My favorite watch - by far - has been the Vario Versa - Year of the Horse. I have reviewed this watch on both this blog, as well as my Youtube channel, and it remains my most-worn watch of the year. It's a beautiful and brilliant watch, and it's one that I thought would easily win as my favorite watch of 2026. Imagine my surprise when that watch was replaced by the Vario Versa Automatic.

Most microbrands tend to compete over price - i.e. offering incredible prices for watches below what these mainstream brands would typically offer. Other microbrands try to compete by creating something entirely unique - something that you can’t just walk into any boutique to add to the collection. Orphic Watches, like Christopher Ward with their Bel Canto, has somehow managed to combine both things with Project 0: a Wandering Hours Watch inspired by the James Webb Telesc