For 120 years J. Barbour and Sons Ltd. has produced some of the finest all-weather outerwear on the market, earning three royal warrants in the process. Founded in South Shields, England in 1894, Barbour’s famous oilskins and signature waxed cotton coats have enjoyed renewed popularity recently with a series of successful collaborations; from Jack Spade and Patrick Grant to Tokihito Yoshida’s Beacon Heritage collection. Building on their heritage and current success, Barbour is set to launch a new range of watches in August. The timepieces, made with Swiss quartz movements, take their design queues from Barbour’s extensive archives with elements like canvas, tweed and quilted leather straps.
The launch sees Barbour following a well-worn path treed by British brands such as Burberry, most famously, and Hunter, most recently, which have leveraged their heritage and reputations for craftsmanship to transform into fully fledged fashion brands. Could this be the beginning of a Barbour lifestyle brand?
All Images: British GQ
