What Is a Watchmaker’s Special?

A Watchmaker’s Special is a watch made outside the regular Pinchbeck collection.

It might begin with a dial we want to use, a colour combination Rob wants to try, a component we’ve found in the workshop or simply an idea that deserves some room.

Unlike our Made to Order Collection, these watches don’t begin with a customer order.

They begin in the workshop.

We call them Watchmaker’s Specials.

Why We Make Watchmaker’s Specials

Most Pinchbeck watches are built to order.

You choose a watch from our Made to Order Collection and we begin building it for you in our Lincoln workshop.

A Watchmaker’s Special works differently.

It gives us room to try something outside the regular collection.

Sometimes Rob wants to work with a particular dial, material or colour.

Jason might have a design idea he wants to explore.

We might find something in the workshop or the Pinchbeck archive that deserves another look.

Occasionally, we work with someone else to make something we couldn’t make alone.

There isn’t a fixed formula.

That’s the point.

Where a Watchmaker’s Special Begins

A Watchmaker’s Special can start almost anywhere.

An idea at the bench.

A conversation in the workshop.

A component we’ve been holding onto.

Something we’ve wanted to try for a while.

We give the idea room to develop.

Rob builds the watch in our Lincoln workshop, alongside the watches already being made to order.

If the finished watch feels worth offering, it becomes a Watchmaker’s Special.

Small Numbers. No Fixed Schedule.

There is no release calendar for Watchmaker’s Specials.

We don’t make one every month or decide how many we need to release each year.

They appear when there’s something worth making and the workshop has time to make it.

Sometimes there will be one watch available.

Sometimes there may be a small number.

And, occasionally, we may return to an idea again.

A Watchmaker’s Special isn’t necessarily a promise that a watch will never be made again.

The distinction is simpler than that.

Watchmaker’s Specials sit outside our regular collection. They aren’t watches you can order from us at any time.

When one is ready, we release it.

When the available watch or watches have found their owners, the Special closes.

How to Buy a Watchmaker’s Special

Watchmaker’s Specials aren’t listed for sale on our website.

They are released directly through The Watchmaker’s List.

When a new Watchmaker’s Special is ready, members of the List receive an email.

Inside, we share the story behind the watch, photographs, technical details, availability and a direct link to buy it.

There’s no product page to find and no need to keep checking the website.

If you’re on the List, the watch comes to you.

Join The Watchmaker’s List

If you’d like the opportunity to buy a Watchmaker’s Special, join The Watchmaker’s List.

There’s no fixed release schedule.

We’ll write when a new Special is ready, tell you the story behind it and give you a direct link to buy.

Once the available watch or watches have found their owners, the Special closes.

JOIN THE WATCHMAKER’S LIST