About
A story that began 175 years ago with Aaron Lufkin Dennison, regarded as the father of American watchmaking. His journey took him from America to Switzerland and then to Britain, where he established the Dennison Watch Case Company. Along the way, Dennison helped define modern watchmaking, registering patents and new metal alloys for cases. From co-founding Waltham in the U.S. to building one of the world’s largest case manufacturers in Britain, Dennison’s vision continues to inspire the ethos we carry forward today.
The Name Behind The Names.
For the best part of the 20th Century, Dennison was renowned for designing and producing cases for brands such as Rolex, Omega, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, and Zenith. The very brands that shaped the industry as we know it today.
At a time when casemakers made the mold, Dennison led the way.
Dennison was a British-American Company that was, in many ways, a creative powerhouse. Casemakers of Dennison’s day didn’t just “build to spec.” They led with design. Unique case shapes. Superlative designs. Craft and precision forging. Portfolios of patents for water and air-tight designs.
When watches made history, Dennison made the cases.
For over 50 years, Dennison manufactured watch cases and other instruments for the British Military. In that time, they developed an undeniable reputation for excellence. It’s no wonder, then, that no less than thirteen Smith watches built with Dennison “Aquatite” cases made the trip to the summit when Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay first climbed Everest. Or that a Dennison cased watch was on the wrist of Lt. Commander Lithgow when he broke the world air speed record flying the Supermarine Swift.
The best of Dennison’s history reimagined for today.
When it comes to research, our leadership group, led by a team of passionate watch lovers, left no stone unturned. We explored the Dennison back catalogue and historical artifacts looking for inspiration. What we discovered was undeniably exciting, a veritable treasure trove of documents, images and timepieces that helped cement a way forward for the brand.
Inspiration in hand, our team entrusted world-famous watch designer Emmanuel Gueit, to bring our first collection to life. Emmanuel, who designed iconic watches for Audemars Piguet, Rolex, Piaget, and more, created something indelible, a collection that picks up right where Dennison left off in the 1960s.
Reverence for Dennison’s past is what motivates our future.
We’ve gone around the world to understand the rich history of the Dennison Watch Case Company. From the archives of the New York Horological Society to the living room of the widow of A.L. Dennison’s biographer, we’ve left no stone unturned to honour the legacy of a once-great watch company. And we endeavour to make it great once again.
ALD Collection
