Hands-On: Dennison is Re-Revived With A Timely Emmanuel Gueit Stone-Dialed Design

An English brand with a rich history dating back to Aaron Lufkin Dennison founding a case-making company in 1874, Dennison last graced the illustrious pages of Hodinkee in 2016. That watch, the DENCO53, was a very 2016 attempt at bringing the brand back. It was a design inspired by a Dennison-cased watch on the wrist of Sir Edmund Hilary when summiting Everest in 1953. It was powered by an ETA caliber 2824-2 at a time when the Tudor Black Bay and Heuer Carrera used the same caliber. And it very proudly featured a case manufactured entirely in the UK. The price for this previous Dennison? Roughly $3,500 to $4,050.

This 2024 Dennison release and relaunch we see today is diametrically opposed to the 2016 product, and that’s on purpose. Toby Sutton led Dennison’s first revival and is involved in this go-around as well. Sutton recognizes that the market did not take well to the DENCO53 – it was a bit much. He’s a Dennison enthusiast and a collector of the brand’s vintage products. You can barely get him to shut up about the importance of the brand back in the day. That first go around, he presented the perfect product to him, to the enthusiast. If you asked a vintage enthusiast in 2016, a Dennison case must be made in the UK. But the reality is this was costly to execute with an eye for detail. Cost soared and, with it, the retail price.

As a fellow vintage watch lover, I am just as guilty of dreaming up brand revivals that mirror this 2016 Dennison journey. It is easy to be critical of a heritage brand not creating the “perfect product” for vintage-educated collectors. However, it is difficult to fully recognize the costs involved in, for example, reviving the Valjoux 72 or manufacturing a watch case in a country that just doesn’t make many.

Ok, so lesson learned for Sutton and the team. 2016 Dennison was very serious. Given all of the competition at the “serious watch” level, the watch offered today makes a ton of sense, with 2024’s A.L.D. Collection, new, forward-thinking voices were brought in to dream up a version of Dennison that never actually existed. The product we see today is centered around the idea of “What if Dennison did not fail in 1967? What would a post-quartz-movement watch world Dennison have looked like?”

To answer those questions, Dennison leaned on famed watch designer Emmanuel Gueit, the man behind the AP Royal Oak Offshore, among many others. Watch design runs in the Gueit family; Emmanuel’s father is credited as one of the most influential designers of the 20th century. Jean-Claude Gueit penned models like the Piaget Polo and Rolex Cellini in the 1970s. Although Emmanuel is adamant that this Dennison design is new and fresh, it’s hard not to see influences from his father’s work, making this watch all the more compelling. I see it as a son’s love letter to the massively influential work of his father.

While all of this context is helpful, even if I take a step back and assess the Dennison A.L.D. in a vacuum, I see a fun, wearable product with an interesting and unique design that is simply unavailable at the price point.

The half-cushion, half-ellipse-esque case measures 33.65mm across and 37mm lug to lug. The shape is simple at first glance yet continually dynamic on the wrist. It’s cliche to say, for sure, but worth noting that the photos did not blow me away with this watch. I attended the press preview out of curiosity but not because I was head over heels for the release. After experiencing it in the metal and having the opportunity to wear one for about a week now, I am downright impressed with the case design. I had the watch on my wrist while meeting with our most recent Talking Watches guest, Adam Victor, and he mistook it for a 1980s Audemars Piguet from across the table. That’s high praise.

Dennison’s dial variants are what might first catch a collector’s eye. Starting with the obvious, Tiger Eye, Malachite, Lapis Lazuli, and Aventurine stone options highlight the A.L.D. Collection. All of the advantages and unique features of natural stone dials are present, from the various striations in the Tiger Eye and Malachite to the sparkling inclusions in the Lapis Lazuli. Dennison is not totally unique in offering natural stone dials at this price point, but I love the democratization of stone dials. This is fun coming back into watches. I have always dreamed of owning a Malachite dial Rolex Datejust (and I still might), but I can at least experience Malachite on my wrist through something like a Dennison in the meantime.

The stone options will grab your attention, but the standard “Sunray” variants are nothing to scoff at. It’s hard to capture these in a photo, as the finish is super subtle in certain lights. The result is a blank canvas with just enough starburst detailing to not appear as sterile or unfinished. For what it’s worth, I chose to add the non-stone dialed Sunray Black to my collection. Hey, it was the winner for me, okay?

By using words like democratization and remarking about the price point, I surely tipped my hand here. The Dennison A.L.D. collection is attractively priced at $490 for the Sunray models and $690 for the Stone models.

How, you might ask? Yeah, the cases and dials are made in Hong Kong. And the overall feel in the hand is a bit light, I will say. A Swiss-made and quartz-powered Ronda caliber 1032-1 powers the Dennison A.L.D. Collection. The movement choice is one that Dennison representatives did want to highlight and it is worthy to note that a non-Swiss quartz movement would have been an easier, more logical choice here.

As a counterpoint to these not-so-watch-nerd-pleasing specs, I would point you toward the beginning of this article. Dennison did not work as a hardcore, do everything the “correct” way, enthusiast offering. The brand made a great watch in 2016, and the market spoke. It is only because of this previous serious effort to revive Dennison that the name could then find its way onto a much more interesting product. The “unseriousness” of 2024 Dennison is admirable. It is not trying to be something it is not – this is a unique watch at a great price point.

So I thank 2016 Dennison for opening the door and allowing the space for the A.L.D. Collection. This is one of those rare products in the watch world where it could be your first and only watch just as easily as it could be your 200th. I find it attractive to both the seasoned collector and the watch-curious TikTok user who has seen one too many “live negotiations” on their timeline.

Dennison A.L.D. Collection, 33.64mm wide x 37mm lug-to-lug x 6.05mm thick stainless steel or gold-plated (PVD) case; 30m water resistance. Natural stone (Tiger Eye, Malachite, Aventurine, Lapis Lazuli) or Sunray finish dial with hours and minutes. Swiss Ronda Quartz caliber 1032-1 movement. 20mm Crocodile stamped full grain leather strap with case-matching shaped Dennison clasp. Price: $490 (Sunray), $690 (Natural Stone).

For more, visit dennisonwatch.com.

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