Duckworth Prestex Watches
Duckworth Prestex: celebrating a centenary
The Prestex name has been around for more than 100 years, having been originally founded by Frank Duckworth in 1924. However, Duckworth Prestex was created four years ago by Veritime Chairman and CEO Neil Duckworth, Frank’s grandson, as a tribute to his family’s watchmaking heritage.
While more than a century has passed, the same values and design language hold true today as they did 100 years ago: Art Deco elegance and affordable quality for every occasion.
From the original to the modern day
The original revival range, called the Verimatic, is still a bestseller today, while the Duckworth Prestex family has been recently expanded with a dive watch, a GMT watch, and a sports watch – among many others. These days, Duckworth Prestex is able to cover nearly every genre: meaning that there is a watch for everyone, including an elegant rectangular dress watch originally made to celebrate a centenary of the Prestex name in 18-carat gold.
While the brand’s classical values and pedigree remain, the technology inside is thoroughly up to date, combining state-of-the-art movements from Japan and Switzerland, with robust cases and straps that blend elegance with durability. Every watch comes with a two-year guarantee and is personally signed off by Neil Duckworth.
A proudly British, family-owned brand
Duckworth Prestex watches are designed and finished in the United Kingdom, with the service centre located in the northern market town of Bolton – where Prestex was first established all those years ago.
Back then, Prestex was mainly focussed on Great Britain, but in its modern Duckworth Prestex incarnation, the brand has taken flight all over the world, from America to Australia. Duckworth Prestex watches have dived in the Atlantic Ocean, and trekked nearly as far as the North Pole.
As well as the core collection, Duckworth Prestex has also recently launched some limited editions and taken on special commissions, creating rare watches that are already becoming collectors’ items.
Duckworth Prestex in the UK
All these watches can be bought directly from the website, www.duckworthprestex.com, while Veritime Ltd also distributes Duckworth Prestex to a growing collection of hand-picked retailers. With both companies owned by Neil Duckworth, customers can be assured of a unique level of personalised service. For Neil, Duckworth Prestex is a deeply personal passion project, which has grown up to become a widely-recognised global brand with big ambitions.
Neil tells us more about the background to these very special watches: “I’ve always wanted to have my own brand that pays tribute to a lifetime and family heritage that revolves around watchmaking. However, the timing had to be right, and now I’ve been able to put all the knowledge, contacts, and experience that I’ve accumulated throughout my horological career into a brand that I’m truly proud of, celebrating a name that’s now more than 100 years old. While we now create a very wide range of beautiful watches, we’ve never lost sight of our core values and traditions, and I believe that this has been the key to our success so far – with plenty more to come in future.”