Nixon - Brand Profile

Dip into their website and you find that same attitude still coursing through the brand. As they put it: Nestled comfortably out of the way up against the Pacific Ocean in southern California, and tucked neatly next to the best surf in Europe, you’ll find Nixon people doing what we do.

“What started as a frustration at a lack of quality watches that simultaneously do the talking for you and deliver what you need in various high-stress work and play environments has grown into a network of athletes, rock stars, retailers and dedicated loyalists that bring Nixon products to market.”

Thirteen years on, the evolved Nixon has expanded into wallets and headphones but watches remain the core. The play remains, too, but it is serious play, with a core of star surfers and skaters drafted into the design process. Its men’s watches start from very basic indeed, with the “Time-Teller Canvas”, and move up the price and quality scale with watches like the day-glo “Rubber Player” or the digital “Outsider” with polycarb case and polyurethane strap. At the top of the range are the super-light, super-robust “Ceramics” with both case and strap in black or white ceramic.

On the women’s side, there are many of the same models, but the collection also includes a range of jewellery watches that are most successful when, like the Alice with its large-link steel bracelet and elegant case, they combine refinement with something of the roughness of the outdoor world.

The collection also houses plenty of watches that are either eye-catchingly design-forward or that have compelling special features. They include the retro-styled, solar-powered “Volta” or the “Super Hero II Ti Pu”, which harbours tidal information on 200 beaches through until 2020, or “The Score” which includes a custom skate game.

Some things have changed. Nixon was bought by Australian surf and sportswear company Billabong four years ago. But the fit looked right at the time, and it has proved to be a winning combination since, with Nixon’s founders still in place and Nixon continuing to produce offbeat, outdoorsy watches with a strong youth appeal.