Shore Projects Watches: Project 3

Having unveiled its second collection – Project 2 – earlier this year, young British watch brand Shore Projects certainly hasn’t been resting on its laurels since its initial success.

By now, you’ll probably be familiar with the independent watch label founded by a group of friends inspired by the rugged beauty of the British seaside, but on the off chance you’re not, Project 3 just so happens to be the ideal introduction.

Project 3

Following on from the immensely successful Projects 1 and 2, Project 3 features the same minimal, vintage-inspired designs the brand has quickly become known for, this time injected with a generous dose of colour – perfect for the spring/summer season.

Named after six different British beaches, the watches come in colours similar to those of classic British fishing boats: there’s Morecambe in navy blue, Camber in brick red, Anglesey in sea green, Barra in sand, Newquay in bright navy and Lulworth in sky blue.

All are primed for pairing with your warm-weather looks, whether you’re a chino shorts and short-sleeved shirt aficionado or the type that likes to look sharp in lightweight summer suiting.

As is typical of the brand, Project 3’s styling is kept simple, with each model featuring an understated, plain colour watch face and inset numbers for an old-school feel. Meanwhile, the quality of craftsmanship remains at the high standard set by the brand’s previous collections.

Cases are crafted from either black or silver 316L marine grade stainless steel and come complete with the label’s signature scratch-resistant crystal glass, while Japanese Miyota quartz guarantees reliable movement.

In keeping with the brand’s maritime leanings, each of Project 3’s watches is waterproofed to 100 metres, meaning you needn’t take them off before taking a dip. Handy, if you want to look just as slick in the water as out of it.

Simple Strap-Swapping

While Shore Projects is well regarded for the distinctive design and sturdy build of its timepieces, it’s arguably best known for its innovative interchangeable watch/strap mechanism. With watches and straps interchangeable across all collections and styles, you can pair a Project 1 Whitstable with one of Project 2’s rose gold mesh straps, or Project 3’s Camber watch with one of Project 1’s polka dot straps, and so on.

New Silicone Straps

Speaking of which, the watchmaker recently added to its strap inventory with a series of silicone styles, unveiled just in time for festival season.

Dirt-proof, waterproof and sweat-proof, these straps are specially manufactured to withstand the wear and tear of your wilder antics. Available in mint green, lemon yellow, peach and raspberry pink, they’re the ideal way to give your watch a seasonal tweak.

With mesh, leather and nylon-leather straps already available, the latest silicone options bring the total number of possible watch/strap combinations to more than a whopping 330. If that’s not versatility, gentlemen, then we really don’t know what is.

Instagram Inspiration

Given the number of possible combinations, deciding on which strap teams best with a certain watch face is no mean feat, which is where – not a professional stylist – but Shore Projects’ masterfully curated Instagram helps.

Packed full of beautifully composed shots submitted by the brand’s followers, this feed is sure to prompt an idea or two in times of need:

Final Word

For years, finding a timelessly stylish watch for less than several hundreds of pounds was a serious challenge, if not pretty much impossible.

With a rapidly expanding range of affordable timepieces that look considerably more expensive than they are, Shore Projects are changing the horological landscape – for the better – one subtly styled watch at a time.

Shore Projects Project 3 watches are available now at shoreprojects.com, priced £115-£135. The brand continues its partnership with the Marine Conservation Society, donating £1 to the charity for every watch sold.