Great showcase of watches in the microbrand space. Islander is off and running, and VanBanner is really creating a name for themselves. It’s fun to be involved with some of these brands in their infancy!
Yeah and the whole question of what makes a microbrand turn to a brand name kinda fascinates me and there are varying degrees of thoughts on that so might be a cool follow up video of sorts
Ilander watches are so well made with details found in only much more expensive watches. Mark is an outstanding man with an outstanding company. He also sells many watches from some much larger names.
The ones you showed I think my picks would be Vanbanner and Farr and Switt. Awesome looking watches for sure. Great video mate. And hope the allergies sod off. I know exactly how you feel there.
Yeah not sure myself! I think it has something to do with several models released and selling out fast and becoming more well known but where the transition takes place is ambiguous for sure
I'm impressed Chris. You said 30s/watch and that was pretty close :P. Hard to pick a fav from those 11. I think I'd have to go for Islander SKX, probably. That C1 Moonglow is something I'm really looking forward to seeing on your channel, that's for sure. CW is perhaps the closest thing to a 'microbrand' that is almost just a 'brand' in my opinion.
It wasn’t easy Andrei!!! I actually have a running time on OBS software as soon as I hit record and I was watching that. This video took me a while to do because I wanted to stick to that time frame, and the first few cracks at each wafch were well past 30 seconds!! Lol I got the C1 moonglow yesterday, it was on my porch while I was leaving for worked so I cracked it open last night. I have to say, I absolutely love it. Most expensive watch I’ve handled, but if you are a fan of the moon, it’s a beauty
@@MirrlyonTime Hehe Chris, I suspected you must've been cheating somehow to stay on time :P. Yeah that C1 really looks gorgeous. Can't wait to see your review on it.
@@MirrlyonTime I am not sure I have a very coherent answer. None of the usual suspects in terms of differences really cut it imho, at least not on their own. For example, you could say that making small batches of each model qualifies a company as a microbrand. But Seiko, Omega and the like all make very limited runs too. Maybe the longevity of the company? By that standard Vacheron Constantin is a super brand whereas something like Casio has less than 70 years in the watch market... However I think most people would think of Casio as a brand before VC. Is it then popularity and volume? By that reasoning all very exclusive, boutique like manufacturers like all of the super fancy swiss brands would be more of a microbrand than AliEx stores, also ridiculous. I think the boundary between microbrand and brand is a bit more fluid. In my book, the default way of transitioning to a full 'brand' is to have a point in the company history where almost everything was made in house. For example, Cristopher Ward doing some of their own movements is a big step in this direction imho.
I'd actually argue that out of the lot Sturling is the most non micro as they have an insane amount of lines in their catalogue. Love some of the others you've featured here, that PM2.0 was my favourite of the year also
Great collection I'm willing to bet that this Marc guy could make something for himself if he really wants to jk all honesty they could be considered as name brands at this point great topic of debate
Thanks Keinan! Yes there is an avi8 on my radar that I would like to get at some point. So why do you think spinnaker has surpassed avi8 as a brand, my understanding is they are made by the same company? Curious to know what you think has gotten spinnaker and Islander past the micro stage? I tend to agree, I think that all three are brands on their own now perhaps?
@@MirrlyonTime Microbrands IMO got to have a clear design element, i.e. Zelos with squar-ish cases/ sharp edges, Direnzo with dial configuration or maybe toolish orientation like RZE, SWC, BOLDR etc (even focused on materials like Titanium). In your collection, Mark (Island watches) has done an awesome collection of all kinds of (copied...but wtf 😜) designs/needs but guess Farr and Switt stands out as a unique piece. Vanbanner is a new player and Spinnaker is not exactly a micro, rather the big brother of a brunch of brands. Cheers mate. PS Allergies suck (but won't let me suck air in!!! FFS!!!! 😂😂)
Lol I moved from upstate NY to North Carolina and they keep complaining about allergies down here. The pollen up there is so heavy when the wind blows it looks like the forests are on fire only the smoke is green.
I’m definitely a fan of microbrands, I’d have to say Zelos and Helm are probably my two favorites. The VBAO in purple would be my pick off this list. I’m sorry I missed it. I think I’m with you that Sturhling Original and Spinnaker aren’t really microbrands anymore. The brand that owns Spinnaker owns 14 others including AV-8 and at this point and Sturhling Original has been around for 23 years. You really got a deal on that Spinnaker though. I think Islander is definitely still a microbrand. Although his catalog has grown considerably he’s only been producing them for a few years and only watch nerds like us know about them. I have to say though with all due respect to Mark who is a great guy, the bezel action on the monster I bought was so bad I had to return it and the replacement I was sent was no better. The dial is beautiful and finish is good but for the price I was so disappointed. I haven’t tried another yet.
Thanks m8! Yeah I mention the bezel issue in my review of the ISL 19, and I have a monster ad well with the same issue, pretty loose but the good news is on their 38mm diver which I did review and subsequently sold to my friend before I had to return it, bezel action on that was amazing, felt like a real Seiko bezel. I think it likely had something to do with the manufacturer they were using to build the watches, at least that is my guess. I’m sure though you would have had no issues in returning the product or getting a refund Marc is a top notch guy when it comes to customer service! Zelos is a brand that is on my list to get at some point, Jody (JOMW) believes that Zelos is no longer a microbrand he did a vid about that a while ago.
@@MirrlyonTime yeah I think Zelos is on the verge with Elahan starting Axios and I’m pretty sure he’s involved in a few others as well. Their new Comet 39mm hand wound carbon and aventurine that are about to drop look pretty spectacular. I’d be going for one but I just dropped $650 on a Hamilton Interstellar. Still tempting though.
@@whiteglovewatches9908 oh so axios and zelos are made by the same guy/company? Good to know. I honestly haven’t tried to get one yet because of the currency difference and getting nailed at the border for additional tax and import fees which for me as a Canadian add quite a bit more with respect to cost generally another 35-40 percent!! It’s friggin brutal
@@MirrlyonTime oh man that sucks! Damn Canadia (jk)! Sucks it’s not like the old days when you didn’t even need a passport to cross the border. If you were close to it I’d say just get a PO Box, have it shipped to the US then drive down to get it. Then again with gas prices it probably wouldn’t be much of a savings. Still I miss being able to go up there whenever I felt like it. Toronto was always fun.
My last 2 acquisitions are the pearl diver from wicked watch and the exciton V2 (should be arriving any day now) I definitely reccomend following both those guys to get in on future kickstarter campaigns 🙂
I went with the all blacked out version exciton with the dlc coating for something different. Check out my channel, the lumicast is insane on the pearl diver
For microbrand, isn't it the direct to consumer sales model? So no stores, dealers etc. Not sure really. Also could be employment structure or size? Like Christopher Ward, a large company, but is it still a micro? Its a confusing one for sure.
Yeah, totally confusing but you make some valid points there, but does Casio, for example, have a dedicated store or are they just sold in other department stores…..one friend commented that having everything in house might dostingiush one as a brand over a micro, so not using third party movements for example. I have no idea Wes!
@@MirrlyonTime it is a tough question for sure. I have to go by how well established they are, how long they’ve been around or are they owned by a conglomerate. Very few big brands have their own in house movements and some don’t even make their own cases so I don’t think that would count. Are they sold in brick and mortar stores is an interesting question though… I would say no but it’s a good argument.
What bothers me is that these upstarts ask stupid money for pieces with no history, no track record. Islander is just capitalizing on his LI watch reputation and gets $$$ for seiko rip offs and now does collabs with others to create a value that isnt there IMO
I hear ya. To be fair, Marc only produces homage Seiko a for discontinued models, and his reputation for quality and for customer service is unparalleled among micros imo, but I am more interested in microbrands as opposed to aliexpress homage pieces, but the latter are the more popular re views and what not in the RUclips space for smaller channels but there is only one piece on ali that has my interest at the moment and I’m not interested in forking over 200 for it
Websites are listed in the description of the video for the brands. Price dropping is difficult because these watches are over a year old and the price I bought it for is likely different now, but I will edit the description of the video with the price I paid, thanks for the tip! Please subscribe and God bless m8!
@@MirrlyonTime Ive subscribed n for future videos mention on screen your buying price even if bought it in sale or special offer. On screen is very convenient to note whilst watching.Thankyou.
Great showcase of watches in the microbrand space. Islander is off and running, and VanBanner is really creating a name for themselves. It’s fun to be involved with some of these brands in their infancy!
Yeah and the whole question of what makes a microbrand turn to a brand name kinda fascinates me and there are varying degrees of thoughts on that so might be a cool follow up video of sorts
Ilander watches are so well made with details found in only much more expensive watches. Mark is an outstanding man with an outstanding company. He also sells many watches from some much larger names.
Agree 💯 Mark is the best! I’ve bought Seiko and his own Islander brand and will def go back to him for more for sure
Nice collection Chris. The VB are sweet
They really are thanks Hector!!
The ones you showed I think my picks would be Vanbanner and Farr and Switt. Awesome looking watches for sure. Great video mate. And hope the allergies sod off. I know exactly how you feel there.
They aren’t terrible so far this year but my voice has fallen victim for some reason…thanks m8!
Great collection. I have quite a few Islander’s myself.
They’re great watches and getting better with each new release
Great topic. I have no idea what seperates a micro-brand from a brand. Helm, Zelos, were, but people say they are not anymore...but, no idea why.
Yeah not sure myself! I think it has something to do with several models released and selling out fast and becoming more well known but where the transition takes place is ambiguous for sure
I'm impressed Chris. You said 30s/watch and that was pretty close :P. Hard to pick a fav from those 11. I think I'd have to go for Islander SKX, probably. That C1 Moonglow is something I'm really looking forward to seeing on your channel, that's for sure. CW is perhaps the closest thing to a 'microbrand' that is almost just a 'brand' in my opinion.
It wasn’t easy Andrei!!! I actually have a running time on OBS software as soon as I hit record and I was watching that. This video took me a while to do because I wanted to stick to that time frame, and the first few cracks at each wafch were well past 30 seconds!! Lol
I got the C1 moonglow yesterday, it was on my porch while I was leaving for worked so I cracked it open last night. I have to say, I absolutely love it. Most expensive watch I’ve handled, but if you are a fan of the moon, it’s a beauty
@@MirrlyonTime Hehe Chris, I suspected you must've been cheating somehow to stay on time :P. Yeah that C1 really looks gorgeous. Can't wait to see your review on it.
@@AnCar88 also curious to know your thoughts on what enables a brand to transition from a microbrand to a brand.
@@MirrlyonTime I am not sure I have a very coherent answer. None of the usual suspects in terms of differences really cut it imho, at least not on their own. For example, you could say that making small batches of each model qualifies a company as a microbrand. But Seiko, Omega and the like all make very limited runs too. Maybe the longevity of the company? By that standard Vacheron Constantin is a super brand whereas something like Casio has less than 70 years in the watch market... However I think most people would think of Casio as a brand before VC. Is it then popularity and volume? By that reasoning all very exclusive, boutique like manufacturers like all of the super fancy swiss brands would be more of a microbrand than AliEx stores, also ridiculous. I think the boundary between microbrand and brand is a bit more fluid. In my book, the default way of transitioning to a full 'brand' is to have a point in the company history where almost everything was made in house. For example, Cristopher Ward doing some of their own movements is a big step in this direction imho.
@@AnCar88 thanks Andrei great points!
I'd actually argue that out of the lot Sturling is the most non micro as they have an insane amount of lines in their catalogue. Love some of the others you've featured here, that PM2.0 was my favourite of the year also
Yeah Jason I would tend to agree with you on that regard about Sturhling, thanks for watching m8!
Great collection I'm willing to bet that this Marc guy could make something for himself if he really wants to jk all honesty they could be considered as name brands at this point great topic of debate
The question is sixto what makes the transition from micro to a known brand? What do you think?
I think Spinnaker and Islander could be regarded as brands, past the micro stage.
One of my favorite microbransd is Avi-8☝🏻
Thanks Keinan! Yes there is an avi8 on my radar that I would like to get at some point. So why do you think spinnaker has surpassed avi8 as a brand, my understanding is they are made by the same company? Curious to know what you think has gotten spinnaker and Islander past the micro stage? I tend to agree, I think that all three are brands on their own now perhaps?
When (and WHY??) did you mail that allergy season to my place???😋 Great micros mate, enjoy them all.
Allergies are fantastic aren’t they? Lol What’s your fav from my micros and curious to know what you think makes a micro turn to a brand?
@@MirrlyonTime Microbrands IMO got to have a clear design element, i.e. Zelos with squar-ish cases/ sharp edges, Direnzo with dial configuration or maybe toolish orientation like RZE, SWC, BOLDR etc (even focused on materials like Titanium). In your collection, Mark (Island watches) has done an awesome collection of all kinds of (copied...but wtf 😜) designs/needs but guess Farr and Switt stands out as a unique piece. Vanbanner is a new player and Spinnaker is not exactly a micro, rather the big brother of a brunch of brands. Cheers mate.
PS Allergies suck (but won't let me suck air in!!! FFS!!!! 😂😂)
Lol I moved from upstate NY to North Carolina and they keep complaining about allergies down here. The pollen up there is so heavy when the wind blows it looks like the forests are on fire only the smoke is green.
@@stavros_katsopr thanks m8 sorry for late reply for some reason the RUclips gurus didn’t notify me of your comment, appreciate the insight :)
I like them all !
Lol thanks my friend!
I’m definitely a fan of microbrands, I’d have to say Zelos and Helm are probably my two favorites. The VBAO in purple would be my pick off this list. I’m sorry I missed it.
I think I’m with you that Sturhling Original and Spinnaker aren’t really microbrands anymore. The brand that owns Spinnaker owns 14 others including AV-8 and at this point and Sturhling Original has been around for 23 years. You really got a deal on that Spinnaker though.
I think Islander is definitely still a microbrand. Although his catalog has grown considerably he’s only been producing them for a few years and only watch nerds like us know about them.
I have to say though with all due respect to Mark who is a great guy, the bezel action on the monster I bought was so bad I had to return it and the replacement I was sent was no better. The dial is beautiful and finish is good but for the price I was so disappointed. I haven’t tried another yet.
Thanks m8! Yeah I mention the bezel issue in my review of the ISL 19, and I have a monster ad well with the same issue, pretty loose but the good news is on their 38mm diver which I did review and subsequently sold to my friend before I had to return it, bezel action on that was amazing, felt like a real Seiko bezel. I think it likely had something to do with the manufacturer they were using to build the watches, at least that is my guess. I’m sure though you would have had no issues in returning the product or getting a refund Marc is a top notch guy when it comes to customer service! Zelos is a brand that is on my list to get at some point, Jody (JOMW) believes that Zelos is no longer a microbrand he did a vid about that a while ago.
@@MirrlyonTime yeah I think Zelos is on the verge with Elahan starting Axios and I’m pretty sure he’s involved in a few others as well.
Their new Comet 39mm hand wound carbon and aventurine that are about to drop look pretty spectacular. I’d be going for one but I just dropped $650 on a Hamilton Interstellar. Still tempting though.
@@whiteglovewatches9908 oh so axios and zelos are made by the same guy/company? Good to know. I honestly haven’t tried to get one yet because of the currency difference and getting nailed at the border for additional tax and import fees which for me as a Canadian add quite a bit more with respect to cost generally another 35-40 percent!! It’s friggin brutal
@@MirrlyonTime oh man that sucks! Damn Canadia (jk)!
Sucks it’s not like the old days when you didn’t even need a passport to cross the border. If you were close to it I’d say just get a PO Box, have it shipped to the US then drive down to get it.
Then again with gas prices it probably wouldn’t be much of a savings. Still I miss being able to go up there whenever I felt like it. Toronto was always fun.
@@whiteglovewatches9908 I live three hours North of Toronto so getting a PO Box isn’t an option unfortunately!
Love me some mocrobrands
What are your fav’s? Like that you own, any I should be looking out for?
My last 2 acquisitions are the pearl diver from wicked watch and the exciton V2 (should be arriving any day now) I definitely reccomend following both those guys to get in on future kickstarter campaigns 🙂
@@wymanscorneroftheworld8777 yeah the exciting II looks great I gotta friend that got both 1 and 2 haha.
I went with the all blacked out version exciton with the dlc coating for something different.
Check out my channel, the lumicast is insane on the pearl diver
Incase you didn't know, your city or local cities may harvest bee honey and that is suppose to help with allergies.
Hey scatterbrain yes I did know that!! Have to scout out some local honey soon :)
Thanks m8!
For microbrand, isn't it the direct to consumer sales model? So no stores, dealers etc. Not sure really. Also could be employment structure or size? Like Christopher Ward, a large company, but is it still a micro? Its a confusing one for sure.
Yeah, totally confusing but you make some valid points there, but does Casio, for example, have a dedicated store or are they just sold in other department stores…..one friend commented that having everything in house might dostingiush one as a brand over a micro, so not using third party movements for example. I have no idea Wes!
@@MirrlyonTime casio do have stores in Japan and globally I believe. But it is a confusing one
@@WesWatchRoom good to know I’ve only
Ever seen them sold in other dept stores…thanks m8!
@@MirrlyonTime it is a tough question for sure. I have to go by how well established they are, how long they’ve been around or are they owned by a conglomerate.
Very few big brands have their own in house movements and some don’t even make their own cases so I don’t think that would count.
Are they sold in brick and mortar stores is an interesting question though… I would say no but it’s a good argument.
What bothers me is that these upstarts ask stupid money for pieces with no history, no track record. Islander is just capitalizing on his LI watch reputation and gets $$$ for seiko rip offs and now does collabs with others to create a value that isnt there IMO
I hear ya. To be fair, Marc only produces homage Seiko a for discontinued models, and his reputation for quality and for customer service is unparalleled among micros imo, but I am more interested in microbrands as opposed to aliexpress homage pieces, but the latter are the more popular re views and what not in the RUclips space for smaller channels but there is only one piece on ali that has my interest at the moment and I’m not interested in forking over 200 for it
Great video BUT very important you write on screen n below its price n website u bought it from. This is important.
Websites are listed in the description of the video for the brands. Price dropping is difficult because these watches are over a year old and the price I bought it for is likely different now, but I will edit the description of the video with the price I paid, thanks for the tip! Please subscribe and God bless m8!
@@MirrlyonTime Ive subscribed n for future videos mention on screen your buying price even if bought it in sale or special offer. On screen is very convenient to note whilst watching.Thankyou.