory for charities that had helped them during Michael’s illness. The response was extraordinary, and they went on to raise £132,642. This generosity gave Michael’s family the confidence to think beyond a single year of fundraising and to create a long-term legacy in his honor, which led them to establish the Buying Time auction opening today and running for one month until July 14.
The auction is made possible in partnership with the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers, who embraced the idea of creating a charitable foundation supported by the watch community. Each of the watches up for sale is brand new, unworn, and generously donated by the brand, maker, or authorized partner exclusively for this auction. Every pound raised will go directly to the organizations’ partner charities, whose applications are reviewed quarterly to ensure every grant is thoughtfully directed where it can make the greatest difference.
Among the lots there are some heavy hitters. Up for grabs are two iterations of Tudor’s Black Bay Chrono, one with a classic black dial alongside the playful flamingo blue edition that launched in 2025. You also have some interesting, limited run pieces like IWC’s 2024 edition in its lunar new year series commemorating the year of the dragon with its Portugieser rendered in a gorgeous maroon color palette and complete with a subtle yet striking depiction of the dragon on the rotor, visible through the exhibition caseback.
Many exceptional microbrands and independents are also in the mix. Christopher Ward offers up one of its perfectly proportioned three-handers, the C63 Sealander Automatic, in an execution with classic styling thanks to a stainless steel build and black dial. Alternatively, brands like Fears give us a pop of color, presenting a special version of its Brunswick 40mm, the EXPERIMENTAL 01, which launched in 2025 in partnership with ultra endurance athlete Angus Collins.
However, for me personally, there’s one particular model that’s caught my eye and inching me toward registering to bid. If you listened to our recent podcast on the Audemars Piguet x Swatch Royal Pop collab, you may have heard me mention that if I were ever going to give into a hype watch, it might be the MoonSwatch Mission to Venus. Well, as fate might have it, one of these is available in the upcoming Buying Time Auction. As the resident woo-woo girl, I’m also into numerology – my birthday is 11/22, so I’m a sucker for double digits, and the Mission to Venus is Lot 11. I’m starting to feel this watch is destined for my collection, and if ever I was going to splurge on a hype model, why not have my hard-earned money go to an incredibly worthy cause?
Bidding is officially open today through July 14. For more information, head directly to the Buying Time Auction.
