On the eve of my birthday and right before I attend the Tokyo Watch Wow event in Tokyo, I decided to write about Manchester Watch Show, even though I won't be attending. I'm doing this for a couple of reasons. For one, almost all of my English-reading audience are based in Europe and North America. For another, I have other content planned for Tokyo Watch Wow. However, the most important reason is: I just really like the brands attending the show in Manchester[...]

"No one needs a watch." If you have been collecting watches for awhile, or if you've even had a passing interest in this hobby in the past, then I'm sure you have encountered this dismissive, declarative sentence. The truth is that it is simultaneously right and wrong. It is right in the sense that we have cellphones or laptops to tell us the time, so we don't need a watch to tell the time. But, it is wrong in that it assumes a watch's only purpose is to tell the time.

So, what else could one of the most popular independent brands in the entire world can do? Well, they can create the C1 Loco Classic, which seems like a direct response to the naysayers and the doubters of the C1 Loco Classic. Yes, Christopher Ward is unapologetically a brand which is known for their sports watches, but with this newest release, they are showing themselves to be just as capable of creating a dress watch that even the hardcore purists would wear on their wrist

As with the Black Ceramic and White Ceramic Summit MK2 models, these three new models come in the same perfectly sized 38mm case diameter, but this time it's in blue (Après-Bleu), Dark Green (Glade), and Beige Ceramic (Dune Devil). Except for the blue, each one features a complementary colored dial, such as the fully lumed mint green dial of the Glade, and the darker brown dial of the Dune Devil in contrast to the creamier beige case. The Après-Bleu, on the other hand, has a

There is a certain gravitas that comes with any association to spacefaring or even the organizations involved with it. Let's go beyond the obvious example of my grail watch, the Omega Speedmaster, and look to how Bulova has made a killing with the Lunar Pilot due to astronaut Dave Scott (Apollo 15) using his Bulova after his main watch (the Speedy) broke during a moonwalk. Nubeo, who is no stranger to science fiction and collaborations, has made a bold yet surprisingly unders

The unboxing experience is an underrated, yet incredibly important aspect of getting a brand new watch. That being said, I know from firsthand experience with my own microbrand that creating a super unique or customized packaging can very quickly raise your costs, which in turn forces you to raise the cost on the customer. However, there are a few brands that manage to create something unique, regardless, and that's definitely the case for Walker & Crown, Farr + Swit, and

Pégoud is introducing the Onduleur, a six-piece collection inspired by the adventurous spirit of the brand's namesake. The Onduleur is designed as a modern pilot’s instrument, combining a 43mm faceted stainless-steel case. Two crowns flank the case, with the second operating a rotating inner ring that provides a quick reference for a second time zone. Interestingly, this crown faces upwards instead of sidways, making it seem like a plane turbine.

After seeing Jonny's Clocktower, I realized that Area Nostalgia was the brand of none other than Kieron of Top Tier Ticker, one of the best youtubers in the industry. The new Mantel collection launched yesterday with three distinct models - the Bloodmoon, Midnight, and Moonglow. While the main part of the 20mm dial is the same plain white (or not so plain, more on that later), Kieron has layered a brushed metal ring featuring Roman numeral hour markers to add some dynamism.

As watch enthusiasts, it’s great to stay updated, but realistically, there’s only so many watches we can track. So, I have made the ultimate sacrifice… and taken it upon myself to research some truly awesome brands, and condense it into one article. I know, I’m a saint! All jokes aside, it was great to put together this list, and I enjoyed talking with over a dozen brand owners.

While enthusiasts debate what defines a watchmaker and the importance of making the movement, we often forget about another important factor with any watch: the dial. This is the area in which Makiya Tokei Founder, Adriel Rahisana, focuses all of his passion, creativity, and energy. But what is it about the dials of Makiya, and what differentiates them from any other?

Walker & Crown’s debut collection, the Revival series which is an Ode to 80s culture, has four unique models - the Electric Lagoon, the Memphis Beat, the Clerk, and the Laser Drift. Each comes in a sizeable, colorful box, which also includes a color-matched Saffiano leather strap, and an honest-to-goodness cassette tape. This cassette tape’s design matches the respective watch, and it even comes with a track list.

No watch is perfect, but I genuinely think that Nectere have succeeded in creating a watch that functions as both a conversation starter, and a damn good timepiece, too. I will be writing a full review about this later on, but I felt compelled to write this release article simply from how much I loved wearing this watch.

Prior to getting this watch, I would probably have told my non-enthusiast friends to get an Orient Bambino, a Seiko Presage, or even a Hamilton Jazzmaster for their daily watch at the office. Now that I’ve had the Vandaag Baas for around a month, I can’t in good conscience recommend those other watches without also recommending this as the top choice. With its sub-1000 EUR price, classic design, and unique date window, this may just be the perfect watch for daily life.

I’ve always had a soft spot for Australian watchmaking. Maybe it’s because Australia has always felt like a second home, albeit one that is quite far away. I’ve been lucky enough to visit a couple of times over the years, and every trip leaves me wanting to come back. In fact, we have another trip planned for 2027. That connection is part of the reason Bausele has always fascinated me. Unlike many microbrands that rarely rely on provenance, Bausele is proudly Australian

Nubeo, as a brand, is no stranger to strange or cutting-edge, science fiction inspired designs (see the Missile Command Limited Edition Release recently), but they somehow continue to surprise me with each new release. Their latest collection, the Ulysses, is no exception, and it might just be my favorite watch from them yet.

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.