The best independent watch brands are born out of personal passion projects, and Firle is a fine example of how horological dreams, combined with personal passion, can become reality. Firle founder Will Martin spent most of his childhood summers on Southwest England’s rugged Cornish coastline, known for its wild moorland, sandy beaches, towering cliffs and picturesque harbor villages. It is a surfer’s paradise. “I grew up on a farm in the Sussex countryside, and as kids we were driven down to Cornwall during our holidays. Every day was spent on the coast either walking or surfing. As I got older, it became a place I relied on as a form of escape.”

What does that have to do with a watch? It had everything to do with Firle. Will wanted the dials to reflect the deep, saturated colors of the rugged coastline he had come to love. The eerie blacks of the rock formations, the deep blues of the Atlantic Ocean, the whites of the sea foam and sand, and the greens that cover the coastline. The name Firle comes from the Old English word fierol, meaning oak-covered land, a name that carries strength and integrity.

Will had a sense that the only way to really reproduce these colors in all of their deep richness would be with the exquisite shine of enamel. “Enamel was especially selected for the Sennen Automatic because I wanted to have completely unique colors that were extremely rich and carried a lot of depth — colors that reflect the ocean that I drew my inspiration from. No other finish carries this level of depth, so it was the only choice,” says Will. The process requires a glaze to be painted onto the surface of the dial, then dial is fired at 800 degrees Celsius. The painting and firing process are repeated until the enamel achieves evenness, then the dial is polished to achieve a perfectly smooth surface.

Will’s background is in industrial design and engineering, which he studied at Brunel University London. “My love of watches stemmed from this time, during which a good friend of mine acquired an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. First, I was blown away by the price tag, and then, after picking my jaw up from the floor, I began to appreciate the incredibly complex design.” After completing his degree, he worked for a few companies, one of which developed off-the-grid renewable energy systems for adventurers. It gave Will the chance to meet some very inspiring individuals, including explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Kenton Cool, an adventurer who has climbed Mount Everest 14 times. “After hearing their stories, it made me realize that pretty much anything is possible if you put your mind to it. This thought, combined with my watch-itch, led me to start thinking about launching a watch brand of my own.”

The Sennen Automatic was four years in development. I spent about a year-and-half researching mechanical watches, and I saw that there wasn’t a great deal of choice when it comes to elegant, affordable mechanical timepieces. I fell in love with brands like Breguet and Laurent Ferrier, but these were way out of my price bracket.” A year later, he became aware of the complexities of designing a similar piece – “the way the lugs join the rounded case couldn’t be replicated through mass manufacturing methods,” he says. “These were pieces predominantly made either by hand or in small batches using sophisticated CNC machines. I spent a few months liaising with our manufacturer, going over many different prototypes, and finally worked out a way of joining curved lugs to a rounded case.  It was a breakthrough that allowed me to similarly replicate one of the key, often overlooked, features you see in these exorbitantly priced watches.” He states, “I eventually overcame the issue by altering the design, so that it featured an acute angle at the top of the lug, at the point where the lug meets the rounded case.” To those who can locate its whereabouts, it’s a small feature that tells a story.

The Sennen Automatic is powered by a Swiss movement, the STP1-11, the base of which is the ETA 2824-2 used in many Hamilton and Tissot watches and some Longines. It is modified to remove the date window and to set the crown in two positions. The STP1-11, at only 4.6mm, is one of the thinnest automatics on the market, allowing the Sennen to remain incredibly slim, with a case thickness of 10.4mm, or 11.7mm with the double-domed sapphire crystal. This ensures that it sits extremely well on the wrist without being at all cumbersome. The STP1-11 is a high-precision movement that operates at 28’800 vibrations per hour, 4Hz, and offers an impressive 44-hour power reserve. STP decorated the movement with two contrasting finishes; the plates and bridges were given a perlage finish, and the rotor has a Côtes de Geneve finish and is engraved with the Firle logo. “The fine movements in our watches are every bit as rugged, reliable, and beautiful as the ocean and landscape from which we draw our inspiration” says Will. “Firle watches are for admirers of mechanical perfection, lovers of adventure — and lovers of life.”

All five models are available on Kickstarter for an early bird price of £380, and a final retail price of £620. Unlike many Kickstarter campaigns, Firle has inventory: there are 500 Sennen Automatics already in stock that are ready to ship.  For every sale, Firle will donate £5 to the charity Plastic Oceans, a leading ocean clean-up initiative that aims to reduce the amount of plastic pollution in our oceans through science, sustainability and education.

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