Camden X KPP Cycling Edition watch review

I knew it was time for a change when my Garmin smartwatch started nagging me. One sunny afternoon in an otherwise serene beer garden, as I eased another pint towards my mouth, the GPS’s stern digital face reprimanded me: "MOVE, DAVID". Apparently I’d not "met my step goals" nor completed "three afternoon tasks". Whatever.

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Wrist-mounted activity-tracking had turned into a nightmarish, near-constant guilt-trip. Besides, my bike computer provided all the fitness data I needed. The only number I needed on my wrist was the time, preferably in analogue format, and if possible with a subtle hint of good old-fashioned bicycling.

I was delighted, therefore, to stumble upon the Camden Watch Company, a small outfit headquartered in an old horse hospital in Camden’s Stables Market. After a quick browse through the range, I was content that theCamden X KPP Cycling Edition watch was suitably low-tech for my needs, while being more than stylish enough for my post-ride, afternoon ambles to the pub.

This watch was designed in collaboration with London-based artist/cyclist Kitty Pemberton-Platt, and the other models in the series are named after London Underground lines and bus routes. Clearly, the local connection is important, though the watches are — inevitably — manufactured in the Far East. Granted, there is a distinctly hipsterish vibe to the Camden Watch Co’s marketing, but I wasn’t about to let that put me off this classic, subtly vintage-styled timepiece.

Down to the nitty-gritty: what qualifies this iteration of the X KPP as the ‘Cycling Edition’? Look closely and you’ll spot the spoke pattern on the dial, jersey-style lettering on the strap, and you’ll notice that the crown is shaped (a bit) like a sprocket. The strap’s white stitching on tan leather conjures vintage handlebars, though a nylon strap is supplied as a hardier option.