Animal Watches: Tried and Tested by the Best

The Animal brand was founded in 1987 by two surfers who had become increasingly frustrated at losing their watches whilst surfing or taking part in various other water sport activities. No watch seemed durable or robust enough to endure the impact of water and so the two surfers got to work on designing a strap made from webbing and Velcro to try and solve this problem.

Working in a small bedroom in one of their houses, the surfers produced enough straps to sell to their friends who were also surf and water sport enthusiasts. They wanted to make sure the product was completely effective and so the straps were tested by a number of people in a number of sports before progressing with the project. The watch straps were a big hit however and the designers used the profits to fund trips to Australia and Hawaii whereby they sold more of the straps to a larger group of people and discovered a more extensive market. What made the strap innovative and popular was the simplicity of its design in relation to how effective it was.

Realising the potential of their product, the designers decided to extend and adapt the product to the snowboarding, skating and mountain biking market and the Animal brand was officially born.

The Animal brand also gets involved with sports events and sponsors riders in many core sectors such as surfing, snowboarding, windsurfing, mountain biking and kite surfing. Each product is tried and tested by pro riders from each different sport to ensure that it provides maximum endurance and durability in even the most extreme conditions. This November, Animal will also be hosting and supporting the Animal Newquay Open which is a major surfing championships competition and is the last stop on the UK Pro Surf tour. As a result of the brand getting involved in the action and having experts in each sports field, this of course allows the products to be designed acording to the needs of the professional.

Animal is largely popular for its range of watches and incorporates the same original watch strap into the design. The designs of Animal watches are representative of the snow, skate and surf scene with bold vibrant colours and patterns. Aimed at free sports enthusiasts, the watches are fully water resistant and look incredibly striking and funky on the wrist. There is a watch designed for each specific sport but the styles are adaptable and also look great for everyday wear. There are also versions for males and females. With a chunky aesthetic, patterned dials and some watches incorporating the layered look on the strap, these watches are fashion forward but have a unique sporty style that immediately stands out from the crowd.

Animal watches are certainly built to go the distance and with trial and testing a major part of the design process, you can be sure that your Animal watch will be the ultimate expert whatever you extreme sport preference.