12 of the best microbrands bringing it to the big box brands

Buffy Acacia

Microbrands are one of the best things to have happened to an often conservative watch industry. The trend of enthusiasts leveraging the power of subcontracted production at a smaller scale has brought watch fans some truly original designs, as well as ones that recall vintage favourites that are out of reach to the average collector. And when a microbrand gets it really right, it’s a win-win for everyone. Here are 12 of the best microbrands that offer great design, a well-rounded lineup, fantastic value, and a winning customer experience.

Furlan Marri

Talk about FOMO: Furlan Marri smashed it right out of the gate with the inaugural release of its retro-leaning mechaquartz chronographs, which brought all the vintage Patek feels to an enticing price point, surpassing its funding goal in less than 60 seconds. The watches were so popular, the brand won the prestigious Horological Revelation Prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève after a mere seven months in business. From that initial release, it’s expanded into attractive, automatic, sector dial models (including a lovely salmon version) and more additions to the Furlan Marri Mechaquartz collection. It’s even plunged into the world of mechanical perpetual calendars, unveiling a silver-cased La Joux-Perret-powered piece unique for 2023’s Only Watch auction. Could that portend a perpetual calendar for the standard catalogue? Only time will tell. The Time + Tide Shop is an authorised dealer of Furlan Marri.

Serica

Serica’s designs blend the sophistication of Parisian fashion, with the cool of Alain Delon. Classic cues abound, visible across their expanding catalogue that includes a field watch, an elegantly trim diver, and now, a GMT. No less than style arbiter Matt Hranek (A Man And His Watch) put in his two cents when the 4512 Field Watch was under development, but it’s the now-COSC-certified 5303 diver that really punches my ticket. The dial has a graphic energy that reminds me of a ’50s jazz album cover, and the dual-scale steel and ceramic bezel lets you track both dive times and a second time zone. From its svelte 39 x 46.5 x 12.2mm dimensions, to the sweep of its lyre lugs and that sinuous mesh bracelet, it’s a heady cocktail, swirled with foreign intrigue. It also happens to be anti-magnetic, shockproof, and water resistant to 200 metres, rendering it highly capable as well as devastatingly handsome. This is a tool watch I wouldn’t hesitate to pair with a Turnbull & Asser shirt and a rakish Hermès tie. Serica watches are available from the Time+Tide Shop.

Unimatic

Italy’s Unimatic has carved out a place among micros with its bold, graphical interpretations of classic tool watches, and because of its emphasis on limited editions, it’s evolving all the time. Where other brands tend to add on, Unimatic’s genius is its stripping away of any visual excess. In doing so, its watches seem more elemental than much of what’s out there, and I love it. As Miles Davis famously said: “It’s not the notes you play, it’s the notes you don’t play”. Its lineup riffs off of four basic platforms, named Uno (diver), Due (field watch), Tre (chronograph), and Quattro (fixed-bezel military watch), with a host of variants released. Far from strict design prudes, Unimatic has shown it’s not averse to a bit of fun, as evidenced by collabs featuring SpongeBob, NASA, and even South Park. No matter which design speaks to you, all Unimatics sport robust build quality, 300 metres of water resistance, and reliable Seiko automatic or mechaquartz movements.

Farer Universal

 

Of all the microbrands out there, Farer Universal has proven to be fearless when it comes to colour. Its ever-growing roster includes classic three-handers, divers, GMTs, chronographs, and even a moonphase model, but it’s the wild hues on display that further set them apart from traditionalists. A manual chrono with a bright white dial and bezel, emblazoned with eye-popping red and blue markers? Step right up to the titanium Bernina. How about a pink-dialled 36mm GMT? You can have that too, courtesy of the Lander Kano. When perusing the entire Farer catalogue, expect the unexpected, because you will definitely find it. And lest you think that the brand is merely a collection of pretty faces, the watches let their specs do the talking, with quality Swiss Sellita movements under the hood, making them a strong value play as well.

Beaucroft

No matter how many opinions you may have, a qualified designer is almost always going to design a better watch than you. Beaucroft started out by making completely bespoke watches, even working with Lionel Ritchie, but now its cut out obliged collaboration in favour of watches it’s designed itself, and can be totally proud of. Based in Cambridge, England, this microbrand is also a member of the British Watch & Clock Makers alliance, and an official partner of Cambridge University. Creative minimalism, British assembly, and premium Miyota movements that are regulated in-house for accuracy are all part of Beaucroft’s impressive value proposition.

echo/neutra

The core echo/neutra team is skilled in so many wildly different ways, including design, architecture, rocket propulsion and extreme sports. Not all of those aspects are immediately apparent in the design of its watches, but you can tell that there’s something different about this brand. What’s most impressive is its ability to remain thematically consistent across such disparate styles in its collection, including rectangular dress watches which evoke brutalist architecture, pilots watches with realistic moonphases, and even a tribute to 1950s divers. They’re all made in Switzerland with exceptional build quality and refinement, powered by Sellita movements to keep prices as affordable as possible while delivering luxury quality. You can buy echo/neutra watches from the Time+Tide Watch Discovery Studio in Melbourne and also our London Discovery Studio, exclusively in-store.

Lorca

For a microbrand which has only released two models, Lorca has made quite an impact with its sharp and clinical approach to design languages of the ‘50s and early ‘60s. Its first watch, the aptly-named Model No. 1 GMT, uses a Swiss Soprod calibre C125 R4 in a petite 36mm case, making it a darling little dressy tool watch. The steel bezel and neat printing oozes sophistication as the 200m of water resistance and 24-hour bezel backs up its utility. Then there’s the Model No. 2 Chronograph with a hand-wound Sellita movement offering a beautiful triple-register look with no shortage of charm. The sunburst dial and the guilloché bezel adds a level of decoration which most sports watches lack, let alone chronographs with 100m of water resistance.

Anoma

There are some microbrands which get design so right that they become legends before they even release a watch, and Anoma is one of the most recent examples. Its inaugural A1 model is highly sculptural, playing with rotating triangles and softened edges for a mystifying, asymmetrical result. The case is specifically inspired by a table by mid-century designer Charlotte Perriand, and it interprets the ‘pebble’ shape in a far more unique way than the traditional round watch case. Still, nothing about the watch feels unbalanced, and the attention to detail is phenomenal for its price point. The A1 has now been released in blue and black dials, but it’s fair to say that anticipation for its second watch shape is high.

Lorier

Lorier was one of the first microbrands who perfected the niche of 1950s sports watches bathed in dressy elements. Some of its more derivative heritage models such as the Neptune, Falcon and Hyperion have become collection staples for those who want vintage style on a microbrand budget, while the Hydra, Olympia and Astra run with Lorier’s distinctive style in a much more original direction. There have also been several runs of gorgeous limited editions, such as the tonneau-cased Zephyr dripping in Art Deco influence, and the Lorier x Worn & Wound Stargazer fusing sci-fi style with a throwback an to obscure Russian watch called the Raketa Copernic.

Studio Underd0g

From a series of successes that make its name ironic, lovers of microbrands have come to expect the best from Studio Underd0g. Originally gaining popularity from its 01Series of twin-register chronographs based on fun and fruity colour combinations, the British microbrand has continued pushing boundaries in its signature style of lightheartedness and experimentation. The 02Series Field focuses even more heavily on colour and execution as its key point of difference, playing with shadow and depth more than quirky shapes to exude whimsy. Studio Underd0g’s brand power is already such that it has secured a deal with Seagull, one of the world’s largest movement manufacturers, for an improved version of its iconic ST-1901B chronograph calibre. Studio Underd0g watches are available from the Time+Tide Shop.

Galvin Watch Company

A common tactic for microbrands is to pretend that they’re a large company to seem more legitimate, when they’re really just run by one person. In the case of Galvin Watch Company, founder Susan Galvin is proud to admit that she assembles each and every watch herself in Sydney, Australia. Born in Finland, many of her designs are inspired by Nordic tastes, while the guilloché-pattern dials are completely mesmerising. The Loimu and Suvi watches are standouts in design, but the debut Alku is also a lovely watch for those with simpler tastes. All Galvin watches are gender neutral with moderate sizes to easily suit any wrist.