Giles Ellis founded Schofield Watch Company in Forest Row, East Sussex in 2010 with a clear commercial position: build British-designed mechanical watches with a deliberately unusual modern aesthetic, produced in small numbers from a workshop in the English countryside south of London. The brand name comes from the iconic Smith & Wesson Schofield revolver - referencing the founder's interest in well-engineered objects rather than direct firearm association. From the start Schofield operated with a founder-led design philosophy and a deliberately small production scale.
The first reference, the Signalman, launched in 2010: a 44mm steel watch with a distinctive matte/brutalist case finishing, large luminous bar indices, and a Soprod A10 automatic movement. The Signalman established the Schofield design language: oversized cases, matte finishing, strong dial typography, and a deliberate avoidance of conventional Swiss watchmaking aesthetic codes (no Geneva stripes, no polished bevels, no traditional cathedral hands). Subsequent references extended the catalogue: the Beater (deliberately rugged with PVD finishing), Strange Brew (with unusual dial colour combinations), and the Daymark.
Today Schofield operates from the original Sussex workshop with Giles Ellis personally handling design, supplier management, and most customer interactions. Annual production is small (estimated low hundreds of pieces per year), and pricing is firmly in the high-end indie tier (GBP 5,000-9,000 for most references). The brand has built a devoted following among collectors who specifically value the British design identity and the deliberate departure from Swiss watchmaking aesthetic conventions. Movements are largely Soprod A10, Sellita SW300, and selected Swiss in higher-tier references.
