Barbour Launches First Watch Collection in Autumn 2014
March 2014: Leading heritage and lifestyle brand Barbour will launch its first collection of watches in autumn 2014. Zeon Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Herald Group, will design, market and distribute a range of watches worldwide under the Barbour and Barbour International brand names.
The collections will consist of a range of ladies and men’s watches inspired by the Barbour and Barbour International brands. Barbour’s rich country heritage of 120 years, imbues modern, classic styles with Swiss made movements, straps crafted from Barbour’s own British made fabric and case designs with iconic Barbour motifs.
The Barbour International collection takes its inspiration from the brand’s motorcycling history. The Barbour International name originated from the oiled cotton Barbour International suit introduced by Duncan Barbour, the third generation of the Barbour family in the 1930s. From 1936 to 1977, when Barbour ceased production, the Barbour International suit was worn by virtually every British International Six Day Trials team. The watch collection incorporates Swiss made movements alongside straps crafted from rugged quilted leathers and motorcycle case designs to offer luxurious and sophisticated styles with a touch of glamour.
David Godfrey, Barbour’s Global Licensing Manager said “Barbour is known across the world for its iconic clothing, accessories and footwear. Developing a collection of watches is a natural evolution in our brand extension as we work towards our goal of becoming the best British lifestyle brand worldwide. The watches we have developed with Zeon are smart, contemporary classics that include features which are unique to Barbour such as our exclusive tartans and Barbour studs.”
Richard Tibber, Managing Director from Zeon said “"As a British Company we are delighted to be associated with such an iconic British Brand. The Barbour and Barbour International watch collections will be totally designed in Britain. We are excited to be launching the collection at the BaselWorld Watch fair on March 27th".
Barbour watches will be offered initially through Barbour retail stores, select, high-end UK department and jewellery stores, before moving into similar retail outlets across Europe, the USA and Asia.
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For further information, please contact Gareth Somers, or Emma Cole, .
About Barbour:
J Barbour & Sons Ltd was founded in 1894 and has always been based in South Shields in the North East of England. Barbour is a 5th generation, family owned business.
Barbour is a leading global lifestyle brand producing knitwear, shirts, trousers, footwear, accessories and outerwear for men, women and children in over 40 countries worldwide including the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the US and Japan.
Barbour’s customer service is unique – wax jackets can be returned at any time for rewaxing, repairs or alteration.
About Zeon Limited
Zeon Limited (London and Hong Kong), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Herald Group, a Public Corporation quoted on the Hong Kong Stock exchange, is the largest manufacturer and distributor of watches and clocks in the UK, and a major force in the international market. The company, which was founded in London by Richard Tibber in 1979, has become a leader in the watch and clock industry through offering its expertise in innovative design, manufacturing and distribution worldwide. Zeon Limited was one of the UK’s first companies to become involved with the licensing of famous brand names for watches.
Zeon Limited is known for its diverse portfolio of leading international brands including: Ingersoll, Bench, Braun, Penguin, Paul’s Boutique and Vivienne Westwood. Zeon Limited is also a major supplier of OEM. Additional information on Zeon is available at: