These days microbrand watches are all the rage. In the age of e-commerce, independent watchmakers that produce limited editions of around 500 to a couple thousand watches per year are able to sell direct to their customers, thereby bypassing the usual overhead and marketing costs. This means that microbrand watch prices may be significantly lower than luxury-tier watches, even though they may be similarly manufactured.1
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Here, we feature five intriguing dive watches from unique microbrands: The Abingdon Co. and Farr + Swit in the United States, Momentum in Canada, Baltic in France and Reverie in Singapore.
Marina Dive Watch by The Abingdon Co.
Designed by professional female scuba divers, Marina, with its seven color options, catches plenty of attention on your wrist even when you are not submerged. That said, 20atm water resistance, diver’s unidirectional bezel, world timer, buckle wetsuit expander, and plenty of lume make this a highly functional diver watch. Inside the 40mm titanium case is the Miyota 8215 Automatic movement. No batteries necessary. In or out on the water, the Marina is a great option in an American micro-brand. TheAbingdonCo.com
Momentum M20 DSS with Bahama Yellow Dial option
The M20 DSS dive watch features a 316L stainless steel rounded, polished case reminiscent of their original 1990’s Aquamatic model. The case is just under 42mm in diameter, but the smooth curves make it feel smaller and more comfortable on the wrist. Don’t let its good looks deceive you, the M20 DSS Diver is durable and adventure-ready, with an off-set screw-down crown and 200m-rating. It is also extremely legible day or night, with a double-dome sapphire crystal that features an anti-reflective coating and indices that contain Super-LumiNova lume. momentumwatch.com
The Diver by Reverie
The Diver marries Reverie’s elegant design language with the utilitarian nature of a dive watch. It offers market-leading features for its price, including an engraved Miyota 9039 automatic movement, sapphire crystal, Super-LumiNova lume, stainless steel bracelet with micro-adjust and an extra rubber strap. All of this packed in a svelte watch capable of withstanding the rigors of underwater exploration. Water resistant to 200m (20atm). reveriewatches.com
Seaplane Automatic “Midnight Landing” by Farr + Swit
From office to seaside, the 42mm Seaplane Automatic will become a favorite watch to wear every day. Powered by the Swiss SW200-1 automatic movement and encased in 316L stainless steel, Farr + Swit’s Seaplane Automatic is “a wearable work of art,” an American-made dive watch fusing the performance of a utility diver and pilot watch. Scratch resistant and water resistant to 330ft, no batteries and no plugs are needed, as your arm movement charges this watch, which keeps a 38-hour power reserve when it is set down. Capable of tracking dive time underwater in dark conditions, this dive watch is engineered to endure rugged use. Dry bag included. farrandswit.com
Aquascaphe GMT by Baltic
Inspired by GMT pilot watches of the 60s and 70s, the Aquascaphe GMT combines vintage and contemporary aesthetics. With a double-domed sapphire crystal, this dive watch has an elegant profile, and is ultra-resistant, as sapphire is one of the toughest materials on earth. The case is made of a strong and corrosion-resistant 316L steel alloy. Made with self-winding Swiss movement C125 by Soprod, it has a power reserve of 42 hours as well as date and GMT functions. Water resistant to 100m (10atm), the watch has a black dial with Super-LumiNova-coated indices, ensuring optimal readability in low light environments. baltic-watches.com
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1Wikipedia.org