The niche British watch brand worn by UAE royalty

If UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was concerned about the impact that Brexit might have on British manufacturing, a recent diplomatic visit might have given him hope.

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, met with Johnson at 10 Downing Street in London, wearing a field watch made by Nite, a little-known British brand.

The grey skies of England in wintertime didn’t prevent the UAE leader from telling the time on his MX10 model as Nite watches are equipped with ultra bright tritium illumination. Used by deep sea divers, explorers, the military and mountaineers, tritium was discovered in 1934 and glows brightly through the night without the need for sunshine to supply its power.

Nite incorporates green, blue and orange tritium into its four families of watches. Alpha is the dive category; Hawk is a collection of rugged yet lightweight polycarbonate timepieces for the outdoors; Icon is Nite’s interpretation of a pilot watch; while the MX10 is a military-style field watch used by special forces. Nite’s output ranges in price from an entry level MX10 at $400 to an Alpha dive watch in brushed steel at $700.

Designed in Dorset on the south coast of England, Nite was founded by Roger Green in 2003 and remains an independent company. Although, after being catapulted into the spotlight thanks to its appearance on the royal wrist, don’t be surprised if larger watch companies come calling.