Split Watches team up with Don Letts to challenge the watch industry

A new watch brand is making its highly anticipated debut, and it’s coming out swinging. Split Watches aims to challenge traditional notions of what a watch can represent, and challenge the sense of status they're often associated with, instead creating a piece that sparks conversation about something other than your inheritance. How did they go about achieving this? Well, by partnering up with Don Letts - London's patron saint of counter culture, and all-round bona fide legend.

The new watch company aims to shake up the status quo and create a new culture - one which is more in line with the average person walking down the street. The company wants to focus on how it makes the person wearing it feel, above everything else.

Founded by Edward Margulies, a third-generation watchmaker, Split is the culmination of a personal journey. Margulies previously spearheaded UK distribution for some of the world’s most prestigious watch brands, including Hublot and Audemars Piguet.

However, after years knee-deep in the luxury watch industry – and following a period of confronting some personal trauma – Ed wanted to redefine what a watch means. His vision was clear, he tried to make chatting about mental health as commonplace as checking the time. It’s bold and ambitious, but it’s also something we saw in practice when we attended the launch event. Ed spoke about these struggles, especially that classic feeling of not fitting in, and how exclusive watch companies are, leaving the best ones only for the elite.

“When I found my way back from a dark place,” says Ed Margulies, “I didn’t want to return to business as usual. I wanted to create something with guts. I came to understand the unique power a watch has to spark conversations, something that could live on a wrist but speak to the heart. Split is about vulnerability as strength - and the courage to wear it.”

Image 1 of 6

The aim is to be a melting pot for conversation, serving as a reminder on your person about the importance of checking in, seeing how a pal is doing, and acting as a catalyst for a meaningful chin-wag.

This is further demonstrated by the partnership with Anna Freud, through which Split Watches will donate one hour of therapy to someone in need for every watch sold, even going as far as to donate an hour for everyone who attended the launch event, too.

Each timepiece is powered by a Japanese bi-compax N86A automatic chronograph, originating from the esteemed Seiko family lineage. This technical choice rejects common European practice in favour of intention and groundbreaking innovation.

The watches are available now, after launching today (18th June) and you can pick one up either online from the Split website or from Aimé London in Notting Hill, with more stockists being added later down the line. As part of our time checking out the new watches, we also had the chance to chat with founder Ed as well as Don Letts so check back in soon for our conversation with them both.

• Looking for more impressive timepieces? From quirky mind-bending watches, to watches that can survive diving 200m deep into the sea, we've got you covered.