When it comes to stories from within the world of horology, William Wood Watches has one of the most compelling and unique. A luxury brand that can authentically claim to make watches intended to be worn by and provide support for heroes (having donated over £120,000 to international firefighting charities thus far), William Wood is inspired by the courage, grit, and sacrifice of firefighters around the world.
Named after a firefighter of over 25 years—CEO and founder Jonny Garrett’s late grandfather—the independent watchmaker uniquely incorporates elements of firefighting equipment into the construction of its timepieces. Fire hoses that have seen at least 10 years of service are used to create its straps, while metal from an original British brass firefighter’s helmet is melted down and included in every watch case. Now, William Wood is introducing an uber-premium and uniquely inspired new timepiece.
Designed by award-winning British watch designer Max Resnick, the Fire Exit Watch is highly limited at just 300 pieces, each of which blends creativity, innovation, and a subtle sense of fun within a stunning piece of finely crafted luxury watchmaking.
Enter the Fire Exit Sign Man
The stylised image of the man rushing for the door is a universally recognised symbol for the fire exit, found within most public buildings, offices, and forms of public transportation around the world. Now, William Wood Watches is giving the Fire Exit Sign Man a break from his usual duties, promoting him to a role that adds an element of surprise and storytelling to the luxury watchmaker’s latest limited-edition timepiece.
Powered by the precision and reliability of the Swiss-made Sellita SW220 movement, what really sets the Fire Exit Watch apart from the rest of William Wood’s range of timepieces is the introduction of a day wheel quite unlike any other, with each day of the week represented by the Fire Exit Sign Man performing a different dynamic action.
So what kind of activities does such a recognisable character get up to when he’s not dashing for the door? Well, on Monday, he’s late for work; Tuesday, hard at work; Wednesday, commuting; Thursday, exercising; Friday, thanking god it’s Friday; Saturday, partying; and on Sunday, he’s tired. Sounds to us like the Fire Exit Sign Man’s a pretty relatable guy.
An Inspired Aesthetic
As is only fitting for a luxury timepiece of such singular inspiration, the Fire Exit Watch’s dial, bezel, and day disc are all finished in the precise Pantone colour deployed in fire exit signs around the world — Pantone being the company that sets the worldwide standard for selecting, communicating, and matching colours. This green is immaculately complemented by the gun metal grey brushed finish of the watch’s case, while Super-LumiNova is deployed on the day wheel to ensure its legibility at any time of the day or night. Super-LumiNova has also been applied to the indices, hands, bezel, caseback, and fire exit arrow buckle, further linking the Fire Exit Watch’s aesthetic to the illuminated signs that inspired it.
This unique theme continues as you turn the watch over, with the caseback featuring a spinning disc illustrated with our plucky hero escaping a fiery scene. In addition to adding a touch of drama to proceedings, according to William Wood Watches the spinning of the disc is intended to symbolise the brand’s commitment to recognising firefighters’ heroism.
Authentic Materials
As previously mentioned, each watch from William Wood comes with a strap crafted by taking a piece of fire hose that’s been in service for at least 10 years and then upcycled in an environmentally conscious manner. The Fire Exit Watch is no exception, offering straps in a handsome shade of British racing green, each of which is entirely unique due to the way in which they’re produced.
Further, each of the 300 Fire Exit Watches is presented in packaging that draws inspiration from the iconic fire exit sign. Mirroring the strap’s British racing green finish, each box features the instantly recognisable fire exit wording, a window looking through to three display cushions, and a closing mechanism using three gold brass buttons. All of which makes for the perfect finishing touch to a very special luxury release.
Priced at £1,495 (approx AUD$2,881), we wager each of these 300 luxury timepieces will be snapped up faster than our green friend can make it to the nearest door. Discover more via the William Wood Watches website below.
