For a few years now, I have had the privilege of meeting the owners of different brands, thanks to my job working for a Japanese microbrand. I have also had a hand in creating several different watches - whether it was a contribution to the design, the concept, the media push, or even the choice of strap. So, I have intimate knowledge of all the trials and tribulations that go into making even a single watch, but because I don't own the company, I am fortunate not to bear all

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

The majority of microbrands seem to skew between varying degrees of uninspired yet reliable homages to avant-garde, kind of crazy designs. Somewhere in between is where a microbrand can truly create its value - this is the area where brands like Vario, Minim, Kuoe, Traska, and many others have established themselves. Thus, the question for Sero Watch Company, a relatively new microbrand hailing from the Netherlands and founded by Sergino and Robert (the name is an amalgamatio

I am a big fan of field watches. In fact, if I check my collection right now, it consists largely of field watches. So, when Jay and Jason kindly loaned me the Houtman Murchison, I was truly over the moon for the opportunity. This field watch features a Sellita SW-200 movement, 100M of water resistance with a screw-down crown, and a suede strap and leather watch case.

You can see it across all of their watches - whether it’s the small-seconds subdials that look like the fuel gauges of vintage sports cars, or their bullhead chronographs that make it seem like the pushers are exhaust valves of a race car. When it came time to create a new watch, it was important for Cadola that the watch would maintain that vision, and that’s exactly what they have done with the newly released Cadola Slipstream.

Unlike Christmas or Hanukkah or Ramadan, the revolving door of Zodiac Animals - like this year’s Horse - allows watchmakers and designers to be more creative and go beyond kitsch when creating a watch to honor this annual event. Furthermore, the Zodiac Animals also have different elements. I, for one, am an Earth Tiger, while a relative of mine is a Water Tiger. The fact that we can incorporate elements creates a much richer tapestry for designers when planning ahead for thei

So when Tommaso took the leap of faith to launch his own brand, it was to bring a complicated watch to the wrists of consumers without costing over a hundred thousand euros (at minimum). After a year of research, he learned, unfortunately, that releasing a debut watch at under a thousand euros with a grand complication like a perpetual calendar or minute repeater was literally impossible, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t do the next best thing: A watch with a lot of great com

As a coffee enthusiast, I was naturally excited when a brand called Brew appeared on the watch scene. Of course, “Brew” could mean almost anything — or nothing at all — as many brands choose names based compulsively on sound rather than meaning. After all, Rolex doesn’t have any inherent definition, but it certainly rolls off the tongue. In this case, however, Brew is very much a nod to coffee, as the company’s founder, Jonathan Ferrer, is a genuine coffee aficionado.

As the year comes to an end, and our bank accounts briefly swell with our bonus before being emptied to purchase gifts for our loved ones, let’s take a look back at some of the watches that were released in 2025. This list will be divided by our favorite releases, our least-favorite, and releases that made us go, “Huh, well, that’s… interesting.”

Imagine the “friend zone.” We’ve all been there. It’s that awkward place where you adore someone’s vibe, you laugh at their jokes, you even gush about them to your friends, and yet you know, deep down, they’re never making it past “platonic brunch buddy.” Watches have their own friend zone, too. These are the brands and models we admire from a safe distance.

KNIS is a Kyoto-based Japanese microbrand founded by Niii Keisuke, offering high-quality automatic watches at affordable prices. With models like the KN001-RD, featuring a sunburst red dial, sapphire crystal, Miyota 8215 movement, and strong everyday wearability, KNIS proves that microbrands can compete with major players.

Are you frustrated with the games and tricks from Authorized Dealers? Tired of the new dial colours on preexisting models being the centerpiece of a brand’s yearly releases? Has your bank account finally given in under the strain of $1,000 or more watch purchases? If the above resonates with you, a microbrand might be the right fit. Microbrands offer some of the greatest value in watchmaking, along with innovative designs and a great deal of novelty.