The independent watch scene is not only important to MONOCHROME, but is also attracting the attention of an ever-growing number of people in the watch community. For us, and probably for many of you, it is the creative freedom, the attention to detail, the craftsmanship often on display that excites us. It catches our eye, excites our senses, gets under our skin and always makes us want more. In the indie scene itself we see some great cool stuff being done by established names as well as newcomers. And that's exactly why I thought it would be a good idea to take a look at some of the new independent watchmakers we discovered and featured last year!
Maintenance Zeus
When I first picked up the Zeus from Manteio, a new indie brand founded by Alex Goetschi, I was literally in awe of its dial (ignore the lightning pun please). The depth and detail is very impressive and becomes even better when you turn it over and see the Chronode developed MYTH-001 movement. Manteio's inspiration comes from Greek mythology and in this case it is the king of the gods. Details such as the golden eagle, lightning bolts, teardrop hour markers and the bee and beehives on the back tie into the mythical legend of Zeus. Only 12 pieces will be made, priced at 29,800 CHF excl. VAT And I for one can't wait to discover the next chapter for Manteio!
Further information can be found at Manteio.ch.
Quick facts – 39 mm x 9.7 mm – Stainless steel case, brushed and polished – Faceted lugs – Pull-out crown with engraved logo – Sapphire crystal on the front and back – 30 m water resistance – 18 carat gold dial with freehand engraved decoration – 18 carat gold hands – Caliber MYTH-001, developed exclusively by Chronode – Manual winding – Two beehive barrels – Gray goatskin strap, Pin buckle – limited to 12 pieces – 29,800 CHF excl. VAT
Aubert & Ramel ouréa
We've seen quite a few independent watchmaking duos take the stage in recent years, and Aubert & Ramel is one of our latest discoveries. After graduating from the watchmaking school in Morteau, France, Thomas Aubert (winner of the FP Journe Young Talent Competition, 2024) and Alexis Ramel-Sartori made their debut with the Ouréa. This truly impressive watch is almost entirely handcrafted and features original Griffé decoration on the dial, exposed mechanics on the front and very high quality workmanship throughout. The movement is developed entirely in-house, with the exception of a few very specific parts (mainspring, jewels, etc.). The price is limited to 14 pieces in titanium 72,000 francs before tax.
For more information, visit Aubert-Ramel.com.
Quick facts – 40.4 mm x 11.5 mm – Grade 5 titanium case with matte finish – Sapphire crystal front and back – 50 m water resistance – Solid silver dial with Griffé finish – Markers and hands with white lacquer – Oureau caliber, in-house – Manual winding – Hours and minutes only – 174 parts – Variable inertia balance wheel with Breguet end curve – 18,000 Vibrations per hour – 72 hour power reserve – Calfskin strap with titanium pin buckle – limited to 14 pieces in titanium – 72,000 francs (excl. VAT)
Dunselman Black Tulip
The Black Tulip is Annelinde Dunselman's groundbreaking watch with which she founded her own watchmaking studio. It's not often that we see such new watchmakers from the Netherlands, so we were pretty excited about this one! The Black Tulip is a pure time watch with many details. It starts with a 38mm case with recessed sides and special lettering between the lugs. The silver-white dial features a pattern of tulips, applied steel dots on the minute track, flower bulb tips on the hour and minute hands and a tulip-shaped small seconds hand. The movement is developed in-house and manufactured with the help of a specialist friend, and the attention to detail continues here too. We see individual openwork bridges, beveled edges, polished screw heads, frosted surfaces and so on. In this configuration only 10 pieces will be produced at a price of 38,000 euros.
For more information, visit DunselmanWatchmaking.com.
Quick facts – 38 mm x 11.9 mm – Stainless steel case, brushed, blasted and polished – Black tulip decoration on the bezel – Inscription between the lugs – Recessed flanks – Decorated crown – 50 m water resistance – Silver-white dial with tulip pattern – Raised logo – Steel dot hour markers – Floral-tipped hands – Caliber D202.5, developed in-house – Manufactured with a specialist movement manufacturer – Hand-wound – 21,600 vibrations per hour – 100 hour power reserve – Alligator leather strap – limited to 10 pieces – 38,000 euros
Alan Birchall test piece No. 00
True artisan, independent watchmaking is a big but rare thing in the indie scene, but one of the most impressive watches we've featured is Alan Birchall's Pièce d'Essai N.00. While the watch in the pictures is the prototype, the order books are open! Alan Birchall made it almost entirely by hand in the most traditional sense of the word, from the case to the dial (minute/hour display is perhaps a better word), the hands and, above all, the movement! With gold-plated, matt-finished bridges and plates, black polished bridges and screws, a balance wheel with gold balance weights, etc., it's a dream. Production is currently limited to one per year, pricing is upon request and dependent on bespoke options.
For more information, visit A-Birchall.com.
Quick facts – 35.40 mm diameter – Stainless steel case, handmade – Sapphire crystal front and back – Nickel silver dial – Hand-made and blued hands – In-house movement, hand-made – Gold-plated, matt-finished main plate and bridges – Mechanical bridge made of beryllium copper – Black polished steel bridges – EcoBrass balance wheel with gold counterweights – Deep blue leather strap with pin buckle – Limited to 1 piece per year due to production capacity – Price on request
Nicolas Delaloye Renaissance Tantalum 39mm
Ok, we're deviating a little from our self-imposed parameters, as Nicolas Delaloye is far from a new name in watchmaking. But in 2025, the industry veteran returned to independence with its Renaissance Tantalum 39mm, a largely handcrafted watch with an intriguing mix of tradition and materials. The tantalum case houses an ivory or black enamel dial with blued or polished leaf-shaped hands. The hand-wound caliber ND01 is based on an AS1130 gear train and features nickel silver bridges, a swan neck regulator, wolf teeth on the ratchet wheel, an ultra-fine click spring and plenty of handwork. It is limited to 24 pieces and is presented on a fabric and nubuck leather strap with a pin buckle, priced at 45,000 francs excl. VAT
Further information can be found at DelaloyeGeneve.ch.
Quick facts – 39 mm x 11.1 mm – tantalum case – crown with display case or amethyst cabuchon – sapphire crystal front and back – black or ivory enamel dial – Roman or Arabic numerals – leaf-shaped hands – caliber ND01 (based on AS1130) – hand-wound – 18,000 vibrations per hour – 72 hours power reserve – hours, Minutes, small seconds – fabric and nubuck leather strap – tantalum pin buckle – limited edition of 24 pieces – 45,000 francs (excl. taxes)
Fam. All-Hut Möbeus
The strangely shaped Möbius (formerly known as the Mark I Bi-Axis Tourbillon) from Fam Al Hut seemingly came out of nowhere last year. Well, actually it comes from Chongqing, China, but you get what I mean. There's no denying that this is a very different type of watch, thanks to its capsule-shaped case, dual-axis tourbillon under a sapphire crystal bubble in the top half, and split retrograde hours (jumping) and minutes in the bottom half. It is developed with the help of a specialist and is completed and assembled in-house. The steel case and the integrated thin rubber strap result in a watch that is second to none. With a price of $32,000Fam Al Hut presents an outstanding piece at a remarkably affordable price for such a complex piece.
For more information, visit FamAlHut.com.
Quick facts – 42.2 mm x 24.3 mm x 12.9 mm – stainless steel case – sapphire crystal bubble cover – transparent case back – flat, knurled crown – split retrograde displays for jumping hours and running minutes – caliber M-01T, in-house – two-axis tourbillon escapement – 21,600 vibrations per hour – 50 hour power reserve – consistently high-quality workmanship – integrated thin Rubber strap with folding clasp – limited production – $32,000 excl. VAT
https://monochrome-watches.com/buying-guide-independent-watchmaking-alan-birchall-aubert-ramel-fam-al-hut-dunselman-nicolas-delaloye-manteio-specs-live-pics-price/