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WatchDoctor
847
Oct 24, 2017
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Vintage1982Benz
7977
Oct 24, 2017
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WatchDoctorI'm not too hard on my watches and if I'm going to the beach, camping, etc, I have a few "beaters" I keep around.
Generally speaking you are correct about fit and finish, these Micros have a ways to go before they can compete with some of the established brands that have been doing this for 100+ years but increasingly they are coming close and delivering good value, IMO. The thing that made me comfortable with pledging on the Martenero is that they have produced quality pieces before, so I'm less skeptical about what the final product will be once it is in my hands.
Generally speaking you are correct about fit and finish, these Micros have a ways to go before they can compete with some of the established brands that have been doing this for 100+ years but increasingly they are coming close and delivering good value, IMO. The thing that made me comfortable with pledging on the Martenero is that they have produced quality pieces before, so I'm less skeptical about what the final product will be once it is in my hands.
WatchDoctor
847
Oct 24, 2017
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Vintage1982BenzAwesome. looking forward to seeing the pictures once you get it.
Cloaca
1906
Oct 25, 2017
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WatchDoctorI think that a lot of microbrands hook up with a Chinese or Eastern European manufacturer on Alibaba. They then order the minimum number of pieces that the manufacturer requires, so even if the maker is not completely flakey, as a customer the microbrand is not that important to the maker.
There are other entrepreneurs who hook up with Swiss or German makers, which can produce good results. These guys however are often ex-watch industry guys, former Fossil executives or the like, and they have contacts already.
I think that Japanese makers would benefit by making their production capability available to microbrands. The Japanese need an infusion of creativity, and having a working relationship with the sort of people behind microbrands could result in something really good for the company culture, I think.
There are other entrepreneurs who hook up with Swiss or German makers, which can produce good results. These guys however are often ex-watch industry guys, former Fossil executives or the like, and they have contacts already.
I think that Japanese makers would benefit by making their production capability available to microbrands. The Japanese need an infusion of creativity, and having a working relationship with the sort of people behind microbrands could result in something really good for the company culture, I think.
Vintage1982Benz
7977
Oct 25, 2017
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CloacaI think many of them look to a Miyota movement already - reasonably priced and with a proven track record. The ones I'm most interested in are doing a lot of this on their own, design wise, and then you are correct - outsourcing the movement and much of the assembly. Some are even working with people to design their own movements - see Oak & Oscar for example. As a result, their watches are priced as if you were buying a Swiss piece with hand made components.
http://www.oakandoscar.com/#best-craftsman
Martenero is one that collaborates more and uses the Miyota movement for the guts, but all design and assembly is done in New York City. I cannot recall where I had read it but they work with a family that is three generations of watchmakers.
A more comprehensive collaboration would be very interesting, but I don't know how open the Micros would be to it. I think a lot of these people left the larger corporate environment for a reason, so they can have complete control over the product and not have to compromise for the sake of marketing, cost cutting or whatever the case may be.
http://www.oakandoscar.com/#best-craftsman
Martenero is one that collaborates more and uses the Miyota movement for the guts, but all design and assembly is done in New York City. I cannot recall where I had read it but they work with a family that is three generations of watchmakers.
A more comprehensive collaboration would be very interesting, but I don't know how open the Micros would be to it. I think a lot of these people left the larger corporate environment for a reason, so they can have complete control over the product and not have to compromise for the sake of marketing, cost cutting or whatever the case may be.
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An observation that I have had is that the quality of the work is not on par with that of comparably priced watches from established manufactures such as Seiko, Tissot, etc
I think those bigger manufactures have perfected their process and also leverage economy of scale so they can deliver a higher quality (build and cleanness/perfection) at the comparable (or even better) price point.
So bottomline if you are not picky (i.e. little details and skirmishes don't bother you) and you don't drive your watches hard (i.e. take them off before playing tennis, or swimming, or action sports, etc) then these micro-brands are excellent. They are unique and different from everything else.
However if you are picky and you look at your watch dial closely, then you usually (per my experience) find little and minor defects here or there with them which will drive you nuts. Also if you like playing rough with your watches then they will break down rather easy (i.e. hands fall off, sometimes hour markers fall off, etc). So they are also not as sturdy as big-name watches either.