Camden X KPP Cycling Edition watch review
In an era of 'smart' watches it is nice to take a break and look at something more stylish when cycling and the Camden X KPP Cycling Edition watch does just that

What can I say? It reliably tells the time, looks good, and doesn’t harangue me about exercise I haven’t done. Yes, I love this watch for what it doesn’t do. In an era when ‘smart’ marketing has decided that all things should do all things, it’s no small relief to have something doing just the one thing, beautifully and dependably — like that trusty steel-framed bike you wish you’d never sold.
-
+
Stylish, subtle cycling-themed design
-
+
Water-resistant to 50m
-
+
Robust leather strap, plus interchangeable nylon strap
-
-
No date display
-
-
Slightly too chunky (and delicate) for safe riding use
- -
You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Thank you for signing up to The Pick. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
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.
Video: Five beginners tips for setting up your cycling computer
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.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!

David Bradford is fitness editor of Cycling Weekly (print edition). He has been writing and editing professionally for more than 15 years, and has published work in national newspapers and magazines including the Independent, the Guardian, the Times, the Irish Times, Vice.com and Runner’s World. Alongside his love of cycling, David is a long-distance runner with a marathon PB of two hours 28 minutes. Having been diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) in 2006, he also writes about sight loss and hosts the podcast Ways of Not Seeing.
-
Even Ben Stiller wants Cav to beat Merckx's Tour de France record
The Hollywood actor is a bonafide cycling boffin - and he wants Cav to win once more, as much as any fan
By Michelle Arthurs-Brennan Published
-
Tinker Bottom on Quicksie Hill - the search for Britain's funniest road names is over
Here are the 27 of the funniest road names from across the UK. And not all of them are rude
By Simon Richardson Published
-
Snapped cranks, motorbikes and decade-old handlebars - breaking sprinting's oldest world record
Jeffrey Hoogland is going after the longest-standing record in track cycling
By Tom Davidson Published