Rolex
this post was submitted on 19 Oct 2023
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Union Glashutte
Helm. Stunning value and a solid tool/dive watch, can have a long waiting list tough.
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RGM: Some of the best American watch making I am aware of.
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Roger W Smith: Absolutely top-tier watch making. It really doesn't get much better.
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Ulysse Nardin: They've got some uggos, but they've also got some really beautiful and/or interesting pieces. The Freak, Maxi Marine, and their perpetual calendars come to mind.
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Moritz Grossman: Very high quality German watches. I really like their power reserve indicators.
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Stowa: Known for their Flieger watches, but I think they have a very nice product lineup. I really like the look of their Prodiver dive watches.
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Laco: Another German brand known for their Flieger watches, but man, that Frankfurt GMT. It's probably a bit too large for my small wrist, but what a great looking GMT.
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Wempe: Another German brand. I really like their use of inner rotating bezels.
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Lang & Heyne: A more recent German brand with some absolute stunners.
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Mühle Glashütte: One more German brand that I think deserves to be better-known than they are.
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Credor: Grand Seiko is having a well-deserved moment. Now look at what Seiko is really capable of.
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Kurono Tokyo: Hajime Asaoka knows how to make a pretty watch. I would happily take nearly anything the brand makes.
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Minase: Another fantastic Japanese brand with a very attractive modern design language (in my opinion at least).
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Ming: Some of the best microbrand watches I have seen to-date.
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Casio Oceanus: Very high built quality, some very nice materials, such as Edo Kiriko Glass, and tons of useful functionality. I guess you could describe it as a classy G-Shock.
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Christiaan van der Klaauw: Gorgeous planetarium watches.
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Pierre DeRoche: Some of their stuff is a bit overstyled for me (mainly the TNT collection, despite the cool retrograde models), but there are a lot of models in the Grandcliff series that I really like.
Some others that I have already seen mentioned here plenty of times that I'll agree with (I think most of these are at least pretty well-known by watch lovers, while the ones I mentioned I think fly under the radar even within the hobby): Zenith, Oris, Nomos, Junghans, Glashütte Original, Damasko, Sinn, Breguet, Jaeger leCoultre, Universal Geneve, Ball, and Orient.
Credor
Rolex. Ha, just joking.
Definitely Breguet.
A watch Brand I love is Maen. From their Manhattan to the Brooklyn 36. They make beautiful watches at very affordable prices and the finishing and quality can hang with more established brands imo that are literally several times the price. .
Citizen autos.
Certina!!
Zeppelin
A brand that I haven’t seen mentioned yet is Hermes.
People rightfully see them as a fashion house and they are to an extent, but they have made significant investments in their watch making branch. The H08 that I have keeps better time than my 3861 speedmaster. The Slim D’Hermes and Arceau are also nice watches as well if not a bit pricey. They’re all well designed, relatively unique, and fly under the radar.
One interesting thing about the brand is they have also been making haute horology pieces as well. The ARCEAU L'HEURE DE LA LUNE is an example of this.
U boat is a quirky brand worth a gander - definitely flies under the radar (sonar) !
Stowa, damasco
Welp, looks like I will not accomplish anything productive at work tomorrow! On the bright side I should fill out my holiday shopping list for everyone by the end of the day!
Tag heuer,
But more like a plane flying under the radar to bring drugs from south america... how the hell do they still exist with such bad managment and quality ?
In terms of non-micro’s I would suggest Mido or Ball. Mate of mine has a Ball and every time I see it I think ‘nice’
I don't know too much about them but ZRC make beautiful, unusual dive watches with a long heritage.
I’ll say it… Edifice
The Casio crew know how to make a great entry level dress watch.
And for the unknowing, it fits right in where it needs to be.
Nomos, Glashütte Original, Grönefeld, Van der Klaauw, Mido, Certina
Mido definitely. I got myself the Oceanstar and I'm in awe with the quality it offers at that price.
Dornbluth & Sohn
Oris and JLC
Grand Seiko hands down.
There are many micro brands of watches that most everyone is unaware of, yet they have some of the Coolest looking watches. Yema, Detomaso and Geckota just to name a few. They have color and unique styles that you don't see from the mainstream watch companies.
Chopard, GP
Certina and eterna.
Baltic
This Charmex which is a brand I've never heard of but it caught my eye at a local pawnshop and I paid 60 for it after I Googled WTF a Charmex was. Most of my watches are citizen, seiko and other brands and I do find some that I've never heard of and always find them underpriced by pawnshops all the time. I've picked up a few lower end beater watches like Orvis and a few other similar to the brand as long as the pricing is in my favor.
I've got 10 yrs in the business in the mid 90's-mid 2000s and this started my fascination with busy faced Chronograph watches.
Going to totally buck the trend here and say: Poljot. Specifically their chronographs.
I know, I know, weird old Soviet junk and all but it's good.
lip. I have one and it's my first "premium" watch. It's a skeleton and for it's price and really really great.
I think it's an amazing entry into the premium watch world.
Invicta
I like the stuff D1 Milano produces and believe their prices are incredible.
For less than 300€ you get such a beautiful dial integrated bracelet and clean finished case.
Their chronographs look even nicer in my opinion but when I was in Milan, they didn’t have it in stock. I always want to try on stuff beforehand
Zenith
Victorinox. They have their own watch factory.
Alot of brands mentioned i do feel get their fair share of attention but you just don't see people buying them, Nomos being a prime example.
One i do not see even discussed or highlighted is Mont Blanc, their recent divers are gorgeous and GMT without the hand is innovative, i am yet to see them get their time in the spotlight.
Auguste Reymond/ARSA
Sangin Instruments
Norqain
Mido and Oris are two I get weird looks when mentioning.
Vintage Zodiac divers are about as historically significant to diving watches as Blancpain and Rolex and should be trading hands for way more than they currently do.
Zenith, Maurice Lacroix
Piaget, especially vintage models.
For me, it’s Mido. Sits at an approachable price point but makes some stunning watches.
Citizen as well. Doesn’t get anywhere near enough love from the community on here.
Wolbrook
Zeppelin.
Mr. Jones Watches