To give watch enthusiasts the opportunity to show appreciation for the watchmaking industry, luxury American department chain Nordstrom declared that June 19th was to be marked as National Watch Day. Having celebrated the occasion since 2017, the high-end retail mogul draws attention annually to the significant history of timepieces and their evolution over the past 500 years.
This National Watch Day we’re eager to focus on the future of the industry as we see it: microbrands. Nordstrom, as a stockist of hundreds of luxury watch brands, naturally use their platform on National Watch Day to promote timepieces from some of the most high-end brands in the industry. Today though, rather than ogling their £20k+ pre-owned Rolex listings, we encourage you to shop a little smaller.
Rolex Explorer II on ZULUDIVER Mayday Anchor Sailcloth Divers Watch Strap - Credit WatchGecko
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We all know the watchmaking industry wouldn’t be what it is today without the Swiss giants we all look up to. Having kept the mechanical watchmaking industry ticking throughout the 1970’s quartz crisis, brands like Rolex, Tudor, and Omega, rightly, became household names long ago. With that being said, as we’re all so familiar with them already, it feels like about time we paid some well-deserved attention to smaller, up-and-coming watch brands as they become the modern trailblazers for this new generation of watchmaking.
Christopher Ward 12 X Review - Credit WatchGecko
Whilst the WatchGecko team mulled over their favourite microbrands there was something akin to uproar as we tried to decide if Christopher Ward could still be described as such. Having just sent enthusiasts wild with the release of the Twelve X, a skeletonised titanium watch that retails for just under £4k and is equipped with their very own calibre SH21, we can probably safely say they’ve graduated from this realm already. To avoid any more confusion though, it's probably important that we begin by figuring out what defines a microbrand.
The parameters are much debated but most people are likely to recognise a microbrand as having a very small team, often as small as just two founders or even a one-man-band. These few employees are likely to take on a lot of work between them as the smaller the team, the more roles fall to the individual. So, you might find the CEO of a microbrand is also the designer, social media manager, head photographer and PR agent, amongst other things. Another signifier is how many watches a brand can sell at one time, if they have twelve collections with twenty models in each, and they’re all available for purchase at a moment’s notice, it’s unlikely this is the work of a ‘micro’ team. It’s even more unlikely that a microbrand will be responsible for producing many of its parts in-house, particularly the proprietary movement.
What’s so great about microbrands, anyway?
- With a rich heritage to live up to, luxury watch brands are unfortunately less likely to stray from the norms of what their customers expect from them. If you’re looking for something a little quirkier, you’ll find that as microbrands write their own rules, they have the chance to be far more expressive.
- Microbrands tend to have smaller teams, so you’ll often find your feedback and queries are handled directly by the CEO. Cool, right?
- Similarly, microbrand culture means audience input is of higher value and fans of the brand can often expect to have a little more influence over their products.
- Investing in a smaller brand allows it to grow. You’re supporting a fellow watch enthusiast and in turn, the future of the industry. You might even find that a microbrand you take a chance on turns into the next big thing.
- Microbrand models help to balance out your collection by giving you more wearable options for everyday life, and with watch thefts becoming an increasingly worrisome problem, opting to accessorise with a lesser known microbrand could save you the hassle and heartbreak of attracting attention with a flashier luxury watch.
Top 5 Watch Microbrands
1. Studio Underd0g
Studio Underd0g have provided the watch community with what I’d call a much-needed breath of fresh air. Driven by a desire to disrupt the stagnancy and familiarity of the luxury watch industry, founder Richard Benc conceived his weird and wonderful one-man-band during 2020’s first round of lockdowns.
Studio Underd0g 02SERIES - Credit Studio Underd0g
The brands origin story begins with Richard’s frustration over a certain Rolex announcement. Having felt that a somewhat inconsequential 1mm case size increase shouldn’t warrant a media circus, Richard wanted to present the industry with something more unexpected.
Since then, Studio Underd0g has continued to go from strength to strength despite, or maybe because, they do things more than a little differently. His first release, a series of four increasingly whacky chronographs, was a true taste of what was to come. Proving that they don’t take themselves too seriously, Richard and the small team who work alongside him to bring his wild visions to life, have earned a reputation for their quirky designs and defiant approach to finding their place in the industry.
Studio Underd0g at BWMD - Credit Studio Underd0g
Ironically, one crazy day at this year’s British Watchmaker’s event, the brand hand-delivered their special edition Pizza Party watches and managed to outsell Rolex which you can read about here.
2. Isotope
This British microbrand was founded by husband-and-wife duo José and Joana Miranda back in 2016. Known to have a knack for embracing unconventional, ‘offbeat’ beauty, José drives Isotope to offer the industry designs that go beyond pure functionality and instead take their inspiration from art, architecture, history and culture.
Isotope Old Radium Black Ink Bronze Review - Credit WatchGecko
Despite their microbrand status and their headquarters residing in Henfield, England, Isotope do offer their customers the best of both worlds somewhat with operations taking place primarily in Switzerland. For the past five years the British brand have equipped their models with nothing but Swiss Made movements, so despite Isotope’s striking designs and relative affordability, you needn’t sacrifice on a tried-and-tested calibre.
3. BOLDR Supply
Boldr Odyssey Range on WatchGecko
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BOLDR was conceived back in 2015 when the Singapore-based company, led by Leon Leong, launched the BOLDR Voyage on Kickstarter. Described as an outdoor-friendly smartwatch, the Voyage was presented with a sandwich dial and LED technology but has since been withdrawn in favour of more conventional designs.
When I say conventional though, I still mean far from boring. Keen to involve themselves in collaborations, BOLDR began by seeking artists from Malaysia, Australia and the USA to create a distinct and unique style for the brand. Since then, they have released a playful Pokémon collection as well as the Black Dragonfish GMT which absorbs 99.4% of light through its dial, and we’re still hardly scratching the surface.
Boldr Odyssey The Black Dragonfish Review - Credit WatchGecko
Presenting functional tools of the highest calibre at a more than agreeable price-point, BOLDR have succeeded in perfecting not only a unique, instantly recognisable, design language but also in crafting field watches which easily rival more high-end options on the market today.
This year we had the opportunity to become BOLDR’s exclusive UK stockist, so you can find more of their adventure-focussed designs here.
4. Clemence Watches
As a child, Clemence’s founder, and namesake, Tom Clemence grew fascinated by a Universal Genève timepiece left behind by his late grandfather. As is the case for many enthusiasts, watches provided Tom with a doorway to the past and in that spirit, he has gone on to design his own watches with hopes that they will “go the distance”, the same way his grandfather’s watch did. Seeking to create a company that would leave a legacy as significant as the legacy of his own grandfather, Tom went on to establish Clemence Watches in 2021.
Clemence Munro - Credit Clemence
With design and assembly of Clemence’s watches taking place in Britain, the independent brand is also a proud member of the British Watch & Clock Makers Alliance. Their first release, the Photic Diver, was met with great reviews but late last year they turned things up a notch with the release of the Munro. Offered in three spirited colourways and powered by the Miyota 9039 high beat automatic movement, the Munro is Clemence’s answer to the ‘perfect’ field watch.
5. Vortic
Finally, we have Vortic. Operating under the consensus that “we had it right the first time”, R.T. Custer and Tyler Wolfe founded the Vortic Watch Company in 2013 with a mission to revive the spirit of the past with their reworked pocket watches. Having survived a high-profile Federal Court case against Hamilton, the Colorado-based brand have since been free to extend their unique American Artisan Series.
VORTIC THE SPRINGFIELD 060 - Credit Vortic
Bringing some old-fashioned elegance to a new generation, each model in the collection upcycles the vintage hands, dials, and movements of antique pocket watches into more contemporary wristwatch cases. The company started out by 3D-printing metamorphosed cases now work exclusively with solid titanium, stainless steel, and metal, utilising CNC mills and lathes to complete manufacture.
So, there you have it, WatchGecko’s Top 5 Microbrands. Some of the microbrands on this list are already seeing an increasingly frenzied level of interest and, much like watching the rise of your new favourite artist as they climb the charts, there’s a certain sense of satisfaction that comes with watching a brand grow into success from its most humble beginnings.
Look at it this way, we all start somewhere, and our favourite high-end watchmakers aren’t exempt from that, in a lot of cases they just had a 100 year+ head start. Am I saying that if we give each microbrand 100 years to progress, they’re bound to have a trajectory that leaves a legacy as unshakeable as that of TAG Heuer or Audemars Piguet? No, not at all, that would be extremely short-sighted and a somewhat unfair comparison. All I’m saying is, twenty years ago when Christopher Ward first started out, we might not have predicted the heights they would climb to, and they’re certainly still climbing.
The only question is, who will be next?
Let me know in the comments which microbrand you feel deserves some love. Who knows, maybe you’ll predict the next big thing…
