CANFORD AUTOMATIC: 303-A63

From Elliot Brown

If someone had suggested a dark brown fumé dial back in 2010, when the original Canford was little more than a glint in our eye, we'd have laughed it off. Yet here we are, with one of the best-looking watches we've ever made. At first glance, the dial appears almost black, but catch it in the light and the rich brown radial fumé fade reveals itself. It's a beautifully understated combination that gives the A63 a character all of its own. The engraved keyline divides the dial into two distinct halves, framing the EB shield and wordmarks. Polished steel detailing around the date window and tapered dagger applied indices adds a classic touch, while multiple layers of pale green X1-C3 Super-LumiNova® on the hands and indexes ensure excellent nighttime visibility. The vintage racer influence continues with a perforated Italian leather strap in the darkest brown, chosen to complement the dial without competing with it. Tapering from 20mm at the lugs to a discreet 16mm buckle, it adds a touch of classic elegance and makes for an exceptionally comfortable fit. As with all the Canford Autos, the 60-minute inner timing bezel is a pleasure to operate, with bold indexes clicking precisely from marker to marker via the locking upper crown. Both crowns feature contrasting matte steel finishes, high-grip splines and embossed domed ends. The upper crown carries a triangle matching the bezel's 12 o'clock marker, while the lower EB shield crown handles winding, time and date adjustments. Through the domed sapphire exhibition case back sits the high-performance Japanese Miyota 9015 mechanical movement. Just 3.9mm thick, with 24 jewels and a 42-hour power reserve, sitting safely in our proprietary shock protection system.