In a nutshell, William Wood is a British luxury watch brand that upcycles firefighting materials into unique luxury watches.

Founder Jonny Garrett was inspired to create William Wood Watches in memory of his heroic firefighting grandfather and a percentage of sales are donated to firefighting charities.

Each watch contains a piece of firefighting heritage – part of a 1920s London Fire Brigade brass helmet is melted into every crown and the straps for each collection are made from hand-cut British fire hose that has served and protected the UK Fire and Rescue Service for over a decade, and you can still smell the rich smokiness in the red, yellow, blue or cargo green rubber! The latter being British Military fire hose donated by the British Armed Forces’ Defence Fire and Rescue Unit.

Jonny’s vision is to become the leading British luxury watch brand that upcycles firefighting materials for a new life whilst giving back to good causes.

“We are proud to say that any customer who wears a William Wood watch is wearing a real piece of firefighting history. We have certainly come a long way since jumping on our flight to Baselworld in Switzerland with our watch drawings in hand, and a tenacity to create a recognised best of British business.”

Back in 2016, he founded William Wood Watches in honour of firefighters everywhere and one in particular – his late grandfather, William Wood, who was a decorated firefighter for 25 years, winning commendations for his acts of bravery.

With customers in more than 50 countries, William Wood combines traditional British design with world-renowned Swiss and Japanese movements.

They have plans afoot to convert a closed British fire station into their showroom and flagship store The William Wood logo represents the side profile of a 1920s British firefighter’s helmet in dedication to Jonny’s brave grandfather and the years of courage he showed.

There are three limited edition collections and a fourth due to be launched in March this year. The first three collections include the dress watch range called Chivalrous and the diving range called the Valiant and heritage range called the Bronze.

Valiant is a collection of six stainless steel automatic dive watches, featuring the

famous straps and a host of unique features. It comes in a range of six colours which take inspiration from the different watch colours of the UK Fire and Rescue Service (Red Watch, White Watch, Blue Watch and Green Watch, plus Rose Watch and Black Watch). The 12 o’clock indices represent the two collar markings on the lapel of a UK Fire and Rescue Service Crew Manager. Printed around the perimeter of the dial are the chequered markings from the side of a British Fire Engine. The sweeping second hand takes inspiration from the chime inside a vintage fire bell and the double domed sapphire crystal glass is tinted blue as a tribute to William Wood’s tenure on the blue watch. And the turning bezel traditionally used by divers for oxygen capacity can be used for a firefighter’s oxygen tank. Super-LumiNova on the indices, hands and bezel means you can follow the time no matter how dark an environment, and this premium timepiece is water-resistant up to 100m. It comes with a choice of either Swiss Sellita SW200 Automatic or Japan Seiko NH35 Automatic Movement. There are six different watch straps to choose from.

Area Code is a label with community at its heart. Formed in Stockholm, Sweden, it creates high-end streetwear to support its own charitable foundation, which is designed to improve the lives of underprivileged communities around the world.

Founded in 2018 in Stockholm, Sweden. The brand was born with the aim to facilitate opportunity for people living in developing communities around the globe through selling good quality fashion. The collections are inspired by urban trends, with an inspirational nod to the countries and the communities it is seeking to support via the Area Code Foundation.

At Area Code, the aim is to build a community; one whereby consumers are connected to people in need. Each purchase has a purpose to make a meaningful impact. Therefore, the more commercially successful the brand becomes, the more positive influence the community can provide in areas across the world that require a helping hand for positive change.

The belief is that knowledge and education are the key for sustainable growth. For that reason, the Area Code mission starts with the building of the school GOROM 3, in Bambilor, Senegal, progress on which is regularly posted on the brand website and on the Instagram account.

GOROM 3 is only the beginning, in the future Area Code aims to help communities in other parts of the world, focusing on education issues as a first step but also striving to improve lives and empower people beyond the classroom. The new brand aims to build a community; one whereby consumers are connected to people in need. Each purchase has a purpose and will make a meaningful impact.

Each piece in the collection is produced in limited quantities, with 15% from the sale of each item going towards the work of the foundation. Due to the limited availability, Area Code has created subscription only access to the website. The ethos behind this is to develop its own community of supporters; followers of the mission behind the brand but also of the unique style of the pieces it creates. After signing up, members are able to view progress on the current project, and to register for updates on new collection drops and news about the Area Code initiatives.

The debut SS21 collection takes its inspiration from the community it is currently supporting the children of Bambilor, Senegal. The West African country provides the creative inspiration for the range, with pieces named after members of the community. Khaki and black provide much of the colour palette, predominantly over a range of sweatpants and hoodies, with a red African print making an appearance on a reversible jacket. Standout pieces include a multi-stripe kimono, named after 11-year old Moussou Kera Sane from Bambilor, the heavy-cotton piece exudes the spirit of Senegal and comes in various shades of warm orange and earthy browns. A green satin bomber jacket takes its name from 10-year old Gallo Dia, while 12-year old Cheick Niang, who dreams of being a fisherman, is the name behind a heavy-duty cotton gilet, in black, with white and orange reversible African print detail. There is also a selection of socks and canvas accessories.

From taking your partner on a date to visiting the gym for a workout, it’s likely you don’t want to leave the house without looking – and feeling – your best. Did you know that your skin is just as important to care for as your muscles? Especially if you choose to shave instead of growing a beard or are regularly outside. Read on to discover top men’s grooming and skin care tips including using the right products such as hand cream and sunscreen.

Top 5 best practices for men’s grooming and skin care

Just as you know to stretch before exercise to protect your muscles, it is just as important to have a good skin care routine to protect your skin. Here are 5 best practices you can utilise to bolster your skin care.

1. Get the right products for your skin type – especially if it’s prone to becoming dry. This includes washing with body cleansers instead of soap bars for dry skin or using powder to protect areas such as the groin and inner thighs from sweat. You know your body better than anyone, so pick out the product which most closely suits your skin type… most products will tell you on the packaging.

2. Don’t forget to moisturise. This doesn’t mean you need to use a body lotion to lather up from head to toe. However, a good quality hand cream and focusing on problem areas such as elbows, knees and lower legs can help to protect your skin from becoming dry, damaged and sore. If you’re looking for moisturising skincare and hand cream solutions, you can find more information here.

3. Cover up with sunscreen. Whether you work in construction or love to hike the great outdoors, sunscreen is your best protection against UV from the sun. The UV rays can not only lead to cancer but also be the cause of wrinkles. For extra protection, if you need to be outdoors for long periods of time, wear clothes than cover your skin.

4. Always use a good quality deodorant. Men sweat more than most, and with sweat – more often than not – comes odour. If you have trouble with odour, try switching up your deodorant, or even change when you put it on. Using deodorant at night may seem counterproductive as you’re at your least active when you sleep. However, it allows the product to diffuse into the sweat glands and protect you when you need it the most – during the day. For help choosing the right products to give your armpits a little TLC, check out our article on what makes a good deodorant.

5. Always protect your skin when shaving… and if you choose not to. Investing in good quality products will help to protect your skin before, during and after shaving – or if you choose to grow your beard instead. Top tips include:

● Use a skin protecting lubricant. The best protection from razor burn is preventing it in the first place. Using a lubricant will help you achieve a smoother shave.

● Don’t rush. Trying to get out the door to work and rushing your shave is a sure fire way to end up with sore skin irritation. Use a new razor, and a thin layer of shaving gel to provide an easier, quicker shave without rushing.

● Exfoliate if you have a beard. This will help to prevent the build-up of dandruff and in-grown hairs as well as protecting your skin. You should also remember to brush and trim your beard regularly to keep it in the best condition.

Picking out the right products to protect your skin is important, and now – with just a handful of top tips – you can be sure to look and feel great every single day.

An evolution of Clarks Originals’ iconic Desert Boot, the Desert Coal has a slightly stronger and more rounded consturction with an extra eyelet to either side. 

They’re made from an upper of durable suede with a smooth leather lining and insole, sitting on a grippy and shock-absorbent Crepe rubber outsole.

The Originals range from Clarks is always full of amazing men’s shoes with a smart-casual vibe pumped into classic silhouettes. If something ain’t broken, why change it? Here we have the Wallabee which is their timeless Moccasin standard.

The upper is made from a thin cut of 100% leather suede for a flexible, comfortable, and breathable design which can stand the tests of time. The heel has an implant to enhance the stability of the shoe and secure the wearer, and a boxy toe construction provides amazing durability.

The lockdown that started almost a year ago has had horrible effects on people’s physical and mental health. With the reduced time spent outside moving, socializing, training, and having fun, levels of chronic illnesses and obesity have risen, just like the rates of mental health issues. Though there aren’t many ways to combat the situation until the vaccines get rolled out and herd immunity is reached, there are a couple of things you can do not to become the worst version of yourself.

One of these is martial arts training. Yes, most countries have lockdown restrictions that affect most martial arts schools, so most people reading this article won’t have the option to start training. However, that doesn’t mean all is lost. One can still start to train in martial arts, at least some basic movements, while at home. In this article, I will go through why I think it is a great idea to take up some form of martial arts training until the lockdown lasts. If you are interested, read on for more!

Martial Arts Training: Health Benefits

First, let’s go through the basic list of health benefits you can expect to see if you start martial arts training. The first and most obvious one that everybody is aware of, even if they have not trained a second in their lives, is physical strength and fitness.

You can start training martial arts at home by not teaching yourself techniques at first but doing strength and conditioning training, which can prepare you for effectively training the art of your choice. You can do knuckle pushups if you are interested in starting some striking art to increase your wrist stability and strength, or perhaps all variations of squats and jump rope practice if you are looking to go into Taekwondo.

Whichever art you choose, you could build muscle by training it, which will result in better mental health, improved looks, better breathing, and just general fitness. It also relieves stress, which is one of the main factors of all sicknesses developing during the lockdown, so that is something to look forward to.

Aside from muscle strength and fitness, you can get amazing benefits like improved spatial coordination, better mental health, hand-eye coordination, improved reflex speeds, stability, joint strength, bone density, and the list goes on.

Health Benefits of Training During the Lockdown

Okay, martial arts are healthy and all, but why is it important to start training some form during the lockdown? Can’t it wait?

Well, the problem is that most people say this for almost every sort of movement now. Ever since staying home on your couch all day has become the moral thing to do, many people have found it a lot harder to start moving.

Martial arts training might be a great way to get out of this hole since it isn’t only training for the sake of training, but it also is something interesting. Martial arts have histories, philosophies, characters, and personalities, which add up to make it more than just a form of physical exercise.

This can draw more people in than, for example, traditional bodybuilding at home could. Much more people are willing to train something interesting rather than do a couple of push ups each day.

What this allows for is a sense of purpose and a new goal to be set, for example. This is great for anyone’s mental health since it will not allow the person to slump back into their chair and contemplate their existence anxiously. Instead of such a miserable life, one can get up and learn something new while also keeping their body moving.

Aside from the effects it can have on mental health, it can also profoundly impact physical health. Martial arts training can improve many aspects of human health (as mentioned earlier). From lung capacity (which is important in battling the coronavirus) to cardiovascular health, and even increased energy and mood throughout the day can all be convincing reasons for someone to pick up on a hobby like this one at home while the lockdown lasts.

How to Train at Home?

The first and most important thing is to clarify that martial arts are not a simple business. They are usually tough to learn, let alone perfect, so don’t expect to be a Bruce Lee after a week of training (or even 6 months).

The absence of a trained professional who can see exactly the mistakes you are making and correct them in a personalized fashion just for you to learn is something that makes martial arts training very difficult on your own.

There are many details to every movement that there is probably no book that holds the proper information for learning it. However, that doesn’t mean you cannot start to learn some basics.

First, learn the so-called kihon, which are the most basic, fundamental building blocks of most karate arts and related ones. Kihon consists of the basic punches, kicks, blocks, and movements one must know to execute techniques and katas properly. Kihon can be learned at home to some extent, so if you have the motivation to work out and train in the time of the lockdown, make sure you start with these.

Once you have these learned, it is time to search for a training partner to spar using techniques you see in videos or read in books. It would help if you took it slow since injuries can easily happen, and since there is no trained professional to watch, you can learn the wrong movements quite easily.

Nevertheless, until you get to a moderate-beginner level, the gyms and dojos will probably open up, so you can go to proper training. However, at that point, you will be proud of yourself for having some basics already learned and settled in your mind.