Final week’s article about indie watchmakers from all corners of the world confirmed that the trade doesn’t solely revolve round Switzerland. And as a matter of reality, we’ve obtained some feedback and did some extra digging of our personal and are turning it right into a tryptic of articles, itemizing but extra watchmakers doing all kind of cool stuff. Some could be fairly well-known, whereas others could be utterly new to a few of you. However that’s the great thing about it really, and a part of the rationale why MONOCHROME exists within the first place. With out additional ado, let’s get began with Half II of the best non-Swiss unbiased watchmakers.
Habring² – Austria
In fact, we merely needed to embody Habring², the Austrian-based indie watchmaking model run by Richard and Maria Habring. We’ve carefully labored with the model final yr as we introduced our first-ever Montre de Souscription which is a really proud second for us. Richard Habring is well-known throughout the trade for creating the DoppelChronograph for IWC. Different noteworthy fashions embody the Doppel-Felix, the Foudroyante and the Erwin, which incorporates a dead-beat seconds complication.
If we needed to decide one, the Monopusher used within the Chrono-Felix is probably probably the greatest examples of Richard Habring’s work. We’re a bit biased on that one, as it’s the very watch we based mostly our MdS1 on in reality. It depends on a closely modified Valjoux 7750, which Habring² converts from an mechanically wound motion right into a manually wound chronograph with solely a single pusher. It’s housed in a 38.5mm huge stainless-steel case, with solely 12mm in peak. It is available in a number of completely different configurations and ours featured a wealthy, salmon-toned sector dial as an illustration. Costs begin across the EUR 6,000 mark.
For extra info, please go to Habring2.com
Fast Information – 38.5mm x 12mm – stainless-steel case, brushed or polished – sapphire crystal on either side – bicompax chronograph dial in varied colors and layouts – central hours and minutes, small seconds subdial, central chronograph seconds and 30min counter – Calibre Habring² A11C-H1, in-house – 4Hz frequency (28,800vph) – 48h energy reserve – anti-magnetic escapement – 180 parts – leather-based strap with metal pin buckle – ranging from EUR 6,000
GoS – Sweden
The unbiased watchmaker GoS is certainly one of my private favourites, although I’m absolutely conscious opinions could be cut up between adore it or hate it. It’s a repeatedly seen model on MONOCHROME Watches, which is situated in Linköping, Sweden and run by Patrik Sjögren. GoS makes use of Scandinavian heritage and folklore, mixed with hand-forged and -finished Damascus metal parts. The result’s usually very putting, to say the least.
The most recent mannequin by GoS is the Norrsken Blue, which makes use of a vibrant blue dial with a hand-applied wavey guilloché sample to imitate the ripples of the Aurora Borealis. The 41.5mm huge case and its bezel are made out of Damascus metal, cast by hand by an professional blacksmith. Damascus metal is thought for its depth and element, with no two elements ever having the identical patterns. The micro-rotor of the Calibre GoS03 (a Schwarz-Etienne ASE 200.00 base) can also be carried out in Damascus metal. Restricted to 50 items solely, it has a base worth of USD 19,500, with bespoke choices at a premium.
For extra info, please go to GoSWatches.com
Fast Information – 41.5mm x 12.1mm – Damascus metal case and bezel – domed sapphire crystal with sapphire crystal caseback – handmade crown – 50m water-resistance – blue hand-engraved guilloché dial – hand-blown Swedish crystal index ring with luminous insert ring – handmade arms and Triskele operating seconds indicator – Calibre GoS03 micro-rotor motion, Schwarz-Etienne ASE 200.00 base – 33 jewels – 198 parts – 21m600vph – 86h energy reserve – black salmon leather-based strap with Damascus metal pin buckle – restricted version of fifty items – USD 19,500 base worth
Bexei – Hungary
Out of the 6 indies we cowl at present, Aaron Becsei could be probably the most fly-under-the-radar watchmaker. Aaron is a Hungarian watchmaker, situated in Budapest, and produces virtually the whole lot in-house, by hand. He primarily works on bespoke and really low quantity sequence of watches and may cater to just about any request. Every watch is made out of scratch, showcasing Aaron Becsei’s skills to the fullest.
We’ve been lucky sufficient to speak to a Bexei proprietor lately, and discover out what makes his watches so very particular. The Bexei Dignitas Energy Reserve has a really distinctly formed case, with a scalloped profile and bezel. It measures 37.5mm huge, 42mm lengthy and 14mm in peak, so fairly a sizeable piece. The dial has an elliptical hour/minute indication, with a small second subdial within the decrease half. A delicate energy reserve is included at 12 o’clock, giving the watch its title. The motion is totally made in-house, with even reground and polished countersinks for the jewels. It truly is beautiful stuff, and ordering one from Aaron Becsei means coping with the person himself straight.
For extra info, please go to Bexei.hu
Fast Information – 37.5mm x 42mm x 14mm – scalloped case and bezel – concave lugs – metal, gold or platinum case upon request – sapphire crystal on either side – bespoke dial and hand configurations attainable – formed, in-house made, hand-wound motion – 14mm free-spring titanium steadiness wheel – central hour and minutes, small seconds, energy reserve – 40h energy reserve – hand-applied ending together with black sharpening, anglage, engraving and polished jewel sinks – Beginning worth of EUR 51,000
Grönefeld – the Netherlands
Each episode of our round-up of a number of the coolest indie manufacturers on the planet will embody a Dutch entry, and at present it’s the Grönefeld brothers’ flip. The 2 males from Oldenzaal, the Netherlands, have made fairly a reputation for themselves by watches such because the Parallax Tourbillon, One Hertz and extra lately the 1941 Principia. No matter complexity, each is completed to Haute Horlogerie requirements.
Working example, the 1941 Remontoire, to us maybe probably the most fascinating assortment out of the Horological Brother’s portfolio. It was a watch that received them the award for the finest males’s watch on the 2016 GPHG. What makes the 1941 Remontoire so interesting is the governor for the fixed drive mechanism on the dial aspect of the watch. This governor regulates the velocity of the remontoire mechanism and mitigates shocks to the geartrain. A tiny hairspring is wound and each 8 seconds it visibly releases a managed pulse of vitality. It additionally has a Geneva cease work that cuts off the facility after 35 hours to make sure excellent isochronism. It’s restricted to 188 actions in whole, and has a base worth of slightly below Eur 45,000.
For extra info, please go to Grönefeld.com
Fast Information – 39.5mm x 10.5mm – stainless-steel or gold case – domed sapphire crystal – multi-level sterling silver dials in a spread of colors – prolonged lancette arms – small seconds subdial – Calibre G-05, in-house hand-wound motion – 258 parts – 36 jewels – 21,600vph – free-sprung steadiness – stainless-steel bridges completed by hand – 8-seconds remontoire – Geneva cease works mechanism – 35h energy reserve – hand-sewn alligator leather-based strap – base worth of slightly below EUR 45,000
Ophion – Spain
We’re transferring additional all the way down to the south of Europe for Ophion, a Spanish unbiased watchmaking firm engaged on barely extra reasonably priced watches. The model manages to mix a number of of the extra classical, high-end traits of indie watchmaking, with outsourced but fascinating mechanical actions.
In 2019 the model got here out with the OPH 768 Velos, working along with non-other than Kari Voutilainen for the case and dials. This was a shock transfer actually, and the outcome was very satisfying. The case options teardrop lugs, mixed with both radial brushed dials in gray or blue, or CNC Guilloché dials in blue, silver or salmon. Energy comes from a proprietary motion made with Soprod. It serves up a powerful 5 day energy reserve due to the double-barrel system. And the perfect a part of all? This all will be yours for as little as EUR 2,580 or EUR 2,870 (with out taxes) relying on the dial.
For extra info, please go to Ophion-Watches.com
Fast Information – 39mm x 10.45mm – stainless-steel case, polished – teardrop lugs – sapphire crystal on either side – multilayered CNC guilloché or radial brushed dial – thermal blued or nickel-plated arms – proprietary Soprod motion, manually wound – 26 jewels – 28,800vph – handmade hammered ornament – central hours, minutes and seconds – 120h energy reserve – EUR 2,580 (radial brushed dials) or EUR 2,870 (CNC guilloché dial)
Sarpaneva – Finland
The ultimate indie watchmaker on this checklist comes from Finland and goes by the title of Stepan Sarpaneva. Working beneath his personal title, and beneath the extra reasonably priced Sarpaneva Uhren Fabrik model, Stepan creates distinctive watches corresponding to no different. He has created a singular watchmaking model revolving round his indignant moon show, a signature component in virtually all of his watches.
The lately introduced Sarpaneva x Moomin restricted version is an ideal instance of his creativity and originality, although it elements methods with the in any other case very industrially designed dials. It is available in Sarpaneva’s trademark styled case, and has a picture of a resting Moomintroll surrounded with vibrant reeds and engraved bushes and timber. The sapphire crystal caseback reveals the complete rotor of the Soprod A10 computerized motion, with the aforementioned indignant moon show providing you with the “look”. Restricted to simply 100 items evenly unfold throughout 4 variations, it’s priced at EUR 12,000.
For extra info, please go to SarpanevaWatches.com
Fast Information – 42mm x 11.4mm – stainless-steel Sarpaneva case – sapphire crystal on either side – screw-down crown – 100m water-resistance – three-part stainless-steel dial – hand-finished and -painted Moomintroll picture with 9 colors of Tremendous-LumiNova – two-tone arms in 4 completely different colors – modified Soprod A10 motion, computerized winding – 25 jewels – 28,800vph – 42h energy reserve – Sarpaneva “indignant moon” rotor – handmade black salmon leather-based strap – restricted version of 25 items per color (arms) – EUR 12,000
https://monochrome-watches.com/the-coolest-non-swiss-independent-watchmakers-part-2/
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