Review of ‘The Canford’ Elliot Brown Watch

I’ve never spent any money on a watch before. An old, battered, stainless steel Animal watch that was a gift has been on my wrist for the last ten years.

Quality and value appeal to me; I prefer to buy something that will last, that will take everything that I can throw at it, without me having to worry about it too much.

I work in the Outdoor Adventure industry, I manage a large team of people, I wanted a watch that I could wear over my wetsuit and when meeting prospective clients at the office.

Elliot Brown make watches, nothing else. At the moment they make just two models…

The Bloxworth – “A classic ‘tech-diver’ chronograph designed for those who like a little more function”

The Canford – “The Canford is quietly handsome, for those who don’t want their watch to shout too loudly”

I, after much consideration, decided to buy a Canford Elliot Brown watch, specifically the Mountain Rescue Edition. I loved the rugged simplicity of the watch and that a donation of £36 goes to Mountain Rescue England and Wales for every watch sold.

I also bought a rubber strap: this watch was coming in the water with me and needed to be smart enough to wear during meetings.

First Impressions 

The Elliot Brown Canford costs £360, it has a Swiss-made movement with a five-year battery life and is secured within a shock-absorbing steel movement housing that’s unique to Elliot Brown.

The Canford has a 44mm case  machined from solid 316L marine grade stainless steel and is pressure tested to 150m twice during construction, then placed in a water-filled pressure vessel at 200m. It’s fitted with a domed and hardened anti-reflective mineral crystal.

The box your new watch arrives in is beautiful and functional; if you’re buying this watch as a gift for someone they won’t be disappointed when it arrives.

The strap is black leather with white stitching, also included in the box is a custom-woven black ballistic nylon strap along with two screwdrivers to make changing it easy.

“A classic steel watch on a black leather strap for the working week, and a hard as nails military-inspired outdoors watch for weekends spent enjoying the countryside and mountains”.

Wearing the Canford 

The watch is heavy without being cumbersome; it feels solid, robust and wonderful. The body of the watch is stainless steel, the face is black, the dial, hands and bezel all have Superluminova detailing. It is very, very nice to look at.

The Canford is easy to wear and easy to see without being obtrusive in any way.

The crowns, one for adjusting date and time and another for rotating the internal bezel are large enough to use easily with aggressive knurling that gives good grip. The crowns have smooth radiused edges, they don’t catch on shirt cuffs or wetsuit sleeves.

People have complimented me on the watch I’m wearing, they’ve asked me questions about it. This has been a new experience for me.

The Canford combines function and aesthetic beautifully, I’m really impressed.

Using the Canford 

Over the last few months I have been lucky enough to wear my Canford coasteering, spear fishing, wild swimming, climbing mountains, camping with cows, showering in waterfalls with my father-in-law, shooting deer, butchering deer in the woods, at my desk, in meetings…

I wear the Canford over my wetsuit, something I never risked with my Animal watch. It has had some hard knocks and in the right light, from the right angle the crystal looks like it might have some tiny marks on it.

The rubber strap looks brand new; it’s spent lots of time in salt water, two weeks climbing mountains in 40 degree heat.

I’ve got very used to wearing this watch, I used to put on a watch when I needed to but wear the Canford all of the time.

I expected a solid, reliable watch for my money. I’m really impressed with the watch I choose to wear every day in the sea and in the office.

Should you buy an Elliot Brown Canford? 

Yes.

The Elliot Brown Canford is a rugged, beautiful watch that can stand up to the rigours of anything I’ve managed to throw at it.

I can’t see anyway that it would fail me in the future; if it does then the watch is covered by a 12 month warranty.

I work for Land & Wave: we’re based in Dorset and we provide Epic Outdoor Experiences and Adventure Training .

22 July 2016 by Owen Senior