Credits: Article and images by @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2023/08/04/microbrands-vs-independent-watchmakers-the-rise-of-relatively-affordable-microbrands/
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What Do Microbrands Offer?
We know what the definition is and how they have gained a following, but what do microbrands offer that others don’t? Again, to caveat, I am using the term broadly but not all microbrands are made equal.
Firstly, and most importantly, they tend to be well-designed, and this is because the brands can be flexible. What do I mean by this? They are free to do whatever they want. Larger brands are constrained in many areas as they have to adhere to certain design parameters from popular, historic products. They have certain consumer bases looking for continuity in what they offer.
Just think of Omega and the Speedmaster – they will never change this design (thankfully!), but it does constrain them in what they can do with it. This is a great position to be in for the larger brands, but it does mean that producing a watch fits with current trends takes a lot more thinking and planning. Microbrands are not held to a single design philosophy or any expectation.
On top of this, the trends that we as watch lovers follow are slightly different to the broader audience. As seen in my previous post on watch trends (here), watches produced are found mainly in the 41-43mm size category. This is different to what we are being told in the watch media where we see more noise around smaller watches being “in”.
If you are a brand like Longines, IWC or Breitling, producing a smaller watch may get the forums and comment sections buzzing, but the reality is, the majority are still interested in these larger pieces. By being a microbrand, this is not a concern. Demand levels at an absolute level tend to be lower and knowledge of the brand, especially in the earlier stages, is more likely to be concentrated on those who follow watches closely. They can cater to the exact demand of the watch community and by doing so, produce some very in-demand watches.
Continuing this idea of design, some microbrands are pushing the boundaries. This is beyond the idea of just size or vintage-inspired pieces, but rather truly individual aesthetics.
A Perfectly Useless Afternoon by Mr. Jones Watches
A few examples to illustrate this point: Mr Jones Watches. They produce watches such as “A Perfectly Useless Afternoon” in which the dial is a swimming pool and the time is indicated by a rubber duck and someone sitting on a rubber ring. They focus on artistic approaches to something as simple as telling the time and manage to do so at affordable prices.
They are not the only ones. Another example is Studio Underd0g. A brand created by an enthusiast who is a designer by trade and managed to create an individual aesthetic by combining bright colors, textures and clever details.
Studio Underd0g Watermelon
There is a reason the Watermelon version is constantly sold out! On the flip side to this, there are a number of these microbrands that have gone in a different direction and taken inspiration for designs from extremely famous models in history.
Baltic Tricompax Panda
Baltic is a name that stands out here for its recent Tricompax Panda that took its inspiration from the Rolex Daytona models of the 1970s. Whichever brand you focus on, design and the ability to offer something larger brands cannot is one of the main reasons to buy a microbrand.
Away from design, there is something to be said about the price point these names offer. The majority of microbrand watches fall into the sub £1,000 category. Why is this important? More people are interested in owning a cool watch but not everyone can afford a Rolex.
Secondly, a trend that is extremely noticeable if you have had your eye on watches for some time, established brands are raising prices faster than ever.
You see the likes of Oris now charging close to £3,000 for their Pointer Date with an in-house movement and Omega has taken the Speedmaster Moonwatch from roughly £4,500 to close to £7,000 in the space of 2-3 years! There is a great demand to own watches and established names are moving higher. Microbrands are filling the gap.
There is also another train of thought here. Given the broad range of designs and homage watches available for more affordable prices, it allows collectors to either try a particular design to see whether it fits their life before purchasing similar from an established name or fill the gaps of particular styles in their collection without having to break the bank.
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Credits: Article and images by @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2023/08/04/microbrands-vs-independent-watchmakers-the-rise-of-relatively-affordable-microbrands/
