Micro brands – Five favourites

Text: Filip Ericsson

An ongoing trend within the watch industry today is an increased interest in so-called microbrands, which have popped up like mushrooms out of the earth in recent years. There are hundreds of them from seemingly every corner of the earth. Eqotime picks out some of the nicest ones which all bestow scoops of covetousness. 

So what is a “microbrand”, or mikromärke in plain Swedish? The definition is probably a bit fluid but let us try.  

One might perhaps say that a micro brand is constituted an independent company with limited production capacity, sometimes consisting of as little as a single person. Often with a particular direction, within a particular segment, and in principle always with movements bought in from outside as one lacks the capacity for self-produced movements. Furthermore one usually has a close bond with one's customers, unlike more established brands, as well as lacking authorised dealers which is why the watches are then sold directly online. 

To achieve a shape that is attractive to the eye, while at the same time being its own and managing to create a particular brand DNA, that is a colossal feat that not many manage to achieve. The author of this article has picked out five of the few among all the micro brands that have succeeded with precisely that trick. We take it in alphabetical order. 

Airain 

The only micro brand with any real lineage in today's selection is the French Airain. The brand was born in 1934 under the name Montre Airain and was in fact a sister brand to Lebois & Co which was founded the same year.  

The current micro brand under the name Airain came about in 2021 and constitutes a revival of the dormant brand. Behind the rebirth stands the Dutch entrepreneur Tom Van Wijlick who in 2014 also revived the parent brand Lebois & Co. The two are thus still part of the same (micro) group – Compagnie des Montre Lebois & Co – and with the same father.  

Airain was made famous through its deliveries of pilot chronographs to the French military during the 1950s and 60s, in the form of the model Type 20. That very one also got to serve as the model when the reborn Airain presented its first watch in 2021. 

Special about Airain is that the watches' specifications are determined by the public's wishes through surveys, such as for example whether the new models should have sapphire or more doctrinally pure plexiglass and so on. This is yet another example of how the micro brands stand closer to their customers/followers than the bigger, more established brands.  

The Airain Type 20 is an almost authentic rendition of the original watch, carefully updated with modern technical elements, of course. The case is somewhat wider and measures 39.5mm against the original's 38mm, but still relatively compact by modern measurements. Old-fashioned domed sapphire crystal as well as a bezel with countdown function complete the whole thing.  

The movement is a hand-wound chronograph movement with so-called column-wheel-design and fly-back-function from Sellita (Caliber AM2). It offers a fine 63 hours of power reserve and incabloc shock protection and has, considering the reasonable price level, surprisingly fine finish with among other things so-called “Côtes de Genève” stripes. 

The price lands at around 30,000 kronor which means the Type 20 is in the same price class as a chronograph from for example Longines.  

On the programme there is also the diving watch Sous-Marine which turned up last year. This one too is a re-make of the old company's watches. The original was in fact a so-called skin diver from the happy 60s.  

Airain's diver measures 38.2mm in diameter and a mere 10.45mm in height, wonderfully restrained measurements then, where diving watches today tend to get far too bulgy. A screw-down crown, 200 metres of resistance and a bezel that turns in one direction make it a genuine diving watch. Modern sapphire crystal then makes it user-friendly even for the modern watch wearer.  

The movement comes from the Swiss La Joux-Perret (Caliber G100), is automatically wound and offers a good 68 hours of power reserve. It can technically be compared to the more well-known ETA 2824 which for decades has driven so many mechanical watches in lower price classes. Cheap, reliable and precise thus. A Sous-Marine lands at about 17,000 kronor. 

Farer 

Farer is a British brand that was founded as recently as 2015, and is perhaps the undersigned's biggest favourite among today's selection of micro brands. The model range is relatively large and the watches hardly have any home-made low-volume aura about them.  

From the simple, unfussy Three Hand Automatic to the astonishingly beautiful, wilful Cushion Case, via a GMT as well as a Worldtimer plus the classically shaped chronograph Monopusher, Farer has an unusually substantial as well as attractive model programme. 

The Cushion Case is a real sweet with its characteristically harmonious cushion case of a modest 38.5mm in diameter and a mere 10.5mm in height. With its good-looking details such as the artful crown – the brand's hallmark – it is a Lisa for every eye. 

A modest, hand-wound Sellita 216-1 makes possible this thin profile as well as the small price of 11–12,000 kronor that the Cushion Case commands. Beautiful sector dials in white/black, silver, salmon or “tea green” (fancy designation!) finally round off this treat of a wristwatch.  

Other masterpieces in terms of shape are the two world timers, the GMT Automatic and the Worldtimer. Farer thus offers two elegant watches that measure time in several time zones.   

With the case's harmonious pen strokes and sea-green dial the GMT offers a shape that is distinctly classic as well as wilfully modern. Only a somewhat clumsy seconds hand disturbs the harmony. Considering that the premium movement Sellita SW330-1 ticks inside, the price level is surprisingly reasonable with around 16,000 kronor on the price tag.  

39mm across the case and a mere 10.8mm in height create ideal measurements and constitute a straight right to all the over-risen GMT watches on the market today. A Tudor Black Bay GMT is for example closer to 15mm thick (!). That the Farer GMT is finally resistant to 100 metres means that one offers an almost perfect companion on the adventure trip across the time zones.  

The Worldtimer is hardly a less refreshing package with its beautifully shaped case and carefully executed dial. Here too the measurements are seemingly perfect (39 x 11mm) and here too is found a very fine movement for the price class in the form of the ETA 2893-1. Precise, reliable and economical. The price for the Worldtimer is around 18,000 kronor.  

The above examples constitute the article author's own favourites in the Farer programme, but on the company's website there are yet more attractive watches. A visit is recommended! 

Furlan Marri 

Furlan Marri started its operations as recently as 2019. Behind the project lie the Swiss industrial designer Andrea Furlan with a background within the watch industry, as well as the watch collector and investor Hamad Al Marri with origins in the Middle East. 

The business idea is to offer classically shaped watches that reek of nostalgia, with great care for details and a close relationship with the customers, as well as a hard-to-beat value for money. The company's first product was a series of retro-inspired chronographs with an unusual movement of the so-called meca-quartz type from Seiko.  

That means a quartz movement that has been paired with a mechanical chronograph module. Thereby quartz precision is obtained in the watch but with the mechanical chronograph's good-looking, sweeping seconds hand.  

The Mechaquartz Chronograph has modest cases of 38mm and is a mere 11.3mm thin, and is offered in sector dials with three different colour combinations. The prices are astonishingly low and a Mechaquartz can be had for around 7,000 kronor.   

The latest addition and also the company's second model series consists of the Mechanical which means, as the simple name suggests, mechanical wristwatches with three hands, plain and simple.  

The case with its drop-shaped lugs as on an old Vacheron Constantin chronograph is terribly picture-beautiful, and here too good-looking sector dials are offered in white, grey as well as the today so popular salmon tone. 

The measurements here too are wonderfully restrained; the Mechanical measures a mere 37.5 x 10.5mm which perfects this artful wristwatch.  

Inside ticks an automatic movement from the Swiss La Joux-Perret (Caliber G101). It offers a good 68 hours of power reserve and a surprisingly high finish for the price class, which can be enjoyed visually through the sapphire crystal on the back. The prices are at about 13–14 000 kronor which appears almost eye-rubbingly low. The only problem is that the watches are flanked by “not available” on the company's website. Darn! 

Traska 

The USA undeniably has a long-standing and interesting horological history, so it was pleasing that an American micro brand found a place among the article's five chosen ones. 

Traska was born in 2018 and has since then managed to come out with a whole five model series, despite the company being run by only three people. The focus is on mechanical, sporty, classically shaped and very good value wristwatches. The prices are in fact under 10,000 kronor. 

The brand's speciality seems to be all-round with shape and area of use inspired by the “luxury sports watches” segment, but in a completely different price class of course. There is certainly a bit of Rolex Oyster Perpetual and Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra about the brand's watches.  

That such low prices can be kept is due among other things to the fact that one exclusively uses Japanese movements from Miyota. Hardly as precise or technically advanced as the mentioned Rolex or Omega watches but definitely an economical way to enjoy a reliable mechanical movement. 

The models Commuter and Summiteer personify the “a watch for every situation” style with discreet, harmonious lines, modest measurements (36-38mm) and a durability marked by 100 metres of water resistance. Beyond these there is a sporty GMT (Venturer), a classic diving watch (Freediver) as well as the good-looking Seafarer with an internal bezel and double crowns (as on a Longines Legend Diver).   

Unimatic 

Unimatic is a micro brand that really stands out with its special origin, highly distinctive design language and total focus on durable tool watches. The brand was founded in Italy in 2015 by a couple of industrial designers from the technical university in Milan.  

The first watch was the Modello Uno, a roughly hewn diving watch with a distinctly minimalist shape. After that followed a field watch without a rotating bezel (Modello Due) as well as a chronograph variant of the diver. Today the programme consists of these in the “Classic editions” series, while a number of new models have been added in the model series “Special Editions” which all start out from the mentioned diver and field variants. 

The special editions are all sold in limited runs and the range comprises titanium watches with a blue dial/bezel/rubber strap, a couple of mocha-brown variants with matching suede straps, black versions entirely without indicators in the dials, all-black PVD variants, and a few more. All the watches are resistant to 300 metres.  

The chronographs are driven by quartz movements while the other models have automatic movements. The classic, non-limited ones have Japanese movements from Seiko while the special variants are driven by slightly more expensive Swiss units in the form of the Sellita SW200-1. Durable and reliable rather than fine around the edges then.  

The prices are low and start at around 5000 kronor. The special variants with their Sellita movements are somewhat more expensive but still astonishingly good value. The most expensive diving watch in titanium lands at about 12–13,000 kronor.  

The article author's favourite is without doubt the mocha-coloured field watch U2S-MB Modello Due (yes the brand has incomprehensible model names). The light brown tone of the dial and bracelet is inimitable and is sublimely framed by its masculinely artful case.  

The measurements are appealingly modest with 38mm in diameter and 11.6mm in height (however with the crystal not counted!). With its 300 metres of resistance and the rough-and-ready SW200 movement inside one should be able to throw any hardship whatsoever at it. 

Furthermore the dial is hyper-legible as it should be on a nonsense-free instrument watch and as has remained a signature for Unimatic. With a price tag of a mere 9 000 kronor it finally constitutes an almost irresistible watch package.  

In Sweden Unimatic is surprisingly enough sold by the online clothing shop Care of Carl. With the restrained prices and the watches' nicely chiselled cases you do get a bit tempted to click the buy button!