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Microbrands are breathing new life into watchmaking.

btrizzy1

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26/12/09
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Does Christopher Ward still count as a microbrand?


Received this earlier this week. Very solid watch and a great bargain when bought on the secondary market. Almost as good as my Ginault and Wise. Only critique I have is the fitment of the end links could be tighter. Otherwise impeccable diver.

I have an Erebus Ascent and Henry Archer Vesterhav on order. And now I am looking for a nice used Monta, Formex, or Traska to add. Microbrands definitely renewed my interest in gens. The higher end brands have become boring to me.
 
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Pix

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Deco wheels, or really working ? :)
 

Falter

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Deco wheels, or really working ? :)
All wheels and gears are fully functional, complete in-house designed and produced movement made from Behrens with retrograde function hours and minute hands and a power reserve indicator.

It's also only a tad over 5mm thin and weighs only 20 grams!
Making it the second or third lightest watch ever produced
 
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Karbon74

Pika Factory - Currently in hiatus
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5/5/23
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And this flying seconds hand...
I have their initial model, time is longer to read, but who cares ? This grace in the hands movement...

There was always something off with Beaubleu for me…it looked messy and confusing

…now I know, it was missing the magie of that flying seconds hand.

…mais oui !


 
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btrizzy1

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26/12/09
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Just received my preorder for my Henry Archer Vesterhav. It has a lot going for it for a watch under $500: 200m WR, screw down crown, bright lume, color matched date wheel, tool-less micro adjustment clasp, tapered bracelet, screwed in links, female end links with quick release spring bars, sapphire front and back. All in 10.4mm thin case with excellent fit and finishing.
 
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Eldonsimon

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onthebeam

Getting To Know The Place
1/6/24
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The Traska Freediver 5 is truly impressive. The workmanship is first rate and I'm also wowed that the founder, Jon Mack, strives to tweak each watch in the line every year. The Freediver was the first Traska release six years ago. On the company website, you can see the descriptions of each version's incremental improvements. If you told me this was a $7,000 watch, instead of $660, I'd believe you. One of its main attributes is that it is virtually impenetrable to scratches, including the bracelet. The bracelet clasp has just been updated to include micro adjustments on the fly. However, the clasp itself appears to be the only part of the watch not coated to be fully scratch resistant.

My version pictured above is the latest, but just before the microadjustment feature was added to the clasp, ( smooth as butter, by the way). You can buy the updated piece of $50 on their website. I placed it in the cart, and received an email from Jon Mack asking if I'd like to set up a phone appointment with him. IMPRESSIVE service indeed.

As you can see in the picture, I photographed it with beige suede. The watch really takes on a new personalities by switching off to different 20mm strap ideas no wand then.