THE JOURNAL
3 MINUTE READ
Five Watches That Embody The Spirit Of Indie Watchmaking
Words by Mr Chris Hall
4 July 2023
Get deep enough into watches, and you’ll realise that the die-hard horology fans spend their time obsessing over so-called “independent watchmakers”. The term is confusing: it doesn’t just mean brands that aren’t owned by private-equity shareholders or a luxury conglomerate like LVMH. It implies small-scale production that in its approach and its results sits aside from the mainstream. Sometimes that means artisanal handcraft, but not always. It can be about cultivating an “alternative” image, too. Bottom line: these are watches that might draw a blank from basic Rolex addicts, but will earn the respect and recognition of those truly in the know.
01.
Massena LAB x Raúl Pagès Magraph
Indie watchmaking is about collaboration, which is central to Massena LAB’s output. Previous projects have revived defunct movements and celebrated historic designs, but this is the first time a Massena LAB watch has debuted an all-new calibre. Created by Swiss artisan watchmaker Mr Raúl Pagès, the hand-wound M660 movement is finely decorated with hand-bevelled bridges, wide Côte de Genève stripes and perlage. The 38.5mm watch draws on elements of mid-century design for its case and dial, and is produced in a limited run of just 99 pieces.
02.
Bamford Watch Department B80
If the brief is “distance from the mainstream”, then Bamford Watch Department answers it perfectly. Not because its watches are esoteric creations, unwearable in their complexity, but because the Mayfair-based brand thrives on appealing to connoisseurs searching for something new. The B80 is BWD’s take on an “everything watch”, also known as a “field watch” for its basic similarity to military watches of the 1940s, but in typical Bamford style, it has had a glow-up that brings vibrant colour combinations and textures to the fore. Cased in sandblasted titanium with a canvas strap, it combines a speckled burgundy dial with baby-blue accents and cream hour markers.
03.
Andersen Geneve Tempus Terrae
In its original form, indie watchmaking is all about technical mastery, classical design and luxurious decoration. All three are in ample supply at Andersen Geneve, which has been specialising in world time watches for decades, and dazzles with its central guilloché dial sections. The shimmering, tessellated pyramid design is a perfect complement for the razor-sharp hands, clean black-and-white ring of international cities, and clean, circular case. On the reverse, you’ll find a hinged caseback that opens to reveal an automatic rotor decorated with the same geometric guilloché pattern.
04.
UNIMATIC Model 2
Like Bamford Watch Department – except swap Mayfair for Milan – UNIMATIC exists to bring a degree of contemporary design-led flourish to long-established watchmaking tropes. The brand’s stock-in-trade is the humble dive watch, but the Modello Due merges dive watch dial design with a utilitarian, bezel-free titanium case reminiscent of early 1970s military watches. The result is a watch that retains the 300m water resistance and legible dial of a true diver, but in a sleeker, even less fussy silhouette.
05.
Ressence Type 3X
The Belgian company Ressence takes an iconoclastic approach to watch design, questioning such basic principles as the existence of hands. And it does so by introducing groundbreaking technical ideas that neither bamboozle nor confuse the user: if anything, a Ressence is easier to read and understand than most haute horlogerie creations. This Type 3, a limited-edition collaboration with typographer Mr Stephan Sagmeister, was made to celebrate the brand’s 10th anniversary.