The watch world can be accused of taking itself a little too seriously sometimes. We sometimes obsess over lug-to-lug measurements, case thickness down to the micron, and whether a movement is truly in-house or just in-house adjacent. Then along comes Mr Jones Watches, cheerfully kicking over the chessboard and reminding us that watches can be fun. Genuinely fun. Not ironic-fun, not novelty-for-the-sake-of-it fun, but thoughtful, well-made, smile-inducing objects that happen to tell the time.
If you’re a lover of clever wit, have an appreciation for graphic art, and are fond of things that remind you to smile, Mr Jones Watches is a great fit. They sit proudly in the world of unusual watches and funny watches, but there’s far more going on here than a visual gag. There’s intent, design discipline, and a quiet confidence that comes from knowing exactly who you are.
This article is a dive into the world of Mr Jones Watches, a proper mr jones watches review if you like. Where the brand came from, what they stand for, the key models you should know, and what’s beneath their colourful character.
Who founded Mr Jones Watches and when?
Mr Jones Watches was founded in 2007 by Crispin Jones.
Crispin studied fine art sculpture at Kingston University before completing a Master’s degree in computer-related design at the Royal College of Art. His early creative projects explored interaction, design, and the social meaning of objects – ideas that would later shape the philosophy behind the watches.
In 2005, he created a series of seven experimental watches for exhibition. These weren’t conventional timepieces; they questioned what a watch is supposed to do and what it represents. At the time, watches were often seen as symbols of affluence and status – something Crispin wanted to challenge.
Following the success of that project, he produced a small commercial run of five watches – including the still-available The Accurate – were released in editions of 100 pieces each. These early watches prioritised concept and emotion over luxury signalling.
That limited-edition approach remains today: designs are launched in small runs and, if well received, refined and added to the permanent collection.
What began as a conceptual art experiment has grown into a cult creative watch studio – but the original mission hasn’t changed.
Design ethos – time told differently
The defining feature of MJW watches isn’t the case shape (though their long lugs are quite recognisable), nor the movement, nor even the price. It’s the unique way they tell time – and the fact that each one is a piece of wearable art.
Many Mr Jones dials abandon traditional hands and indices entirely, replacing them with illustrated characters, objects, or abstract shapes that tell the time in unconventional ways – often needing an explanation from the wearer, but part of the fun is figuring them out.
This design ethos places the brand firmly in the category of unconventional watches, but something they are proud of – and have no intention of changing. Each design is carefully considered, often created in collaboration with artists and illustrators, and usually carries a deeper narrative or philosophical idea – sometimes expressed more literally, as in The Accurate, where “remember you will die” is written across the hands with a characteristically dry wit.
They are, unapologetically, unique mens watches in a market that is flushed with conformity.
The range – standout Mr Jones Watches models
A perfectly useless afternoon
The a perfectly useless afternoon watch is the watch that put Mr Jones on the map.
This piece turns the dial into a miniature pool scene, where a relaxed figure’s outstretched leg functions as the hour hand and a tiny floating duck marks the minutes. Designed by Belgian artist Kristof Devos, the watch is inspired by the idea that sometimes the most meaningful moments are those spent doing “nothing” at all. It’s a standout example of how Mr Jones Watches blends artistic storytelling with everyday functionality, inviting you to slow down and enjoy the moment rather than just measure it.
Beam Me Up!
This is one of Mr Jones Watches’ most playful and imaginative pieces, designed by French artist Xavier Broche. On the dial a flying saucer hovers above a rural scene, casting its “beam” across the face – which doubles as the minute indicator – while a cheeky piglet meanders around the field as the hour marker, turning time-telling into a whimsical story.
Whether you’re a sci-fi lover or just enjoy a conversation-starting timepiece, Beam Me Up! reminds you that watches can be as imaginative as they are functional
Ricochet
Inspired by the classic arcade pinball experience, the Ricochet turns your wrist into a miniature gaming table – complete with three robots gilded in different foils (palladium, citron gold, and rose gold). Rather than traditional hands, time is shown via a jump-hour movement and a scoreboard-style minute display.
The Accurate
Few watches communicate their message as bluntly as The Accurate. Unlike many other Mr Jones Watches designs, this model opts for more conventional hands – but with a provocative twist. Displayed on them are the words “REMEMBER YOU WILL DIE.” As the hands rotate, the phrase continuously breaks apart and reforms throughout the day – a direct reference to memento mori, the centuries-old reminder of mortality. It’s intentionally confronting, yet strangely grounding: a prompt to value your time rather than simply measure it.
The Accurate was one of the first five watches developed by Crispin Jones and initially limited to just 100 watches. That heritage makes it one of the most historically significant models in the brand’s back catalogue.
It remains one of the purest expressions of the Mr Jones philosophy: a watch not just to tell the time, but to remind you why it matters.
Number Cruncher
Immediately, you’ll notice the Number Cruncher himself – a forever-hungry, brightly coloured monster dominating the dial. His playful, cartoonish appearance draws the eye, but look closer and you’ll see the clever mechanics at work. The creature is in the act of eating the hour marker, which disappears into his mouth, while the minutes rotate within his translucent belly, churning alongside bits of debris he’s picked up along the way.
Telling the time takes a second glance at first – first to spot the hour being devoured, then to read the minute swirling inside his stomach. But once you’ve cracked the concept, it quickly becomes intuitive and part of the fun.
There’s also impressive depth to the design. Behind the monster sits a muted London skyline, complete with Big Ben standing tall (fortunately unharmed). It’s a fitting backdrop, not only for the playful chaos unfolding on the dial, but as a subtle nod to Mr Jones Watches’ London roots. The result is a piece that feels layered, characterful, and unmistakably on-brand.
Colour Venn
At first glance, Colour Venn feels like a playful optical illusion on your wrist – but it’s also a clever exploration of colour theory and timekeeping. The dial is built around three overlapping translucent discs in cyan, magenta and yellow – the primary colours used in printing. As they rotate, the discs blend where they intersect, creating secondary hues and forming a living, shifting artwork that evolves with each passing moment.
Look closer and you’ll spot the subtle white markers around the edges of the discs. That’s when the concept clicks: the cyan disc tracks the hours, the magenta the minutes, and the yellow the seconds. Once understood, the layout feels intuitive – transforming what first appears abstract into a surprisingly legible and deeply satisfying way to read the time.
The Christopher Ward collaboration
One of the more intriguing chapters in the brand’s story is the collaboration with Christopher Ward. The Christoper Ward Mr Jones Watches Celestrial project brought together Mr Jones’ playful design language with Christopher Ward’s more traditional watchmaking approach – limited to just 300 pieces.
The artistic vision comes from MJW, with the dial designed by Beat Watts and printed in the brand’s London studio. It carries all the hallmarks of Mr Jones’ imaginative approach to time – expressive, thoughtful, and visually distinctive. From there, the watch is assembled in Biel, Switzerland by Christopher Ward, whose technical expertise underpins the project.
At its heart sits Christopher Ward’s in-house JJ04 module, engineered to seamlessly mimic the lunar cycle with impressive accuracy. The complication tracks the phases of the moon in a smooth, poetic display.
The result is a piece that genuinely merges both brands’ strengths: MJW’s creativity and storytelling, combined with Christopher Ward’s engineering capability.
Where are Mr Jones Watches made?
A significant part of what makes a Mr Jones watch distinctive happens at the printing stage. Much of the dial production is handled in-house in London, including the mixing of inks to achieve the exact tones envisioned by the collaborating artists and illustrators. That level of control matters: these aren’t generic sunburst or matte dials, but miniature canvases where colour accuracy, line sharpness, and layering are critical to preserving the integrity of the original artwork. By overseeing the printing process themselves – rather than simply approving outsourced samples – the brand ensures the finished dial does justice to the creative vision behind each design and allows them to be more experimental.
Final assembly, dial fitting, and quality control are also carried out in London, with careful attention paid to alignment, printing accuracy, and the precise positioning required for their unconventional time displays. Given that many designs rely on rotating discs, layered graphics, or illustrated hands rather than traditional layouts, tolerances and finishing matter more than you might expect at this level. Ensuring that artwork lines up perfectly as discs rotate – or that illustrated hands interact exactly as intended – requires a high level of attention and precision. It’s this combination of creative control and hands-on assembly that keeps the brand’s London roots central to the finished watch. It also provides the opportunity to do personalised engravings on cases and strap adjustments, to ensure each piece is just as the customer wants.
Movements – Quartz, Jump Hour & Swiss Mechanical
Across the range, Mr Jones Watches uses a variety of movement types at different price points – from accessible quartz models to Swiss-made mechanical pieces.
At the entry level, many designs use reliable quartz (battery-powered) movements. Quartz works particularly well for the brand’s more complex and unconventional dial layouts. It allows for slimmer cases, greater freedom in dial construction, and helps keep prices approachable without compromising on creativity.
The brand also produces models featuring jump hour movements, where the hour is displayed through a rotating disc that “jumps” at the top of each hour. These mechanisms suit Mr Jones Watches’ playful and conceptual approach to time display, such as on the Number Cruncher model.
At the higher end of the collection, there are Swiss-made automatic mechanical models, powered by the Sellita SW200 movement. These offer a more traditional horological with a sweeping seconds hand – while maintaining the brand’s distinctive artistic dial designs. These models tend to showcase these models through an open case back.
This tiered approach allows customers to choose between battery convenience, mechanical novelty, or classic Swiss automatic engineering – depending on both budget and personal preference.
Are Mr Jones Watches good?
Let’s address the question head-on: are Mr Jones Watches good?
If you’re looking for chronometer certification, hand-finished bridges, or serious investment potential, you’re probably best looking elsewhere. But if you want a watch that sparks conversation, makes you smile every time you check the time, and delivers solid build quality for the price – then yes. Absolutely.
Mr Jones Watches knows its lane and stays firmly in it. That’s more than can be said for many brands chasing trends or trying to be something they’re not. The focus here is creativity, accessibility, and personality – and that clarity of identity is part of the appeal and why people want to be part of it.
The passionate community of owners is also notably vocal about the connection they feel with the brand and the team behind it. From responsive customer service and thoughtful aftercare to small personal touches – including an annual handwritten Christmas card – it’s clear that the relationship doesn’t end at checkout. Those details help explain why MJW has such a loyal following.
One frequent divisive talking point is the longer lugs found on many models. It’s part of the brand’s recognisable design language, but it can divide opinion. Some wearers would prefer a more compact case with a snugger strap-to-lug fit. As always, wrist size and personal preference play a role.
Above all, though, it’s the pure creativity and artwork that make these watches good. They’re all about wearable design and storytelling pieces – and judged on those terms, they succeed.
Where can you buy Mr Jones Watches?
Mr Jones Watches are available to purchase directly through the brand’s official website, including all new releases and limited editions. Buying direct keeps pricing where MJW intend it to be, and gives you access to the full collection as soon as it launches. They also offer free shipping whether you’re in the UK, EU, or even the US, making international orders straightforward.
Because many designs are produced in limited runs, certain models can sell out online relatively quickly – so timing can be key if you’ve got your eye on a particular piece. For added peace of mind, Mr Jones Watches offers refunds and exchanges on unworn watches, which makes ordering online risk free.
In addition to the online store, you can also purchase in person at the brand’s London flagship boutique in Seven Dials, just moments from Covent Garden.
The bright orange store is hard to miss and well worth a visit. In-store, you may find exclusive discounts and even access to one-off sample watches created during the development process – meaning you could walk away with something entirely unique. For collectors and enthusiasts, that alone makes a trip to Seven Dials particularly appealing.
Final thoughts
Mr Jones Watches feels refreshingly honest – and undeniably unique. Their watches grab your attention and keep it. You can easily spend hours exploring the range, decoding how each element on the dial represents the time. These are watches you wear knowing they’ll spark conversation: “How do you tell the time on that?”, “Who makes it?”, “Where can I get one?”
They won’t be for everyone. More traditional or mature collectors may dismiss them as novelty watches. But that arguably misses the point. These aren’t trying to compete with haute horlogerie – they’re creative outlets for the wrist, often layered with deeper artistic meaning.
They serve as a reminder that timekeeping doesn’t always have to be precise, serious, or solemn. Sometimes it just needs to be enjoyable. As the brand itself puts it: “Remember to have fun with your time.”
And frankly, that’s a message worth wearing.
