Results for Microbrand Watches

Pre Baselword 2015: Hublot Big Bang Ferrari watches

Hublot Big Bang Ferrari new models for Baselworld 2015

Reactions: Patek Philippe 175th Anniversary watches.

Patek Philippe 175th anniversary, featuring the Grandmaster Chime...

A Handful Of Magic: Panerai’s Pocket Watches

If there were an Academy Award in the watch world for brand that’s evolved not only furthest, but also the most intelligently, from its origins, the ladies and gentleman of the Academy might well have to give the award to Panerai.  For much of its history a somewhat obscure maker of instruments for the Italian […]

Richard Mille Watches - The Billionaire’s Masonic Handshake

Milestones: Two Centuries, Two Breguet Tourbillon Pocket Watches

On November 11th we were lucky enough to attend the opening of the exhibition, “Breguet The Innovator: Inventor Of The Tourbillon,” (which ran from November 11-17 at the 5th Avenue boutique in New York) –a traveling round up of Breguet tourbillons that included virtually every modern tourbillon the company makes today, as well as a […]

Cartier Chronographs; Two Watches, One Heart

Chronographs are probably the most popular complication. They are pretty affordable (for a complication) masculine and have a sporty appearance that most men like, weather we’re talking mono poussoir chronographs or the three button chronographs, it’s a type of watch that we find in almost any watch collection. Cartier has currently two interesting chronographs in […]

Review: The Trafford Crossroads S 36 & 40

It will be impossible to talk about the new Trafford Crossroads S without discussing the size of the case in great detail, which I fear might be disservice to the watch as a whole, because there are a lot of very nice things about the Crossroads, and it’s one of the most charming new watches from a microbrand that I’ve seen in some time. But the case size is critical, because Trafford has walked a very interesting line with this release, debuting the Crossroads S in two sizes and marketing each based on how they feel the case wears, not its actual measured size. It’s getting by on vibes, as the kids sometimes say. It also capitalizes smartly on the growing trend we’ve seen for smaller, more discreet watches in a really interesting way.  The Crossroads S is actually two watches: the Crossroads S 36 and the Crossroads S 40. Neither of these watches are named for their actual measurements, though. Instead, Trafford has used these pretty commonly understood sizing conventions to name the watches based on how, in their estimation, they actually wear. The Crossroads S 40 measures 35mm x 36mm, while the Crossroads S 36 comes in at 31mm by 32mm (both are 9mm thick). Looking at the watches side by side, and compared to other watches in circular cases that are true 40mm and 36mm cases is an interesting lesson in how we perceive size depending on shape. It also, in my opinion, illustrates how one of these watches is absolutely the “correct” size while another is, well, n...

Teddy Baldassarre unveils his first-ever collaboration watch: a special edition Brew Metric

US-based microbrand Brew partners with influential content creator and watch retailer Teddy Baldassarre on a very special edition Metric.The post Teddy Baldassarre unveils his first-ever collaboration watch: a special edition Brew Metric appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Hanhart Revisits Steve McQueen’s Personal Chronograph

Steve McQueen is closely associated with Heuer and Rolex, but his personal watches also included the less conspicuous Hanhart 417 ES. The Hanhart 417 ES Steve McQueen Limited Edition No. 1 commemorates that connection with a discreet dial signature and a strap modelled on his own, developed with input from his grandchildren. Initial thoughts Steve McQueen is inextricably linked to Hollywood, but also the objects he surrounded himself with — cars, clothing, sunglasses and watches. Though when it comes to the latter, he’s often mislabeled. The Rolex Explorer II ref. 1655 is often erroneously nicknamed the ‘Steve McQueen’ despite the fact he never wore one (it was a Submariner ref. 5513). But before the Rolex and Heuer Monaco years came the Hanhart 417 ES, which McQueen was rarely seen without as it accompanied him through everyday activities for many of his early years in Hollywood. McQueen’s loyalty to the comparatively low-key Hanhart 417 may have been function-led. An avid racer, sportsman and marksman, the flyback chronograph with ample shock resistance and a useful rotating bezel likely hit the mark for what he wanted from a tool watch. Hanhart has kept the tribute restrained. The actor’s signature replaces the text above six o’clock on the standard 417 ES 1954 Heritage Flyback, but is small enough not to overwhelm the dial. The watch can stand on its own, even for someone with little interest in McQueen. It’s a good story for a watch priced at €2,890....

Introducing - The New Space-Tested SC02C, a Mechanical Chronograph by Konstantin Chaykin

Mechanical watches have accompanied astronauts and cosmonauts into space for decades, but few contemporary watches can claim to have been developed specifically around the demands of extravehicular activity, like Konstantin Chaykin’s new SC02C. Born from the manufacture’s collaboration with Roscosmos, Russia’s space agency, the chronograph has been tested during four spacewalks and is now being […]

Introducing the Bremont Supernova Hawking

Many watches have been named for athletes, explorers, and artists, mostly to boost an air of sportiness, robustness, or sophistication. Still, it’s hard to imagine a more appropriate arena for a wristwatch than the field science as a whole; British brand Bremont agrees, and to celebrate one of the most famous and culturally pervasive scientists of the past two centuries, they have created the Supernova Hawking Limited Edition, named for preeminent thinker, Professor Stephen Hawking.  Known more for their mil-spec pieces, Bremont may seem like a strange choice for such a namesake watch, but given their status as a British brand of repute, it makes sense that they’d want to showcase a fellow English pioneer. The base of the Hawking is the Supernova, first launched in April of this year, and boasting a 41mm ultra black DLC-treated steel case with multilayered construction. The geometric aesthetic of the case, pushers, and crown, reflect Hawking’s work in the space engineering field—most notably his groundbreaking research into black holes. Black watches have had a bit of a renaissance as of late, and wear well with almost any other color, so the choice here makes sense from a source-of-inspiration standpoint, as well as an aesthetic one.  A black decahedral ceramic bezel surrounds the dial, which in turn features an interlocking, galvanic black grid motif with triangular pathways, inspired by the design of solar arrays. Two meteorite subdials adorn the dial, at 3 an...

First Look - The New Angelus Instrument de Mesures, Three Historic Chronograph Scales in One

Throughout all its phases of life, Angelus has been responsible for several milestones in wristwatch history, including some of the earliest chronographs with calendar indications. Its robust eight-day movements famously found their way into vintage Panerai watches. Succumbing to the quartz crisis, the brand’s revival began in 2011 under La Joux-Perret’s ownership. In recent years, […]

Review - Exploring Chinese Watchmaking, with the Peacock Divine Ultra-Thin Tourbillon (Incl. Video)

Chinese watchmaking is often frowned upon at best, but things have changed in the past few years. More often than not, we categorise Chinese watches as entry-level (to remain polite) or counterfeits. No need to say, this is very simplistic. But we have decided to forget our prejudices and to make up our minds by taking […]

The 16 Best Microbrand Dive Watches in 2026

An in-depth guide to the microbrand dive watches that are setting the tone in the category, from Lorier to Baltic and beyond.

Complicated Collectors: Edgar Mannheimer

London, 1965. Christie’s had arranged the third and final part of the Sir David Salomons Collection for sale — a sequence of Breguet watches assembled by the Victorian baronet whose obsession with Abraham-Louis Breguet had produced the most important English-language study of the watchmaker’s work. When the bidding closed, one man had bought every lot in the catalogue. Continuing our ongoing Complicated Collectors series, Edgar Mannheimer left an indelible mark on watch collecting. He was 40 years old, and had settled in Zurich a decade earlier with nothing but the instincts he had developed in the post-war black markets of Germany. He was not a collector in the sense that he did not keep what he bought. What he did, with a consistency and conviction that separated him from every other figure in the mid-century horological trade, was understand, ahead of the market, what something was worth. The Salomons lots were subsequently divided between two collectors. It was, in miniature, a portrait of how Mannheimer operated: he absorbed the risk, resolved the complexity, and left his clients with the watches. Neutitschein and Auschwitz Edgar Mannheimer was born on December 23, 1925, in Neutitschein, Moravia, into a family whose presence in the town was visible and established. His father ran Marsmalz, a confectionery business prominent enough to operate the community’s first delivery van — a small but telling detail about the family’s position within a world where Je...

Business News: Minerva Repositions In New Role As “Distinct Entity” Within Montblanc Brand

New watches will display the standalone Minerva name on the dial.

Collector Profile: Daniel Yong

This Australian schoolteacher’s obsession with simplicity eventually led him to Grand Seiko, where he found watches that spoke to his unique sensibility.

Introducing - The New De Bethune DB25Vxs Silver Moon

Watches manufactured by independent brand De Bethune are in a class of their own. When you look at one of the brand’s new creations, it often feels like the watch has always been part of the collection. And yet, there is an ever-renewed creativity, with countless new details waiting to be discovered, with a unique mix […]

Interview: the Convictions of James Lamb

It’s a fair assumption that if you’re the kind of enthusiast that’s interested in independent watchmaking, the allure of something a little different isn’t lost on you. The independent watch space is a wildly diverse one that’s full of outsider artisans, but even in a field of outsiders, English watchmaker James Lamb is something of an anomaly.  Lamb’s watches genuinely don’t look like anything else on the market. While they’re all time-only affairs, they feature an offset sub-dial layout that frees up the outer portion of the dial to be used as a decorative space. With his Origin Series, Lamb applies strikingly colorful enamel work to the outer dial section. With his latest release, the Linea Edition, Lamb has collaborated with one of the UK’s most respected ornamental engravers, Joanne Ryall, to create a line of watches with beautifully hand-engraved titanium and gold outer dials.  While the dials are showstopping displays of handcraft, Lamb’s watches also feature completely handmade cases (read: no CNC machines used), which he crafts out of Argentium silver. Lamb’s case designs are robust and understated; they do a fabulous job of grounding the watch’s bold dial designs, but the craftsmanship that goes into them is something serious horology enthusiasts fawn over. For Lamb, a self-proclaimed watch industry isolationist, doing things like crafting his cases entirely by hand is kind of the whole point of making watches.  Lamb deliberately avoids...

Atelier Wen Introduces a New Perception with a Rare Natural Pietersite Dial

Last year, Atelier Wen released one of my favorite watches of the year in the Inflection, a bold and ambitious integrated bracelet sports watch in tantalum. The reaction to that watch, to my mind, was puzzling. While there were certainly many supporters and admirers of the Inflection, there was also a vocal contingent of enthusiasts on Instagram and various watch blog comment sections (who, to be fair, were probably not customers for this particular watch anyway) griping about the price, and the fact that a brand centered on value and approachability would even make a watch like this (the retail price is just shy of $30,000).  I’ve never cared much for the notion that a brand that makes affordable watches can’t also make watches that are very, very expensive. It’s all relative anyway, right? Rolex makes watches that are considered entry points to the brand at right around $10,000, but they also have watches in their catalog that sail into the six figures. That’s a pretty big delta, certainly larger than the one between Atelier Wen’s entry level pieces and the Inflection. But that’s a topic for another day. Today, we’re focusing on Atelier Wen returning their bread and butter, the Perception, an integrated bracelet sports watch they’ve been iterating on for several years now, this one in steel with a natural pietersite dial.  It’s tempting to say that this watch represents Atelier Wen jumping on the stone dial trend, but the pietersite of it all changes ...

First Look - The Pequignet Royale Paris 39.5mm Power Reserve, Now in a Handsome Coral Edition

There is something happening in terms of watchmaking in France at the moment… Something quite interesting, if I must be honest, and I’m not saying this only because I’m French. We’re witnessing a resurgence of French watchmaking, with brands such as Yema delivering accessible watches equipped with made-in-France manufacture movements, or Trilobe recently unveiling an […]

Thirty Days with the Christopher Ward C12 Loco

‘Micro-brand’ watches are rarely about finishing or movement design. The business model employed by this segment of the industry typically involves off-the-shelf movements combined with made-to-order cases and dials; this is how Christopher Ward (CW) got started. But having merged with its movement supplier a decade ago, the brand has become more ambitious, first with the striking Bel Canto and again with the C12 Loco, which reimagines the Valjoux cal. 7750 as a budget-priced mechanical sculpture inside a sporty steel case. Architectural watchmaking is not new, but it is new at the price point targeted by CW, which recently moved into larger premises in Maidenhead about 30 minutes west of London. Having spent a month with the Loco, it’s worth looking at what they did, and how. Initial thoughts I find architectural watchmaking inherently appealing, and appreciate it when watchmakers and designers work in tandem to elevate mechanical components into miniature works of art. It can come across as gimmicky, but when done well it results in an enthralling and educational wearing experience. Given the steep development costs, this type watchmaking has long been the exclusive domain of high end brands like MB&F; and Ulysse Nardin. But CW has been moving in this direction since the launch of the Bel Canto, and the Loco, despite its relative simplicity, is a worthy follow-up to its striking sibling. Sitting within the Twelve collection, CW’s take on the integrated bracelet sp...

Introducing: The Impressive And Colorful Farer Lissom Collection

Farer watches always stand out in the large crowd of available options today. The British brand creates watches that distinguish themselves through playful yet clever designs. The elegant case shapes, arrow-shaped brand logo, distinct numeral style, and colorful dials ensure that the watches are instantly recognizable. In particular, the colors stand out to me. Farer […] Visit Introducing: The Impressive And Colorful Farer Lissom Collection to read the full article.

Reintegration: Unexpected Integrated Bracelet Releases from Meistersinger and Chronoswiss

If you had told me a few years ago that we’d still be seeing integrated bracelet watch designs in 2025, I probably would not have believed you. But what felt like many a passing fad that would take a year or two to cycle through has not only stuck around, but has become a bit of a necessity for brands seeking to expand their customer base. As such, at Watches & Wonders 2025 integrated bracelets were still prevalent, even getting a spotlight thanks to the Rolex Land Dweller. Well, I’m not here to cover that well-trodden territory again. Rather, I wanted to look at two integrated launches that have gone a little under the radar, both of which lean towards the quirky side of things: the Meistersinger Kaenos and the Chronoswiss Pulse One. The Meistersinger Kaenos Meistersinger is a curious brand. They are at once an oddball, focusing almost exclusively on single-handed watches, which is a very strange thing to do, and yet somewhat conservative, with designs that lean towards the traditional. Admittedly, as is evidenced by the recently released Breguet Classique Souscription, single-handed watches are rooted in 18th century design, but I digress. Well, the Kaenos mixes things up for the brand, introducing a far sportier and more aggressive style into their line. Measuring 40mm in diameter and 11.2mm in height, at a glance, the design of the Kaenos’ case and bracelet is pretty typical of integrated bracelet designs. A sort of barrel-shaped case with a circular dial opening...

Seiko Baby Alpinist Review

Before I get into my owner's review of the Seiko Baby Alpinist, I want to talk about field watches as a category. What makes a field watch? Is an explorers' watch the same as a field watch? Is a mountaineering watch? I wouldn’t necessarily call this, or rather these, age-old questions. Instead they illustrate an intellectual conundrum I’ve personally faced, being a fan of a certain format of watches. Many who know me will also be sure to know I have a certain proclivity toward Rolex watches. I once wrote some of a definite treatise on the Rolex Explorer Ref. 14270 - the now neo-vintage version of the watch that was born right at the start of the 1990s and which has since served as the template for all Explorers to come. Its 36mm size, legible dial, and overall no-nonsense field-watch format have made it one of the best watch designs of all time. But it’s also not really a field watch, is it? It was born as a marketing exercise in the wake of Sir Edmund Hilary’s summiting of Everest alongside Tenzig Norgay. It’s an explorers watch, one with alpine roots. The Seiko Baby Alpinist SPB155 Speaking of alpine, we cannot mention the word without invoking one of the most well-known attainable icons of the 1990s and 2000s: The Seiko Alpinist. But let’s go back even further, to the late 1950s and early ‘60s, when Seiko launched the small, 35mm Laurel Alpinist – a design that was revived by the brand in 2021. Fast-forward to 1995, when Seiko released a familiar forma...

Watching the CEOs: Guido Terreni of Parmigiani discusses the new releases for 2025

We met up with Guido Terreni, CEO of Parmigiani Fleurier during Watches and Wonders Geneva 2025, and got him to discuss this year's novelties.

7 of the best minute repeaters

Chiming watches are some of the most romantic complications in the world, and their variety is seemingly endless. The post 7 of the best minute repeaters appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Hands-On: the Chronofixe Astérix

I’ve always had a bit of a thing for character watches. I know they’re divisive, but a character watch - whether it be a ridiculously expensive Spider-Man AP or a cheap quartz Armitron with a basketball-playing Bugs Bunny on the dial - can help create a shockingly profound connection between a watch and its wearer and be (when done well) a fun reminder not to take watches too seriously. I’ve owned a lot of character watches. Many of my earliest and most favorite childhood watches, if they weren’t Timex Ironmans, were character watches, and even today, I still find myself picking up a character watch here and there, though they rarely stick in my collection for very long. Most find their way to their next owners as gifts - a vintage Snoopy tennis watch went to my mother, while the aforementioned Bugs Bunny Armitron now sits on my younger brother’s wrist most days (though, much to my annoyance, he pointedly refuses to put a battery in it). Still, most of the character watches I’ve owned over the years have found their way into the trash or were lost in various moves or purges because, for as delightful a thing as character watches are, most aren’t that good, at least as watches. To generalize wildly, most character watches I’ve owned have felt, at best, transient and, at worst, disposable (admittedly, I’ve never owned an AP Spider-Man watch, so I can’t speak to that experience). Still, my love for the concept remains, and when a watch comes along t...

Canadian microbrand Redwood’s Standard Issue collection are love letters to vintage field watches

These four models evoke the spirit of WWII-era-issued field watches at an affordable price point.The post Canadian microbrand Redwood’s Standard Issue collection are love letters to vintage field watches appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Bamford Introduces their First Dive Watch, the D-300

There was a time not too long ago when hearing the name “Bamford” conjured images of customized luxury watches of all stripes, sometimes with a level of taste that would make many enthusiasts sneer. That’s the nature of custom watches, though. The designs come from the mind of the owner as much as the customizer, and hardcore enthusiasts have really never been too keen on modifying, for example, stainless steel Rolex sports watches. So the fact that Bamford is now synonymous not with custom tweaked watches (although they still do this, primarily with LVMH brands) but affordable and accessible watches geared directly toward the enthusiast market is a turn that few would have predicted a decade or so ago. But it seems to be a reflection of where Bamford Watch Department’s founder George Bamford’s interests really lie.  Their latest is perhaps the brand’s most ambitious creation to date. After gaining steam over the past few years with a series of well received character watches (including a number of whimsical GMTs), Bamford has pivoted to a new dive watch concept featuring a ceramic case and a bunch of little design details that make it stand out. The new D-300 diver is available in a total of four colors: white, black, navy and green. The ceramic bit here is actually an outer shell around a titanium core, a method of case construction widely used in the watch industry that helps strengthen the case and also control costs (these watches come in at $1,950). The ...