On IWS you have heard about independent watch brands many times, we do not hide the fact that we are big fans of their work.
But what does independent mean in this case?
The question may arise spontaneously but if you have been following us for some time now you have already read our article on who are independent watchmakers (or independent brands) and what lies behind these two words. Basically, we could say that the philosophy and the type of watches that are produced change. However, we must make some distinctions.
Independent brands are those that don’t belong to a large group (i.e. Richemont, LVMH, etc…). This defintion includes brands like Rolex, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, and others. However, in this specific article we will refer to those brands that have rather limited productions, not hundreds of thousands of pieces per year.
Another sub-category is that of independent watchmakers who, in addition to having the aforementioned characteristic, are real people who have created their brand. This type of watchmaking is even more different: complications, finishes and exceptional inventions, which obviously translate into more important figures. We can take Denis Flageollet, F.P. Journe, Philippe Dufour, Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey, and many other very important names.
The last of these distinctions, for today, is that of independent micro-brands. These are therefore independent brands characterized by: independence from a large group, small volumes, the founder is not necessarily a watchmaker.
How to start collecting independent watch brands
Today we have put together some of the most interesting brand names and models in our opinion to start the journey. What we have tried to do is to summarize watches of various kinds, both in terms of design and price range.
1. Furlan Marri – Mechaquartz
Since their advent in early 2020, Furlan Marri has been particularly well received by collectors from around the world. A very vintage design inspired by the chrono of the ’60s, with non-slip keys with the classic finish of the “round keys” and a decagonal case back, they are really “Attractive Wristwatches”.
After the successful launch, the brand has gone into mechanical watches with the Black Sector 2116. Recently, a non-limited collection for the Mechaquartz story has just arrived, which we have chosen for this selection.
It’s a pretty damn cool trio of watches, with more elaborate dials than the launch versions of 2020. The Nero Sabbia sports a new dial layout, with only the 60-minute counter at 9 o’clock and a 15-pulse scale. The other two, Castagna and Rosso Grigio, have refined Breguet numbers at 12 and 6, as well as a 5-breath scale. The mechanism in this case is a mechaquartz, as the name of the collection suggests.
Qualitatively they are really well made and we think they can be perfect as watches to start with, especially considering the low budget you need to buy one.
List price: CHF 555
2. Baltic MR01
Baltic is a Parisian brand that has enjoyed great success with their watches. What characterizes them is a refined design. Their participation in OnlyWatch 2021 has certainly legitimized the work done in recent years, totaling CHF 50,000 for charity.
The MR01 is one of the latest additions to the collections. Here too we have a vintage inspiration, with a 36mm stepped case that alternates with polished and satin finishes, a luminous dial with Breguet indexes and a total thickness of 9.9mm.
The Hangzhou L5000A self-winding mechanism is equipped with a micro-rotor, visible thanks to the transparent caseback. The power reserve, on the other hand, is approximately 42 hours.
List price: EUR 664
3. Unimatic – Modello Uno U1S-FAI
Since we are Italians, we could not fail to mention Unimatic. This brand was born from an idea of Giovanni Moro and Simone Nunziato, two industrial design students from the Polytechnic who embarked on this watchmaking adventure.
Modello Uno U1S-FAI is a recently presented model that supports FAI – the Italian Environment Fund, the national organization for the protection of our territory. The galvanic dial features a white Super-LumiNova® C1, with indices in pure diver style but with the personal touch of Unimatic. Despite being a dive watch it has very balanced measurements, with 11.6mm thickness and 41.5mm diameter. The caseback features the logos of the two companies.
List price: EUR 1,050.00 (excl. taxes)
You also get a FAI membership with the purchase of the watch.
4. Oris – Diver Sixty-five Bronze
Oris is a brand that has recently come again under the spotlight. It was born in 1904 but only recently has it returned to be talked about with some models such as the Pro Pilot Caliber 115 or the Diver Sixty-five bronze (which we have chosen in this article).
The Diver Sixty-five is really attractive. The case is in bronze, combined with different shades of pastel-colored dial, which can be teal, pink or blue. This alloy is not usually used for bracelets, most bronze watches are equipped with a fabric or leather strap. For Oris, however, the situation changes, as an interesting metal bracelet with three links is available.
List price: EUR 2,600.00
5. Ming – 22.01 GMT Gilt
Horologer MING is a rather young brand, the first collection in fact was presented just 5 years ago, in 2017. The brand was born thanks to 6 enthusiasts, including Ming Thein, with the aim of creating exciting and exciting watches for people who wear them, with great attention to detail and a sophisticated design. All this, however, with sensible figures that reflect the value of the watches.
The model we have chosen is the 22.01 GMT, a watch that sports a 38 mm case, with the shapes that distinguish all the watches produced by the brand, therefore with curved lugs.
The dial has a succession of sapphire discs on a metal base, which give a rather evident depth effect, both in the light and not. One of the sapphire discs is equipped with a 24-hour indicator that allows you to use the GMT function, while the indexes are placed on another disc and coated in HyCeram X1 (a material made up of Super-LumiNova and ceramic).
At first glance it is difficult to imagine that it is a GMT, which suggests how an independent brand can revolutionize in a “simple” way the way to visualize certain complications.
List price: EUR 3,250.00
6. Louis Erard x Alain Silberstein – La Semaine Blanche
Forget any kind of triviality. La Semaine Blanche by Louis Erard x Alain Silberstein is one of the nicest watches we know. Louis Erard is a brand born in 1929 which has recently managed to modernize itself by offering limited editions with artists of various kinds, such as Alain Silberstein.
The latter is an interior architect turned watch designer, whose philosophy derives from the German Bauhaus style. Silberstein’s creations are colorful, with accents of red, blue, yellow and white. This combination makes his works recognizable almost instantly.
The Semaine Blanche is the latest version proposed in the collaboration, in fact the first model featured a black dial, with the same layout and hands. At 6 o’clock there are two indicators, one for the date and one for a smiley face, which changes the 7 days from sad to happy. It can thus be set according to your mood: if on Monday you are sad, during the week it will evolve to become happy at the weekend.
List price: CHF 4,000
7. Ressence – Type 8
The last watch does not truly pertain to the same category as the other watches. It may be strange that he is here but it is for us a way to give ideas to those of you who are more ambitious. The Ressence Type 8 could be considered as the entry level of the brand: it is a watch reduced to its fundamentals, but time display is as innovative as it can get.
In fact, the way of reading the time in Ressence watches is really unusual: it is a new way of conceiving watchmaking and which is part of the philosophy we were talking about above.
What characterizes it is a titanium case with domed glass, under which we see a sub-dial with the hours, which rotates around the inner circumference, while the minute hand rotates in an outer portion.
List price: CHF 12,500 (excl. taxes)
To read more about Ressence here is an article that I invite you to read.
Final take
We hope we have been able to give you some ideas to start your journey as a collector of independent brands. As we said, this is a starting point and not an arrival point, it is natural that there are not the most absurd creations of all independent brands. What do you think about it? What other brand would you have added to this selection?
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