Elliot Brown’s exclusive new Holton FDE reports for duty

British watch brand Elliot Brown has launched the Holton FDE (Flat Dark Earth) 101-005, an understated military reinterpretation of their Holton Professional.

Originally engineered for specialist military use, the Holton collection has become one of the watchmaker’s most popular lines and is defined by being a purpose-built tool.

The Holton FDE pairs a sterile dial with the Flat Dark Earth colour — which was originally used as desert firearm and equipment coating in the early 2000s — to create the utilitarian look of the watch.

Elliot Brown said: “The Holton platform is already pretty unapologetically tool-like, so the sterile dial pushes it even further in that direction.”

The Holton FDE will have a limited availability as Elliot Brown is only producing the exact quantity that was ordered during the pre-order period from 13th to 15th March, which was an impressive 304. This included more than a watch a minute being sold in the first hour that the pre-order went live.

The watch will also be water resistant up to 200m and be available with either a solid-link stainless steel bracelet, a rubber strap with a pin buckle, or a waxed raw edge leather strap.