Obviously I'm going to be biased, but I've personally started to build out my own collection of Microbrands in recent years, moving away from mainstream brands. For me, I want to wear a watch that resonates with me and tells a story. When I wear my Brew Metric, I can look at it and think of Jonathan mulling over various design decisions. When I wear my Serica I can relate to all the functional decisions that the brand has made. When I wear my Mr Jones Watch I can relate to the playful approach that Crispin takes. I feel so much more connected to the people and processes that have brought these brands to life. Big up the micros! Cheers, Richard
I’ve gone the opposite direction. Microbrand specs are great but they just haven’t managed to stick in my collection. When I get ready to sell them and they are worth 1/2 their new price, their great value seems less impressive. I have consolidated my collection. Fewer watches overall. Higher priced pieces from brands my grandfather would have known. I like my collection more than I ever.
I'm on vacation in Kyoto with my family from the UK. Today I stopped by the Kuoe studio (I emailed ahead), picked out a watch, the sales rep added a sapphire crystal, asked what kind of AR coating I preferred, I chose the hands, bought two straps and met the founder. Great value, wonderful service, and I walked out with a stunning watch at an incredible price and a great experience.
WISE is a great micro that the "bang for the buck" is outrageous. Mine is by far the most accurate watch I have (seems like they regulate them). 904 steel - Miyota 9k series and original styling. Love what they're doing.
Would love it if you picked a microband to do an in depth look at with either a weekly or monthly segment. I know a lot of people in Reddit and Facebook groups are trying to do their research but would help put their mind at ease if someone in the industry gave an honest review of the product and/or brand as a whole.
Teddy, something I wanted to mention. Many of us who really dig watches don't have the surplus cash to venture into collectibles or big brand offerings like Rolex or Tudor (i.e. watches we can recover our investment with). For me personally, I keep my purchases to
Baltic = God tier micro brand and made me a repeat customer. For me, it’s such a great feeling when you find a brand that represents your personality, style, and gives you joy every time you put on their watches, while knowing it didn’t break the bank. It would be nice to attain a watch from a more reputable / well-known brand for the heritage charm, but independent brands simply can’t be beat when you’re looking for great specs or super unique design language for < $1k. Thanks for the comprehensive overview of the beloved micro brand segment Teddy!
One aspect I never see mentioned is that they function like a minor league for the bigger brands, and push them to be more competitive. Some of these larger brands can't rest on their laurels with increased competition, and I think this drives the entire industry forward. Baltic and Yema are two great examples -- I might buy one for $1,600 instead of a used Tudor. This ultimately helps to keep Tudor honest.
Huh? Minor leagues don't make major leagues more competitive because they don't compete with them. And microbrands don't supply talent to major brands like minor league teams do in sports. And no major brand cares even a tiny bit what micros do until they become sizable independents.
@@Not_Mark_Twainthe micro brand market in the aggregate does impact the majors and they do care about what’s occurring at the micro brand level. Independents certainly care. Raymond Weil is changing their lineup to cater to what micro branders have been purchasing and what micro brands have been producing. There’s other examples too. And it makes its way up. Tudor black bay 54, I would argue, is Tudor’s response to tastes they saw developing on the micro brand market. To think major watch brands see an entire new industry competing with their used watch market (which is relevant to their new watch market and pricing) and don’t care is crazy, they are definitely paying attention. The minor league comment wasn’t meant to be taken so literally. I just meant it on the consumer side
Not when a micro brand is using Seiko movements and charging up to 1 and 2K for their watches thinking they are on the playing field of a Hamilton. I’ll take a Chinese brand first, Seestern, San Martin, etc.
Hamilton, like many Swiss brands, is overrated. I've had better success with Japanese automatics compared to ETA's. I can work on an old Seiko movement myself, if necessary. I have no problem with paying a premium for a microbrand if the design and sizing is good.
The ones shown in this video are real micro brands. I've seen too many self identified micro brands that were just Chinese made Ali-Express watches with a brand.
Love Zelos. Wearing their Blacktip Ti Burnt Orange right now. I know, the parts are Chinese but quality control is excellent when the parts are assembled and regulated at Zelos facility in Singapore
Your language was a little vague on the negatives. Brand Equity = Little resale value; won’t impress anyone. Second one: Difficult to get serviced, assuming as you say the company is still around.
For the number 5 - I love having (or seeing) a watch on a wrist that you know only a "true" watch lover would recognize. It's like being part of a secret society. For example, the large and recognizable "Zelos Hamerhead" or maybe one of the great looking "Henry Archer" watches that we see more and more (great up and coming brand from Denmark!!). Thanks for sharing your thoughts Teddy 🙂
A pain? Very rarely, unless you needed replacement hands or dial. Almost all micro brands use either Seiko or Citizen movements which anyone can service.
Gotta shout out Vaer, the C5 Korean field has been my favorite watch of the last few years. Sapphire crystal, solar charging, beautiful lume, and it comes with two different straps all for like $250, can't beat it.
Are you being clear enough by informing everyone that almost all microbrands get their cases and brackets from China? I.e they design in one country, state that they are from that country VERY clearly, then get a factory in China to knock up the design and then drop in either a Chinese or Japanese (some times Swiss). Nothing wrong with this however we should get clarity
Are Formex considered a microbrand or an independent? Either way, I love them. I have the Essence 39 in white and the Reef 42 in black on black. The quality and especially value are off the charts. Also a big fan of Direnzo - I’ve got the white Mondial v2 and red Eclipse v2. Both impeccable.
Just got my Lorier Neptune and am lovin' life. It's a joy to wear and I've sold a few just from people asking me about it. Love the energy and creativity in the microbrand space.
Unfortunately, I just got over a very bad experience with Jack Mason. I purchased one of their Strat-o-timers and it completely stopped working after 3 weeks. I am NOT attempting to bash Jack Mason. After researching extensively and watching all of their marketing videos, I thought they would be a great, new American company to invest in. The fact that my watch stopped working is not why I'm sharing my experience, but instead the awful customer service I experienced. I never even spoke to a human being. I had to express all my disappointment, frustration and pleading for a refund over their "Contact" tab on their website. For a company their size, trying to make a name in such a competitive industry, some personal attention would have gone a long way. So instead of a lifelong customer writing a rave review, encouraging everyone to consider their watches, I decided to buy a Muhle-Glashutte. Thank you Teddy for your Muhle-Glashutte video and interview as that played a big part in my decision. The only problem with the word "value", is sometimes you just get what you pay for.
My micro brand watch (Alto-8 Roto) has Miyota movement, 50m WR, domed sapphire crystal, SS case, wondering hours complication and crucially, enamel dial for under $400
Teddy luv your channel but I have been doing this watch thing for nearly 40 years, love the micros from brands like c ward, zelos, helm, islander, and tons of others etc, etc they offer value for $. However, if your goal is equity and time value for $ equation history tells me you are better off with a Seiko.
We have a micro brand right here in Austin Texas that I plan on buying and that's Dufrane Watches, I really want their Bergstrom Air with this eye popping blue dial, but it's sold out. That's also a problem with a smaller product run.
There’s a few micros here! Dufrane is great. There’s myself, Trafford Watch Co. Roebuck is in round rock. There’s seaholm and Tockr is here too though I don’t think they’re active anymore. There’s a few in Houston/dallas too
A big negative of micro brands in my view is that it‘s difficult or even impossible to see watches in person before buying. Of course a good return policy can mitigate that, but trying, seeing, feeling is a nice and useful part of the process. For instance, with Christopher Ward, I am a little interested in the Twelve but I have doubts whether I would like the dials in person; I‘m not so sure about the colors judging by the pictures. An indirect positive of micro brands for me (at least with the cheaper ones), is that they are a good incentive to learn and service mechanical movements yourself, because the price of a proper service would be close to or even higher than the watch. I‘m impressed by many of those brands, so thanks Teddy for sharing your passion and talking about watches we would otherwise stumble on only by chance or after hours of research.
Agree. Trade shows like Worn and Wound help, but seeing hundreds of microbrands in one huge hall quickly shows how 80% of them are uninteresting. Most micros sell online and offer generous returns for this reason. (I sent my Twelve back, no sweat.)
Teddy, would like you to consider this micro brand from India. It’s called BWC ( Bangalore Watch company) and recently came across them in a blog. Seem to be creating some very interesting watches based on Swiss Sellita movements.
Microbrands vary so much that few generalizations hold up. Many, but not all, are more affordable. Many are frankly lame and derivative, as you note. The best are brilliant, but the average microbrand disappoints and disappears. Given this, it's better to profile a few solid watchmakers than to try to generalize about a category that's more noise than signal.
Sitting here watching your video with a Zelos Swordfish on my wrist, so you likely know where I stand on micro-brands. My biggest gripe with Zelos is how they limit production of each model making them a bit harder to come by. I also own a Doxa 600t homage watch from a micro-brand that is one for one every bit as good as a friend's actual Doxa. Micro's should be an option for most people.
Thanks for the excellent video. As a watch enthusiast, I’ve felt the sting of poor resale on microbrand watches. Then again, many mainstream brands and models like Omega and Tudor depreciate quite a bit as well. Buying watches for resale value often isn’t a great idea anyway
Great discussion. I am definitely micro-brand curious, but haven't taken the plunge. I've had a Spinnaker for a while - do they count as micro? Also, are we going to see your own brand, Teddy?
Another great video as always, Teddy - and the article was great, but you missed off a great microbrand from the UK - Isotope. Fantastic watches, great designs, really cool people behind the brand.
Teddy, micro brands dont have overhead but they also don't have R&D and the same QC and post sale service as more established brands. And where is the guarantee that those 2 blokes will be around to service your watch in 10 years? Why not liok instead at brands like Tutima, Certina, Fortis, Archimede, Glycine... They offer a better balance of quality, tech and price, dont they?
I have enjoyed your channel for quite some time now and I would certainly be interested in more videos about micro brands and independents. I have nothing against the major brands but I truly enjoy the uniqueness and individuality that you get from micro brands. Excellent topic!!🥃
This is my fav videofrom you so far! I'm discovering SOOO many brands here through this vid (not even halfway through and Farer and Brew suddenly became my two fav watch companies). I truly hope you do more on microbrands, and I hope you can gather some for your shop so that you can benefit from your work!
Elka..? Elka is an old Amsterdam watch brand. Founded by the Jewish Mr. L. Kiek, Elka watch & clock cy, Kalverstraat 206 in Amsterdam. From Pontiac to Rolex and everything that surrounds it, the dial often had its own brand ELKA. An example of this is the Heuer Monaco but with the brand name ELKA on the dial, which was still possible at the time. Famous in Amsterdam and far beyond and ELKA was certainly not a microbrand at the time. Closed the business at the end of the last century. The story goes that even the Dutch royal family has been a customer there. On Dutch sites you can find stories and pictures of ELKA watches. I don't know how the current ELKA came about, but the dials are very similar to those of the past.
4. Microbrands that become greedy. Some brands start a specific watch at around $600 and increases to almost $900 in less than a year. Its like once it gains steam and took off they upped the price overnight! I understand supply and demand but jeez working trying to help the little fish but the little fish is trying to fast to become the big fish.
Thanks for this. Until I started watching your videos, I'd never even considered a microbrand. It's been great experience exploring what some of them have to offer, which is one of the best things about my personal watch collection. As you said, I value the experience, the expression, and the joy my watches bring me, rather than looking at them as an investment. Great job!
@@ImmortalGaming96 its all about sourcing and quality control. assuming that china ONLY produces low quality parts is so 1980s mentality. dont get me started on the things that china produces u probably have many in your home.
After years of watch collecting, I am so bored with mainstream watches. Yes I love Rolex and the Submariner has always been and will always be my favorite watch but come on, boring! Microbrands are where it's at for me now. They are so much more interesting and a much better value for your money, if you're strictly in it for the love of watches and not investing.
It seems supply issues are another problem I see particularly with new releases. So common to see “sold out” on their website. Thanks Teddy for your input.
AnOrdain, a wait list twice as long as Rolex, that's even if you can get on the wait list. Placed an order in 2022 and expected delivery first quarter 2026
As an early enthusiast, I have just started buying/collecting watches. I really love Anordain, and I recently did get a chance to get on the waitlist but the delivery was in late 2028. That is almost 5 years from now. I decided to drop it and buy something else this year itself. I don’t know now if I should have gone with that slot or not. I suppose the waitlist might still be open. Would it be a good idea to invest almost $3-4k in a microbrand?
For me it's all about the specs.... First I'm looking for an Aesthetic, design elements. Next is the size, with a 7-5/8" wrist I prefer a "larger" watch. Then movement, I prefer automatics... I buy a lot of micro brands, many made in china because you just can't beat the cost - You can get basically a Seiko at a fraction of the cost. I also buy a lot of used watches, many of them also being micro brands, just because my collection comes from military/dive history along with some designs that have been on the wrists of some of our favorite characters in film or TV. Personally I don't see the point in spending thousands of dollars on a watch, in the end it has to display the time of day relatively accurately - The best thing about going back to wrist watches is spending less time on your phone. The cell phone removed watches from most peoples wrists but every time you look at your phone to check the time you get drawn into it checking email, texts, messages from other social media, and before you know it you've just lost 20 minutes of productive time. I've been meaning to "talk watches" in an upcoming video on my own channel where I've already done many "palooka" watch reviews as well as showing off leather watch cuff and bund straps I started making for my watches. Thanks again for such great content
I have a messenger leather bag from a local micro brand in Indonesia, Cravar. Similar to what you said, the customer relationship is very good. I bought this bag straight from the brand owner. AFAIK, he remembers all of his customers. Great product, great service. Love it.
Halo pak, did you buy it from Cravar Senopati in JKT? I actually happen to be coming to Jakarta soon and am in the market for a new messenger bag. Would you recommend it?
@@Rossy167 No, in Cravar Pondok Indah, their only store at that time. Yes of course I would recommend their products. High quality vegetable-tanned full grain leather, understated elegant design, very great customer service, especially with Mas Yoki, the brand owner. From selling his bags door-to-door to now having 2 stores with loyal customers, that is just great.
Buying mechanical watches from around $350 to $800 or a little more seems to be questionable. They usually recommend servicing them every 3 to 5 years. A good servicing in the US is over $250. If there is any repair of the movement needed, that cost goes up to $500 or more. So if you purchase a $500 mechanical watch, you will spend at least 50% of its purchase price maintaining it every 5 years. Or you can ignore the servicing time frame and take the risk of a much higher repair bill. And all of this maintenance/repair cost goes into a watch that appreciates little if any. $350 or less, you just wear them until they break and get a new one.
I love mine, it was my first automatic watch. Wanted a no date small case, field watch around $500. Their new bronze cases are awesome, my only regret is not opting for sapphire. I was a noob at the time, and didn’t care. Some complain that it’s too expensive for what it is, but the packaging and multiple straps they send with it is a nice touch that adds value for me.
This is such an overcrowded market that I honestly don’t know how any of these survive. Nothing against what they are doing or how good they are, but it’s hard to justify spending $300+ on a brand you never heard of when there are so many other options out there.
good design decides where I spend my money. i like the design of the Baltic Aquascaphe and Dual Crown better than the Tudor Black Bay, so Baltic gets my money. it's that simple.
Sometimes the care and artistry these microbrands spend on their watches surpasses larger brands . . . At least in part and you’re getting value for the money. Want an artisanal/hand crafted dial? Good luck not spending 20k with a more established brand but with a micro this is possible for 3-4k
Agree with all said. I wouldn’t know where to start at being able to tell between a true micro brand doing something special from an “imitation brand” doing something average. I feel like the market segment of people who are truly excited and willing to dedicate the time to do the research limits how much they can sell - and ultimately survive - with some much noise around them.
I gave up on the micro brand route after trying to buy only to have their site crash, or flippers snipe all available in the first 0.01 seconds. Many micro brands seem to enjoy using this tactic, but I'm done and I hope the ones who behave this way go out of business. To me, Secondeseconde is at the top of that list, followed by Scurfa, and to a lesser extent Lima. It's disappointing to get excited about a cool design and get burned a bunch of times. All marketing, no actual watches.
I discovered a microbrand by accident after getting into watches. And it's definitely going to be my next buy. The owner of the company is from South Africa🇿🇦just like me. And the reviews I've seen are only good. Draken watches. Personally I'm going to go for the Draken Tugela.
The most popular micro-brand for 2024 is *San Martin.* They're growing at an alarming rate even though some channels like this continue to ignore them 😂 In the past, they only churned out homage watches, but they've since evolved and now making original designs. But most importantly, they're letting consumers know the features we love don't have to cost an arm and a leg.
Since cell phone have come along and essentially replaced watches I stopped wearing a watch. I miss my watch. I literally can’t wear anything else on my left wrist. It just feels wrong. I considered a smart watch but something for $1k with more bells and whistles than I actually want….and I don’t want to essentially wear my phone on my wrist. I just want to tell time and count heart rates, and have something that looks really nice! So many of the big brands are just more round watches. I know, Rolex is really good bla bla bla but I can’t justify a minimum of $9k on my wrist that could get stolen or very likely lost! These micro brands have provided me with a massive range of choice and options, sizes for women that aren’t these silly little foo-foo quartz pieces of jewelry, medium size watches that are fun, bold colours, different shapes and often great quality automatics! Many of these big companies are supporting fancy sports. How much of my $9k on my wrist is actually going to pay for F1 car racing that I have zero interest in! I’d rather give that money to my local SPCA!!! I almost bought a Longines Evidenza after months of thinking. I can’t part with $3k so easily when it’s not exactly what I’m wanting. Then through your channel I discovered Farer. I love my new Milan!! Then I got my Kuoe Old Smith 002 as my daily work watch. Now I’m looking at a few other colours and nationalities. Its opened up a whole new way of looking and choosing. Great channel, great video! Cheers!
A brand no one has ever heard of practically is J.S. Watch out of Reykjavík, Iceland. Probably the best watch buying experience I ever had. Gilbert the owner and watchmaker, personally sold me my watch. The photos of celebrities on the wall who've been is mind boggling. Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull gave Gilbert a flute. Billed as "Probably the world's smallest manufacturer" and yet, 99.9% of watch enthusiasts have never heard of them. And I don't think Gilbert the owner even cares. He enjoys fishing too much.
Very well considered. Many microbrands are doing good, and importantly, different things to the mainstream. The copy and paste merchants I've less time for. One of the most original is Mr Jones Watches. Economies everywhere are weak. Mainstream players in the watch industry are discounting heavily. The next few years will be crucial. Some of the mainstream may suffer. Equally I can see many micros disappearing as the market shrinks. Only the best will make it.
I’m a big fan of Lorier. I have a Neptune and Gemini, an Astra on order, and I can see me adding another one from the current collection. I think their designs are classical and won’t go out of fashion. The watches are always in demand on the secondary market, so I think there is some equity there, some trade above the retail price too. Some could say they are boring, but I guess I’m boring too. I get what Lauren and Lorenzo are doing and I feel good about supporting them.
I do like companies like Baltic and Studio Underdog, which are not snobby about the movements they use. A lot of microbrands understandably tie themselves to Swissness. I'd like to see more originality from China. It's not that it doesn't exist. Rather, the original gets drowned out by all the bloody “homages”.
Teddy, Spot on assessment of micro’s. A watch should be an expression of yourself, with a story. ……I bought this because……….. If you want guaranteed return on an investment buy a CD.
I got into watches during COVID. Micro brands have been awesome. I've had numerous email conversations with company owners, and I have watched companies and products develop over time. I even got to participate at different points with a micro brand named Vaer to give input on new watches that were being developed.
Hey teddy, I really enjoy watching these videos on less mainstream watches. One thing I think would be really neat is if on b-roll of watches, you could put the name in a corner somewhere. Some of these beautiful pieces are hard to identify, especially those with less markings for brand or model!
For the last reason not-to, I would say Mil-spec watches get a pass. Micro-brands always bring a twist to them for as usual a friction of the price of the known brands
I personally own many mb watches and it was nice to here from someone who talked mb. As i have stated on other sites it would be nice to hear about them as they always talk about the norm. I like i said have many and have been happy with the purchases as they are of great quality. My main ones being nubeo rgmt if they are considered as one i did. But i enjoy the fifth looks the technology that goes into them and they push the market to explore and become more adventurous which is a good thing.
I just picked up a black Trematic AC 14, it was something a little different from the few choices I had found that checked all the boxes i wanted/needed. I could not be happier, it was a risk for me and glad I took it, I am very happy with my purchase!
Obviously I'm going to be biased, but I've personally started to build out my own collection of Microbrands in recent years, moving away from mainstream brands. For me, I want to wear a watch that resonates with me and tells a story. When I wear my Brew Metric, I can look at it and think of Jonathan mulling over various design decisions. When I wear my Serica I can relate to all the functional decisions that the brand has made. When I wear my Mr Jones Watch I can relate to the playful approach that Crispin takes. I feel so much more connected to the people and processes that have brought these brands to life.
Big up the micros!
Cheers,
Richard
I’ve gone the opposite direction. Microbrand specs are great but they just haven’t managed to stick in my collection. When I get ready to sell them and they are worth 1/2 their new price, their great value seems less impressive.
I have consolidated my collection. Fewer watches overall. Higher priced pieces from brands my grandfather would have known. I like my collection more than I ever.
Totally agree Richard, my watchbox features mostly watches whose brand owners I have corresponded with, there's a story behind each
Completely agree. Which is why I’m waiting for a goofy panda restock! Any idea when that’ll happen so I can order?
I'm on vacation in Kyoto with my family from the UK. Today I stopped by the Kuoe studio (I emailed ahead), picked out a watch, the sales rep added a sapphire crystal, asked what kind of AR coating I preferred, I chose the hands, bought two straps and met the founder. Great value, wonderful service, and I walked out with a stunning watch at an incredible price and a great experience.
Brew metric ❤ button here
Hipster lol
Which Brew do you own?
Proud Brew owner, love the design of it.
@@avarmauk Sad Mo Fo 😂
@@alfieakaronaldog Don’t you have anything better to do with your life?
WISE is a great micro that the "bang for the buck" is outrageous. Mine is by far the most accurate watch I have (seems like they regulate them). 904 steel - Miyota 9k series and original styling. Love what they're doing.
Would love it if you picked a microband to do an in depth look at with either a weekly or monthly segment. I know a lot of people in Reddit and Facebook groups are trying to do their research but would help put their mind at ease if someone in the industry gave an honest review of the product and/or brand as a whole.
I second this. Great idea for a new segment.
100% support this idea
Agree I would love a video that does a quick summary and backstory of the top 5 micro brands
Teddy, something I wanted to mention. Many of us who really dig watches don't have the surplus cash to venture into collectibles or big brand offerings like Rolex or Tudor (i.e. watches we can recover our investment with). For me personally, I keep my purchases to
Baltic = God tier micro brand and made me a repeat customer. For me, it’s such a great feeling when you find a brand that represents your personality, style, and gives you joy every time you put on their watches, while knowing it didn’t break the bank. It would be nice to attain a watch from a more reputable / well-known brand for the heritage charm, but independent brands simply can’t be beat when you’re looking for great specs or super unique design language for < $1k. Thanks for the comprehensive overview of the beloved micro brand segment Teddy!
my favorite also. perfect design and sizing. nothing else looks like them. so good!
I do like the look but the Hangzhou falls off for me.
Blue Aquascaphe owner here that couldn’t agree more.
This is the way!
One aspect I never see mentioned is that they function like a minor league for the bigger brands, and push them to be more competitive. Some of these larger brands can't rest on their laurels with increased competition, and I think this drives the entire industry forward. Baltic and Yema are two great examples -- I might buy one for $1,600 instead of a used Tudor. This ultimately helps to keep Tudor honest.
Well said
Huh? Minor leagues don't make major leagues more competitive because they don't compete with them. And microbrands don't supply talent to major brands like minor league teams do in sports. And no major brand cares even a tiny bit what micros do until they become sizable independents.
@@Not_Mark_Twainthe micro brand market in the aggregate does impact the majors and they do care about what’s occurring at the micro brand level. Independents certainly care. Raymond Weil is changing their lineup to cater to what micro branders have been purchasing and what micro brands have been producing. There’s other examples too. And it makes its way up. Tudor black bay 54, I would argue, is Tudor’s response to tastes they saw developing on the micro brand market.
To think major watch brands see an entire new industry competing with their used watch market (which is relevant to their new watch market and pricing) and don’t care is crazy, they are definitely paying attention.
The minor league comment wasn’t meant to be taken so literally. I just meant it on the consumer side
Not when a micro brand is using Seiko movements and charging up to 1 and 2K for their watches thinking they are on the playing field of a Hamilton. I’ll take a Chinese brand first, Seestern, San Martin, etc.
Hamilton, like many Swiss brands, is overrated. I've had better success with Japanese automatics compared to ETA's. I can work on an old Seiko movement myself, if necessary. I have no problem with paying a premium for a microbrand if the design and sizing is good.
Same
The ones shown in this video are real micro brands.
I've seen too many self identified micro brands that were just Chinese made Ali-Express watches with a brand.
Love Zelos. Wearing their Blacktip Ti Burnt Orange right now. I know, the parts are Chinese but quality control is excellent when the parts are assembled and regulated at Zelos facility in Singapore
Just received the Blacktip Ti MOP yesterday. Great watch, also have the SS full lume. Onto my 6th Zelos and all great value.
Zelos is truly an excellent brand. I love wearing my Swordfish.
Your language was a little vague on the negatives. Brand Equity = Little resale value; won’t impress anyone. Second one: Difficult to get serviced, assuming as you say the company is still around.
For the number 5 - I love having (or seeing) a watch on a wrist that you know only a "true" watch lover would recognize. It's like being part of a secret society. For example, the large and recognizable "Zelos Hamerhead" or maybe one of the great looking "Henry Archer" watches that we see more and more (great up and coming brand from Denmark!!).
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Teddy 🙂
Servicing would be a pain. I’d rather save for a Nomos, Longines, Tudor,
A pain? Very rarely, unless you needed replacement hands or dial. Almost all micro brands use either Seiko or Citizen movements which anyone can service.
Own a kuoe old Smith very nicely inspired vintage watch
Gotta shout out Vaer, the C5 Korean field has been my favorite watch of the last few years. Sapphire crystal, solar charging, beautiful lume, and it comes with two different straps all for like $250, can't beat it.
Are you being clear enough by informing everyone that almost all microbrands get their cases and brackets from China? I.e they design in one country, state that they are from that country VERY clearly, then get a factory in China to knock up the design and then drop in either a Chinese or Japanese (some times Swiss). Nothing wrong with this however we should get clarity
I'm trying to start my own watch brand in the next 6 months and I am looking really forward to release!
Good luck! Hopefully I stumble across this when you get it out there 😊
@@jameshoste thanks! I’ll tell you when it’s out!
@@Gwecko awesome, thanks mate!
@@Gwecko How is it going?
@@Moosefelt havn't launched yet working on funding atm
A few years ago I got into microbrands. I am enjoying them very much. They are fun and built quite well.
Are Formex considered a microbrand or an independent? Either way, I love them. I have the Essence 39 in white and the Reef 42 in black on black. The quality and especially value are off the charts.
Also a big fan of Direnzo - I’ve got the white Mondial v2 and red Eclipse v2. Both impeccable.
Just got my Lorier Neptune and am lovin' life. It's a joy to wear and I've sold a few just from people asking me about it. Love the energy and creativity in the microbrand space.
Unfortunately, I just got over a very bad experience with Jack Mason. I purchased one of their Strat-o-timers and it completely stopped working after 3 weeks. I am NOT attempting to bash Jack Mason. After researching extensively and watching all of their marketing videos, I thought they would be a great, new American company to invest in. The fact that my watch stopped working is not why I'm sharing my experience, but instead the awful customer service I experienced. I never even spoke to a human being. I had to express all my disappointment, frustration and pleading for a refund over their "Contact" tab on their website. For a company their size, trying to make a name in such a competitive industry, some personal attention would have gone a long way. So instead of a lifelong customer writing a rave review, encouraging everyone to consider their watches, I decided to buy a Muhle-Glashutte. Thank you Teddy for your Muhle-Glashutte video and interview as that played a big part in my decision. The only problem with the word "value", is sometimes you just get what you pay for.
Love when you cover micro brands…, hidden jewels
Surely the biggest negative of Microbrands is availability, the popular ones are always out of stock
Microbrands are an easy obsession to get into. Have both a Vaer and a Dumoreau.
My micro brand watch (Alto-8 Roto) has Miyota movement, 50m WR, domed sapphire crystal, SS case, wondering hours complication and crucially, enamel dial for under $400
Teddy luv your channel but I have been doing this watch thing for nearly 40 years, love the micros from brands like c ward, zelos, helm, islander, and tons of others etc, etc they offer value for $. However, if your goal is equity and time value for $ equation history tells me you are better off with a Seiko.
I’m always on the lookout for American microbrands with original designs
We have a micro brand right here in Austin Texas that I plan on buying and that's Dufrane Watches, I really want their Bergstrom Air with this eye popping blue dial, but it's sold out. That's also a problem with a smaller product run.
There’s a few micros here! Dufrane is great. There’s myself, Trafford Watch Co. Roebuck is in round rock. There’s seaholm and Tockr is here too though I don’t think they’re active anymore. There’s a few in Houston/dallas too
A big negative of micro brands in my view is that it‘s difficult or even impossible to see watches in person before buying. Of course a good return policy can mitigate that, but trying, seeing, feeling is a nice and useful part of the process. For instance, with Christopher Ward, I am a little interested in the Twelve but I have doubts whether I would like the dials in person; I‘m not so sure about the colors judging by the pictures.
An indirect positive of micro brands for me (at least with the cheaper ones), is that they are a good incentive to learn and service mechanical movements yourself, because the price of a proper service would be close to or even higher than the watch.
I‘m impressed by many of those brands, so thanks Teddy for sharing your passion and talking about watches we would otherwise stumble on only by chance or after hours of research.
Agree. Trade shows like Worn and Wound help, but seeing hundreds of microbrands in one huge hall quickly shows how 80% of them are uninteresting. Most micros sell online and offer generous returns for this reason. (I sent my Twelve back, no sweat.)
Teddy, would like you to consider this micro brand from India. It’s called BWC ( Bangalore Watch company) and recently came across them in a blog. Seem to be creating some very interesting watches based on Swiss Sellita movements.
Can you do a review of Duckworth Prestex and Venezianico ?
I think that a negative, a BIG one, is that most of the time you really CAN'T try them before buying.
Please make content about D1 Milano and Sevenfriday watches 🙏🏽, as far as i know, they both are microbrands too..(?)
5:02 that design is straight heat. amazing color choices. absolutely incredible visual design here.... wow. instant classic for me.
I read this in Kevin o Learys voice lmfao
you know the name of the brand and model?
Brew, don't know the model no@@oG3ni4l
That’s a Brew metric - I bought one before they sold out recently. Beautiful watch very unique.
Microbrands vary so much that few generalizations hold up. Many, but not all, are more affordable. Many are frankly lame and derivative, as you note. The best are brilliant, but the average microbrand disappoints and disappears.
Given this, it's better to profile a few solid watchmakers than to try to generalize about a category that's more noise than signal.
I will add as a negative that micro brands get out of stock often
Furlan marri, Baltic, Studio underdog, maen, brew are some great micro brands
Absolutely love Brew. I've purchased 3 watches from them and their attention to detail and how they treat their customers is bar none.
the design is so classy it makes rolex look gaudy
Sitting here watching your video with a Zelos Swordfish on my wrist, so you likely know where I stand on micro-brands. My biggest gripe with Zelos is how they limit production of each model making them a bit harder to come by. I also own a Doxa 600t homage watch from a micro-brand that is one for one every bit as good as a friend's actual Doxa. Micro's should be an option for most people.
Thanks for the excellent video. As a watch enthusiast, I’ve felt the sting of poor resale on microbrand watches. Then again, many mainstream brands and models like Omega and Tudor depreciate quite a bit as well. Buying watches for resale value often isn’t a great idea anyway
Great discussion. I am definitely micro-brand curious, but haven't taken the plunge. I've had a Spinnaker for a while - do they count as micro? Also, are we going to see your own brand, Teddy?
When are you going to make your own microbrand??? Sign me up for the Teddy GMT :)
Does anyone know if tuesnö are a good brand. I'm a fan of one of their models (Shellback V2)
Another great video as always, Teddy - and the article was great, but you missed off a great microbrand from the UK - Isotope. Fantastic watches, great designs, really cool people behind the brand.
I much prefer micros over major brands. Ive really enjoyed my Helm, Signum and Proxima. So much quality and excellent quality control.
Teddy, micro brands dont have overhead but they also don't have R&D and the same QC and post sale service as more established brands. And where is the guarantee that those 2 blokes will be around to service your watch in 10 years? Why not liok instead at brands like Tutima, Certina, Fortis, Archimede, Glycine... They offer a better balance of quality, tech and price, dont they?
love Certina but most of their watches are too big. therefore, I bought three Baltics, all in my preferred size.
I love them. Heritage is great. It's important. But I love supporting these smaller brands. If they are well made, I'm satisfied.
Some of my favs.
Magrette
Lorier
Zelos
Helm
AnOrdain
Straton
I have enjoyed your channel for quite some time now and I would certainly be interested in more videos about micro brands and independents. I have nothing against the major brands but I truly enjoy the uniqueness and individuality that you get from micro brands. Excellent topic!!🥃
This is my fav videofrom you so far! I'm discovering SOOO many brands here through this vid (not even halfway through and Farer and Brew suddenly became my two fav watch companies). I truly hope you do more on microbrands, and I hope you can gather some for your shop so that you can benefit from your work!
I preordered an Arabic dial farer. Micro brands are offering dials big name brands don’t.
Elka..? Elka is an old Amsterdam watch brand. Founded by the Jewish Mr. L. Kiek, Elka watch & clock cy, Kalverstraat 206 in Amsterdam. From Pontiac to Rolex and everything that surrounds it, the dial often had its own brand ELKA. An example of this is the Heuer Monaco but with the brand name ELKA on the dial, which was still possible at the time. Famous in Amsterdam and far beyond and ELKA was certainly not a microbrand at the time. Closed the business at the end of the last century. The story goes that even the Dutch royal family has been a customer there. On Dutch sites you can find stories and pictures of ELKA watches. I don't know how the current ELKA came about, but the dials are very similar to those of the past.
I’ve started making watches and starting a watch brand glad you are talking about it
4. Microbrands that become greedy. Some brands start a specific watch at around $600 and increases to almost $900 in less than a year. Its like once it gains steam and took off they upped the price overnight! I understand supply and demand but jeez working trying to help the little fish but the little fish is trying to fast to become the big fish.
No way you didn't show a Monta in this video :O
Thanks for this. Until I started watching your videos, I'd never even considered a microbrand. It's been great experience exploring what some of them have to offer, which is one of the best things about my personal watch collection. As you said, I value the experience, the expression, and the joy my watches bring me, rather than looking at them as an investment. Great job!
Me too!
Thanks, Teddy. Nice to give love to smaller places. Yes, harder to service. But I am looking for gifts for enthusiast relatives
We need a video titled “micro-brands that don’t use Chinese parts.”
what's wrong with using Chinese parts? its 2024 and yet i still see racist comments like this
Nothing racist of not wanting bad quality
@@ImmortalGaming96 its all about sourcing and quality control. assuming that china ONLY produces low quality parts is so 1980s mentality. dont get me started on the things that china produces u probably have many in your home.
How about "Swiss watches that use Chinese parts (or labor)."
Dude your iPhone is made in China, but since Apple puts 'Designed in California' I guess you feel much better.
After years of watch collecting, I am so bored with mainstream watches. Yes I love Rolex and the Submariner has always been and will always be my favorite watch but come on, boring! Microbrands are where it's at for me now. They are so much more interesting and a much better value for your money, if you're strictly in it for the love of watches and not investing.
absolutely! the design of the Sub does nothing for me compared to the Baltic Aquascaphe.
It seems supply issues are another problem I see particularly with new releases. So common to see “sold out” on their website. Thanks Teddy for your input.
my first microbrand purchase was a vaer a3, and it's a fantastic watch.
AnOrdain, a wait list twice as long as Rolex, that's even if you can get on the wait list. Placed an order in 2022 and expected delivery first quarter 2026
As an early enthusiast, I have just started buying/collecting watches. I really love Anordain, and I recently did get a chance to get on the waitlist but the delivery was in late 2028. That is almost 5 years from now. I decided to drop it and buy something else this year itself. I don’t know now if I should have gone with that slot or not.
I suppose the waitlist might still be open. Would it be a good idea to invest almost $3-4k in a microbrand?
Hit the thumb if Teddy is the best watch youtuber!
One month ago i get a Henry Archer watch, Danish microbrand in my opinion with a best value for money 😊
Great video Teddy. One more reason to choose a microbrand? Exclusivity.......................
For me it's all about the specs.... First I'm looking for an Aesthetic, design elements. Next is the size, with a 7-5/8" wrist I prefer a "larger" watch. Then movement, I prefer automatics... I buy a lot of micro brands, many made in china because you just can't beat the cost - You can get basically a Seiko at a fraction of the cost. I also buy a lot of used watches, many of them also being micro brands, just because my collection comes from military/dive history along with some designs that have been on the wrists of some of our favorite characters in film or TV. Personally I don't see the point in spending thousands of dollars on a watch, in the end it has to display the time of day relatively accurately - The best thing about going back to wrist watches is spending less time on your phone. The cell phone removed watches from most peoples wrists but every time you look at your phone to check the time you get drawn into it checking email, texts, messages from other social media, and before you know it you've just lost 20 minutes of productive time. I've been meaning to "talk watches" in an upcoming video on my own channel where I've already done many "palooka" watch reviews as well as showing off leather watch cuff and bund straps I started making for my watches. Thanks again for such great content
Grade five Titanium!? What do they think? That we are some kind of wild beast?
YEAH SOME OF THESE PRICES JUST DON'T MAKE SENSE, LIKE THE OAK AND OSCAR OLMSTED - I LOVE IT BUT IT'S NOT WORTH THE PRICE
Micro brands worth buying: ________________.
I’ll go first: unimatic, Baltic, serica
I have a messenger leather bag from a local micro brand in Indonesia, Cravar. Similar to what you said, the customer relationship is very good. I bought this bag straight from the brand owner. AFAIK, he remembers all of his customers. Great product, great service. Love it.
Halo pak, did you buy it from Cravar Senopati in JKT? I actually happen to be coming to Jakarta soon and am in the market for a new messenger bag. Would you recommend it?
@@Rossy167 No, in Cravar Pondok Indah, their only store at that time. Yes of course I would recommend their products. High quality vegetable-tanned full grain leather, understated elegant design, very great customer service, especially with Mas Yoki, the brand owner. From selling his bags door-to-door to now having 2 stores with loyal customers, that is just great.
Thanks Prof … u manage to convince me to hunt microbrands for year 2024 to add to my collection
Buying mechanical watches from around $350 to $800 or a little more seems to be questionable. They usually recommend servicing them every 3 to 5 years. A good servicing in the US is over $250. If there is any repair of the movement needed, that cost goes up to $500 or more.
So if you purchase a $500 mechanical watch, you will spend at least 50% of its purchase price maintaining it every 5 years. Or you can ignore the servicing time frame and take the risk of a much higher repair bill. And all of this maintenance/repair cost goes into a watch that appreciates little if any.
$350 or less, you just wear them until they break and get a new one.
Saw that Kuoe Old Smith you have on hand in the video. Would love to see you review that brand, been interested in them for a while.
Me too, thinking of ordering one
I love mine, it was my first automatic watch. Wanted a no date small case, field watch around $500. Their new bronze cases are awesome, my only regret is not opting for sapphire. I was a noob at the time, and didn’t care. Some complain that it’s too expensive for what it is, but the packaging and multiple straps they send with it is a nice touch that adds value for me.
This is such an overcrowded market that I honestly don’t know how any of these survive. Nothing against what they are doing or how good they are, but it’s hard to justify spending $300+ on a brand you never heard of when there are so many other options out there.
good design decides where I spend my money. i like the design of the Baltic Aquascaphe and Dual Crown better than the Tudor Black Bay, so Baltic gets my money. it's that simple.
Sometimes the care and artistry these microbrands spend on their watches surpasses larger brands . . . At least in part and you’re getting value for the money. Want an artisanal/hand crafted dial? Good luck not spending 20k with a more established brand but with a micro this is possible for 3-4k
Agree with all said. I wouldn’t know where to start at being able to tell between a true micro brand doing something special from an “imitation brand” doing something average. I feel like the market segment of people who are truly excited and willing to dedicate the time to do the research limits how much they can sell - and ultimately survive - with some much noise around them.
Micros are unique but quality control is poor for all brands regardless of price.
I gave up on the micro brand route after trying to buy only to have their site crash, or flippers snipe all available in the first 0.01 seconds. Many micro brands seem to enjoy using this tactic, but I'm done and I hope the ones who behave this way go out of business. To me, Secondeseconde is at the top of that list, followed by Scurfa, and to a lesser extent Lima. It's disappointing to get excited about a cool design and get burned a bunch of times. All marketing, no actual watches.
I discovered a microbrand by accident after getting into watches. And it's definitely going to be my next buy. The owner of the company is from South Africa🇿🇦just like me. And the reviews I've seen are only good. Draken watches. Personally I'm going to go for the Draken Tugela.
The most popular micro-brand for 2024 is *San Martin.* They're growing at an alarming rate even though some channels like this continue to ignore them 😂 In the past, they only churned out homage watches, but they've since evolved and now making original designs. But most importantly, they're letting consumers know the features we love don't have to cost an arm and a leg.
Please, Teddy, make a review of Vostok-Europe watches. I'm a big fan of these watches myself but I really want to hear the opinion of an expert.
Since cell phone have come along and essentially replaced watches I stopped wearing a watch. I miss my watch. I literally can’t wear anything else on my left wrist. It just feels wrong. I considered a smart watch but something for $1k with more bells and whistles than I actually want….and I don’t want to essentially wear my phone on my wrist. I just want to tell time and count heart rates, and have something that looks really nice! So many of the big brands are just more round watches. I know, Rolex is really good bla bla bla but I can’t justify a minimum of $9k on my wrist that could get stolen or very likely lost! These micro brands have provided me with a massive range of choice and options, sizes for women that aren’t these silly little foo-foo quartz pieces of jewelry, medium size watches that are fun, bold colours, different shapes and often great quality automatics! Many of these big companies are supporting fancy sports. How much of my $9k on my wrist is actually going to pay for F1 car racing that I have zero interest in! I’d rather give that money to my local SPCA!!! I almost bought a Longines Evidenza after months of thinking. I can’t part with $3k so easily when it’s not exactly what I’m wanting. Then through your channel I discovered Farer. I love my new Milan!! Then I got my Kuoe Old Smith 002 as my daily work watch. Now I’m looking at a few other colours and nationalities. Its opened up a whole new way of looking and choosing.
Great channel, great video! Cheers!
A brand no one has ever heard of practically is J.S. Watch out of Reykjavík, Iceland. Probably the best watch buying experience I ever had. Gilbert the owner and watchmaker, personally sold me my watch. The photos of celebrities on the wall who've been is mind boggling. Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull gave Gilbert a flute. Billed as "Probably the world's smallest manufacturer" and yet, 99.9% of watch enthusiasts have never heard of them. And I don't think Gilbert the owner even cares. He enjoys fishing too much.
Very well considered. Many microbrands are doing good, and importantly, different things to the mainstream. The copy and paste merchants I've less time for. One of the most original is Mr Jones Watches. Economies everywhere are weak. Mainstream players in the watch industry are discounting heavily. The next few years will be crucial. Some of the mainstream may suffer. Equally I can see many micros disappearing as the market shrinks. Only the best will make it.
I’m a big fan of Lorier. I have a Neptune and Gemini, an Astra on order, and I can see me adding another one from the current collection. I think their designs are classical and won’t go out of fashion. The watches are always in demand on the secondary market, so I think there is some equity there, some trade above the retail price too. Some could say they are boring, but I guess I’m boring too. I get what Lauren and Lorenzo are doing and I feel good about supporting them.
I do like companies like Baltic and Studio Underdog, which are not snobby about the movements they use. A lot of microbrands understandably tie themselves to Swissness. I'd like to see more originality from China. It's not that it doesn't exist. Rather, the original gets drowned out by all the bloody “homages”.
Excellent video. Cleveland rocks! Is your storefront open?
How can we collaborate by asking you to shoot a video of our watches?
Teddy, Spot on assessment of micro’s. A watch should be an expression of yourself, with a story. ……I bought this because……….. If you want guaranteed return on an investment buy a CD.
What rubber strap can I buy for my 2011 Omega Seamaster? The original clasp on mine broke and boutique said can not be repaired. Thanks!
I got into watches during COVID. Micro brands have been awesome. I've had numerous email conversations with company owners, and I have watched companies and products develop over time. I even got to participate at different points with a micro brand named Vaer to give input on new watches that were being developed.
What again is the brand/name of the watch in die preview image of the video? Thank you
Brew Metric Retro Dial
Hey teddy, I really enjoy watching these videos on less mainstream watches. One thing I think would be really neat is if on b-roll of watches, you could put the name in a corner somewhere. Some of these beautiful pieces are hard to identify, especially those with less markings for brand or model!
It's one of the best YT videos explaining micro-brands and the pluses and minuss going in that direction. Well researched and presented.
Love the Seagull hand-wound movement! Timex uses it for their 34mm Marlin and it keeps accurate, reliable time.
What do people think to Cuervo y Sobrinos?
Microbrands are great if you have an extensive collection of name brands. For most of us. It’s not worth it.
Just saw this and noticed the Trafford watch...I just bought one of these and it's beautiful.
For the last reason not-to, I would say Mil-spec watches get a pass. Micro-brands always bring a twist to them for as usual a friction of the price of the known brands
I personally own many mb watches and it was nice to here from someone who talked mb. As i have stated on other sites it would be nice to hear about them as they always talk about the norm. I like i said have many and have been happy with the purchases as they are of great quality. My main ones being nubeo rgmt if they are considered as one i did. But i enjoy the fifth looks the technology that goes into them and they push the market to explore and become more adventurous which is a good thing.
I just picked up a black Trematic AC 14, it was something a little different from the few choices I had found that checked all the boxes i wanted/needed. I could not be happier, it was a risk for me and glad I took it, I am very happy with my purchase!