Before We Begin...
Scotland based microbrand AnOrdain is one of the most unique brands on this list as, with their inclusion, we are already straddling that line between microbrand and independent. AnOrdain's founders pride themselves on their expertise with enamel dials. Enameling is a very complex process of fusing glass to metal and takes a considerable amount of time with attention to detail in order to successfully nail the process (click here for more details on their process). The Model 1 was the genesis of the collection and put into motion AnOrdain's unique dial manufacturing process. Its fumé dials really stand out, with the Model 1 Green Fumé being an outstanding example. AnOrdain watches traditionally range from $1,000-$2,500, feature Swiss mechanical movements within, and are hand-assembled within the company's own facility.
The past five years (or longer, actually) has seen a resurgence in the collectibility of vintage watches. Yet with this resurgence, we also have seen rising prices on coveted vintage models, which make it daunting for many enthusiasts to dip into this world. This demand opened the doors to microbrands that answer the call of higher demand for watches with vintage looks at more affordable prices. French microbrand Baltic has leaned into this theme, releasing the excellent Aquascaphe and recently launching the dressy MR01, which features applied Breguet numerals over a lovely textured dial in three different colors: Salmon, Blue, and Silver. The most interesting element for many enthusiasts will be the micro-rotor-equipped automatic Hangzhao CAL5000A movement.
Dufrane was founded in Austin, Texas, an area whose influence is felt throughout the collection, whose timepieces offers many stylistic nods to the city. The brand prides itself on those Texas roots, and the hand assembly of all their watches in the United States. The brand first made its way onto the scene with the competitively priced and capable dive watch called the Barton Springs. As a shift away from those sporty undertones, Dufrane unveiled the Waterloo, a dressy watch with everyday capabilities, and the Travis (pictured), named after Austin's Lake Travis, with a dial that captures its dazzling shades of blue.
Brand: Elka
Model featured: X02
One of the newest yet “oldest” brands on our list, Elka traces its heritage all the way back to a Ducth watch brand, founded in Amsterdam in 1877, which opened a branch in Switzerland in 1949 and disappeared from the scene entirely in the 1970s. The modern Elka, which opened its doors in 2022, is fully Swiss, a project of former Swatch Group design veteran Hakim El Kadiri (nicknamed Elka, in a bit of serendipity), and leans not only into the vintage styles of its defunct predecessor but also into eccentric, unconventional aesthetic elements, as on the X02 model pictured, whose dial puts the emphasis on the minute markers rather than the hours. Also classically Swiss are the movements, from the artisans at La Joux-Perret (actually owned these days by the Japanese Citizen Group), which offer extended 68-hour power reserves, an extra bonus at the watch’s very reasonable price point of around $1,500.
In the microbrand community, there are several companies that most would agree occupy the the upper echelon in terms of materials, and the British brand Farer falls in this category. This British brand's unique and fun design formula is recognizable throughout its catalog, defined by a use of vibrant colors. With most of Farer's pieces falling within the $1,000-$2,000 price range, they are among the more expensive watches on this list, but the prices are warranted thanks to the elevated Swiss movements within and the quality finishing throughout. Highlighted here is the Bernina, a sports chronograph with a manual-winding movement and a fun colorway combo of red, white, and blue.
Formex is one of those brands that are certainly on the cusp of being classified as an "independent" — which one could make a strong argument for, as the company has been around for a considerable amount of time by microbrand standards — founded in 1999 — and is today producing some fantastic pieces for the money. Many Formex watches are COSC chronometer-certified. Based in Biel, Switzerland, Formex has become increasingly popular thanks to the Essence model and its stylish and sporty dive-watch companion, the Reef, pictured above.
Every brand’s marketing strategy attempts to position their pieces as unique product in the marketplace. However, in the watch industry, styles and concepts are constantly recycled and truly unique concepts are rare. Microbrands in this highly competitive environment must find a way to stand out. Hegid is a proudly French brand that does offer something unique in this space: a modular case system that allows the owner to interchange the dial and movement — each one is designed as a so-called capsule — into different cases (or “carrures”) with their proprietary case technology. France-based Hegid has been one of the more interesting brand concepts we’ve seen in recent years
Lüm-Tec was launched by Mentor, Ohio-based Wiegand Custom Watch Company LLC, which does OEM/ODM production for private label watch brands and counts some major watch brands among its thousands of customers worldwide. Lum-Tec is the company’s showcase brand, taking the first part of its name, as you’d expect, from the incredibly bright luminous material used on its dials, derived from a technology the company calls MVD (Maximum Darkness Visibility), which combines a layer of white titanium dioxide, six additional layers of custom-developed, highly reactive Super-LumiNova, and a final layer of clear glass coat.
Hailing from New Zealand, Magrette is a watch brand that has caught on the international radar with its value-driven distinction and impressive spec-stacked collection of dive-inspired timepieces. Magrette uses a variety of movement styles across its lineup from ETA, Sellita, and Miyota, and are highly water-resistant, particularly the Moana Pacific Waterman models capable of 500m of depth. Perhaps the most appealing aspect of these models is the price, which ranges from $300 - with a Sellita movement, no less - to $765 for the aforementioned Moana Pacific Waterman model in the bronze case. Positioned at the top of the collection are hand engraved cases that are of extremely limited production.
Massena LAB is the brainchild of prominent industry personality William Massena. To know the brand is to know the person, Mr. Massena has done a bit of everything in the industry: he owned retail stores, was the managing director of the Timezone forum, and was even the COO of Antiquorum auction house in Switzerland. His latest project is his startup watch company which produces vintage-inspired chronographs that are heavily influenced by the famous Universal Genève “Big-Eye” chronographs from the 1960s. Currently, the Uni-Racer collection consists of reasonably sized 39mm models in a handful of sharp and interesting colorways and supplied with reliable Swiss Sellita movements.
MKII was founded in 2002 as a customization workshop for brands such as Seiko and Luminox. Because of its early experience in this arena, MKII was a pioneer of the custom watch market, especially in the United States. The brand built a product line based on homage watches, paying tribute to some of the most iconic and important models to ever be produced. The homage watch category can be a tricky tightrope to walk, but MKII has become very well respected in this space. The build construction and overall quality of the final product, which is assembled in the United States, is what endears MKII to the watch community at large.
Monta is a small brand based out of St. Louis, Missouri that has quickly risen in the ranks since its founding in 2016, developing a great reputation for producing watches with an elite level of finishing at their accessible price points. Along with the strong (albeit somewhat familiar) designs and their use of Swiss automatic movements, this creates a winning formula. The SkyQuest is Monta's sporty travel watch, with undeniable resemblance to the famous (and much harder to get) Rolex GMT-Master and housing a Sellita movement with a 56-hour power reserve.
A jointly developed project between Swiss watch entrepreneur Ben Küffer, former Breitling co-owner Ted Schneider, and retired NHL player Mark Streit, Norqain is the baby on this wide-ranging list, founded in 2018. It has, however, established itself fairly quickly and decisively as a player in the field of value-driven sports watches with proprietary movements. The movements are made in partnership with a Swiss movement-making firm called Kenissi, which was established as a subsidiary company by Tudor, and boast 70-hour power reserves as well as COSC chronometer certifications. Norqain’s primary collections include the inspiringly named Freedom and Independence lines, and more recently the mountaineering-inspired Adventure Neverest, which Norqain has used as a stage for some very innovative dial colors and textures.
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Chicago-based Oak & Oscar hit the scene in 2015 with the launch of the Burnham, a time-and-date model named for American Beaux-Arts architect Daniel Burnham, designed of many iconic Windy City skyscrapers. (Subsequent models have taken their names from other architects, like the Olmsted, pictured, and have included a two-register chronograph and a GMT.) The company’s own name comes from its team members’ love of good bourbon (“oak”) and the name of founder Chase Fancher’s dog, Oscar; dogs, particularly rescue dogs, play a large role in the brand’s mission statement, which includes donating a portion of sales to Chicago-area rescue dog charities. Oak & Oscar watches are hand-assembled, tested, and regulated in Chicago, with Swiss-made movements and mounted on U.S.-made Horween leather straps.
Founded in 2015 by former banking professional François Moreau, Reservoir brings a visually unique approach to displaying dial information. Time is displayed by a single retrograde hand with a jump-hour mechanism which is inspired by vintage measurement instruments with similar readouts. Whether it’s a watch for land, water, or air, this design language is prominent across each collection, giving the brand a very distinct identity. Reservoir calls La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland home and uses high-quality Swiss movements to pair with the signature designs.
Brand: Scurfa
Model featured: Diver One Titanium
In 2014, commercial saturation diver Paul Scurfield, frustrated by the inability of existing, so-called “professional” dive watches to hold up to the hard usage they faced in his profession, founded his own watch brand. A longtime watch enthusiast in addition to being a seasoned diver, Scurfield focused on creating a range of watches for divers that were not only tougher and more reliable than those produced by well-known luxury brands but also priced within reason for diving professionals. For $230, you can snap up the Diver One Titanium (pictured), which boasts a rare 500-meter water resistance, a helium release valve for use in a diving bell, a sapphire crystal and a high-degree of luminous material on the dial for legibility in the depths. The Swiss-made quartz Ronda caliber beats inside the 40mm case (which is also available in steel for $30 less).
Brand: Serica
Model featured: 5303-1
Serica is a French brand, founded in 2019 in a collaboration between the watch blog “Les Rhabilleurs'' and the WM Brown Project, established by sartorial expert and A Man & His Watch author Matt Hranek. Following up the company’s first release, a “Dirty Dozen”-style field watch called the W.W.W. William Brown Edition, is its first divers’ watch, the distinctly designed 5303 series. Its high-end bonafides include sunray finishing on the bezel, mirror polishing on the articulated lugs, and an aluminum and ceramic dive-scale bezel that also incorporates a countdown function. Serica tests the automatic Soprod Newton movements to plus/minus four seconds per day, which speaks to the watches’ performance as well as the founders’ attention to detail.
Looking back at some of our favorite microbrands that have come in for review, Traska is certainly in the conversation. Traska is a newer microbrand offering some of the coolest-looking pieces out there that certainly draw inspiration from classic designs but manage to offer it in a package that isn’t repetitive. One of the first models to catch the market's eye was the Summiteer in 2019, an everyday field watch with impressive specifications. In 2021, the brand unveiled some new offerings including some updates to its best-selling Freediver.
Brand: Vaer
Model featured: D5 Tropic USA Automatic
Founders Ryan Torres and Reagan Cook pooled their collective life savings to start Vaer because “we couldn’t afford the watches we liked and didn’t like the ones we could afford.” Based in Venice, California, Vaer released its first watches 2017. Designed and built with outdoor and sporting activities in mind, and adhering to the founders’ vision of “simple, well-built analog watches” for everyday wear, Vaer’s collection comprises two major pillars, one made up of dive watches like the D5 Tropic USA Automatic, pictured, and the other of military-influenced field watches, like the S5 Calendar Field, a homage to the World War II-era military-issue A-11 watch. Vaer watches offer several movement options, including Japanese quartz, Japanese solar-powered quartz, and, in the GMT model, a Swiss automatic Sellita SW330-2.
Vero is a Portland, Oregon-based microbrand that has carved out the casual "West Coast" look with its pieces, which also uphold a retro aesthetic. In their Portland facility, Vero produces its own dials and assemble all finished watches within its walls while offering regulated Swiss movements inside the cases. The Vero Ridge Trail is boldly designed and comes with a minty green dial.
Cameron Weiss, an entrepreneurial WOSTEP-trained watchmaker who had worked for Audemars Piguet and Vacheron Constantin, launched Weiss Watch Company in 2013. The initial 10 pieces of his first watch, the original Standard Issue Field Watch, were hand-finished and assembled in a makeshift workshop, in a walk-in closet at his home. Originally based in Los Angeles, the company now makes watches at a workshop in Torrance, California. Each watch is individually assembled by a Swiss-trained watchmaker, with its case, crown, and buckle all machined in-house from a single block of stainless steel. Weiss initially used Swiss movements in his watches but as of 2016, his timepieces contain the in-house-developed Caliber 1003, which is 95 percent American-made.
Brand: Yema
Model featured: Heritage Superman
Founded in France in 1948, Yema has had an up-and-down history in the watch world, with ownership changing several times over the years (including a stint in the 1980s when it was owned by Seiko). In 2005, under new French ownership, Yema returned to the scene after a long hiatus and began offering a vast range of watch styles, including the racing-inspired Rallygraf chronograph, the retro-futuristic LED models, and the Flygraf GMT models that emerged from a partnership with the French Air Force, one of Yema’s many projects in its role as partner of France’s Armed Forces. By far the most emblematic Yema watch is the Superman divers’ series, which first debuted in 1963 and which still boasts a loyal following. The Heritage Superman (pictured) is the modern model most faithful to the original, with its distinctive bezel locking device that’s operated through the crown and its case’s impressive 300-meter water resistance. Yema uses proprietary third-party-produced movements in many models, but opts for the tried-and-tested Swiss Sellita SW200 in this and other dive watches.
Brand: William Wood
Watch Featured Above: Valiant Black
Founded in London in 2016, William Wood Watches pays tribute to its namesake, founder Jonny Garret’s grandfather, who was a decorated 25-year veteran of the British Fire Service, with its use of upcycled firefighting materials in its watches. The crowns are capped with a medallion crafted from melted-down brass London Fire Brigade helmets from the 1920s. Among the variety of interchangeable straps and bracelets available are tough, supple rubber straps that have been hand-cut from fire hoses used more than 10 years by the U.K. Fire and Rescue Service, which still maintain a faint smokiness from their decade-plus of service. Other aesthetic nods to firefighting culture abound, including a checkered ring around the dials’ perimeter, in place of a traditional minute track, echoing the livery of a British fire engine; a double index at 12 o’clock that resembles the collar markings on the lapel of a U.K. Fire and Rescue Service Crew Manager, an applied vintage fire helmet above the logo, and the counterweight on the central seconds hand that takes the form of the chime inside a historical fire bell. William Wood Watches are offered with a choice of two different types of mechanical automatic movements, either a Japanese Seiko NH35 or, for a slight upcharge, a Swiss Sellita SW200. William Wood donates a percentage of the sales of each watch to firefighting charities, including the U.K.’s Fire Fighter Charity, which provides mental, physical and social support to the firefighting community, and the Australian Bushfire Relief Fund. In 2021, for the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, William Wood partnered with the Tunnel to Towers Foundation to auction off a unique edition of its Triumph Heat chronograph model to benefit the charitable organization, which raised $19,000 after an opening bid of $2,000.
Brand: Bausele
Watch Featured Above: OceanMoon II
From the name, you might think that Bausele is a Swiss microbrand based in the (former?) watch-industry trade show capital of Basel. You’d be right about the Swiss part, but way off on the home base. “Bausele” is an abbreviation of “Beyond Australian Elements,” and refers to the unique design sense that Swiss watchmaking entrepreneur Christopher Hoppe, who moved to Sydney with his Australian wife and founded the brand in 2011, brings to the table with this Swiss-made, Australian-designed microbrand. Bausele’s flagship collection is the OceanMoon series of professional grade dive watches, outfitted with 200-meter water resistant steel anti magnetic cases on straps made of recycled ocean waste and containing Swiss automatic calibers. Among those “Australian elements” are the cases’ hollow glass crowns through which you can glimpse an actual living element of Australia — red earth from the Outback, sand — which allow the watch’s owner to literally carry a piece of Australia with them anywhere in the world. Bausele is the official watch of the centenary of the Royal Australian Air Force as well as several military corps and even the iconic Sydney Opera House.
Brand: Waldan
Watch Featured Above: Heritage Professional
Originally founded by Oscar Waldan in 1979, New York-based Waldan Watch Company is enjoying a renaissance under the guidance of Oscar’s son, Andrew Waldan, who revived the dormant brand during the challenging year of 2020. Thus far, Waldan consists of two distinctive sub-families within the flagship Heritage Collection: the dressy Professional, and the more casually colorful Sportline, which has a Nautilus-like lined-texture motif on the dials. All the watches feature steel cases with the thin, stepped, polished bezels typical of early Waldan models and knurled crowns. Most notably, they all feature a U.S.-made movements, namely the “Ameriquartz” caliber 70200, a quartz caliber developed and produced by Fine Timepiece Solutions (FTS) in Fountain Hills, Arizona that carries a five-year warranty. Also noteworthy at this price point (around $300) is Waldan’s use of sapphire crystals rather than mineral glass over the dials.
Brand: Studio Underd0g
Model featured above: Watermel0n Chronograph
London-based Studio Underd0g started out as the pet project of a restless University of Nottingham graduate, product designer Richard Benc, during 2020’s COVID-19 lockdowns. The “zero” replacing the letter “o” in his one-man brand’s name is a nod to its individualistic mission of making horology a little less “serious” and a bit more “playful.” The watches are distinguished by vibrant bright colorways on their degradé dials, and the names that derive from them, including the pink-and-green “WatermelOn'' model (pictured) as well as the black-and-white “Go0fy Panda” and mint-green-and-white “Mint Ch0c Chip.” The watches are all assembled in Great Britain and mounted on Epsom calfskin leather straps from The Strap Tailor, an artisanal shop also headquartered in London.Most notably, Studio Underd0g watches are equipped with hand-wound ST-1901 column-wheel chronograph calibers, which are made in China but based on the classical Swiss-made Venus Caliber 175. Each watch is inspected for accuracy and demagnetized before being shipped from the U.K. with its own individual “Report Card.” The first series from the young brand was priced at a very reasonable $475.
Join the Conversation
Hello Teddy – This is a awesome list you have put together. Being that I am new to watch collecting. I just purchased my first two pieces and the Norqain was my first watch and I am very pleased so far.
Hello Teddy – This is a great list you put together here. I am new to this timepiece world. I just purchased my first two timepieces and one was the Norqain adventure watch. I am very pleased with it so far.
Link to Mercer seems to be broken. No mention of Serket?
Hi Teddy – great list and thanks for exposing a few I hadn’t previously known about.
I’ve recently become acquainted with “Venezianico” an Italian independent Micro-brand, that reminds me of where Christopher Ward were when they were in their infancy.
They recently rebranded from ‘Meccaniche Veneziane’ and have mostly shed a few teething issues. I reckon this brand could become the CW of Italy!
Hello Teddy, and team,
I am pretty new to the watches world, it was basically because of your videos that I got hooked, which I am totally loving by the way. I am looking forward to buying my first mechanical watch, I have only owned two or three G-shocks up to this point, but I am pretty limited by the price I can afford at this moment. Thus my main choice for now will be getting a Seiko, probably dive watch, but I also want to get one additional watch.
Long story short – I have been looking into these two Swiss brands – Edox and Ernest Borel, but I can hardly find any info on, although the brands seem to have long history. Do you have any take on these two brands?
Thanks in advance for the reply! Keep up the good work!
Kind Regards,
Stefan
I hope you can get to see some Seals watches at some point. I wear the sea storm model nearly every day.
Can you review the new Christopher Ward C60 Trident Pro 300?
Direnzo Watches need to be added to this awesome list. They punch well above their weight for what you pay for!
Give Batavi a look! They’ve been doing excellent things by modifying Swiss Soprod movements!
I love all your watch knowledge.
I,m a low profile microband watch colector and i,m looking for a watch that can match 80 or more hours power reserve, and sport style type the Certina Ds Ph 200m Powermatic 80 Ph200m.
Do you have any watch simillar??
Kind regards
Alfonso
Hey TB!! I enjoyed your Microbrand review. Have you had a chance to review a Seaholm Watch? I had a chance to meet Todd Adams and see the Seaholm collection this weekend. I’m a fan and think you would be a fan too!
Carl Floto
Austin, TX
I own the Seaholm Automatic Rover in white. It’s super rugged and looks great too. Definition of a field watch.
What are your thoughts on Stirling Timepieces?
How about the brand DWISS? Any thoughts?
Stumbled upon a microbrand called Elliot Havok. Thoughts? I love their world timer, only problem is their watches are massive.
What’s your opinion on Nine Four? I’ve seen their Successor 2 model in forums recently and I like the watch but I’ve never heard of the brand.
Just wondering what your thoughts are on LIV watches. Another crowd funded watch brand but they have made it a few years but not a lot of reviews.
Would be great if they are actually in stock. The five I was interested in are “out of stock” “coming soon” “pre-order” blah blah blah. They aren’t that interesting or unique it’s worth fighting for, I lose interest quick. Also doesn’t help to see them finally released, only to sell out in days, then land on the secondary market for close to double. Those same watches land back on the secondary market 8-11 months later (after the initial excitement), for less than half of the MSRP. It’s a better investment buying a new KIA for $7K over sticker…which to say is not an investment or good decision at all.
no single black-owned micro brand? checkout https://www.asorockwatches.com , they are a leading black-owned luxury watch brand!
Hey Teddy,
There’s a microbrand watch that reminds one of a 1950s TV set. It’s a large rectangle, with the face on the right side and just the make on the right side of it. Do you know the name of the make of this watch? Thanks! DK
You would be referring to Möels & Co. Enjoy!