Revisiting Some Of Last Year’s Best New Indie Brands

The independent watchmaking scene is not only important to MONOCHROME, but also gains the attention of an ever-growing number of people in the watch community. To us and probably to many of you, it’s the creative freedom, the attention to detail, the artisanal craftsmanship that’s more often than not on full display that excites us. It catches our eye, tingles our senses, gets under our skin and leaves us wanting more, time and time again. Within the indie scene itself, we see superbly cool stuff being done, from established names but also by newcomers. And that’s exactly why I thought it would be a good idea to look back at some of the new independent watchmakers we discovered and shared last year!

Manteio Zeus

When I first got hands-on with the Zeus by Manteio, a new indie brand founded by Alex Goetschi, I was quite literally struck by its dial (ignore the lightning-related pun, please). The depth and detail are very impressive, and it only gets better when you flip it over and see its MYTH-001 movement, developed by Chronode. Manteio’s inspiration comes from Greek mythology, and for this one, it’s the King of the Gods. Details like the golden eagle, lightning bolts, droplet hour markers and the bee and beehives on the back, all tie into that mythical saga of Zeus. Only 12 will be made, at a price of CHF 29,800 excl. VAT. And I, for one, can’t wait to discover the next chapter for Manteio!

For more information, please visit Manteio.ch.

Quick Facts – 39mm x 9.7mm – stainless steel case, brushed & polished – faceted lugs – pull-out crown with engraved logo – sapphire crystal front & back – 30m water-resistant – 18k gold dial with free-hand engraved decor – 18k gold hands – Calibre MYTH-001, exclusively developed by Chronode – manual winding – twin bee-hive barrels – grey goat leather strap, pin buckle – limited to 12 pieces – CHF 29,800 excl. VAT

Aubert & Ramel ouréa

Over the past couple of years, we’ve seen a fair share of independent watchmaking duos burst upon the scene, and Aubert & Ramel is one of our latest discoveries. Graduating from the watchmaking school in Morteau, France, Thomas Aubert (F.P. Journe Young Talent Competition winner, 2024) and Alexis Ramel-Sartori made their debut with the Ouréa. This truly impressive watch is almost entirely made by hand, with an original griffé decoration on the dial, exposed mechanics up front and a very high level of finishing throughout. The movement is entirely developed in-house, with the exception of a few very specific parts (mainspring, jewels, etc). Limited to 14 pieces in titanium, it costs CHF 72,000 before taxes.

For more information, please visit Aubert-Ramel.com.

Quick Facts – 40.4mm x 11.5mm – grade 5 titanium case with matte finish – sapphire crystal front & back – 50m water-resistant – solid silver dial with griffé finish – markers & hands with white lacquere – Calibre Oureau, in-house – manual winding – hours & minutes only – 174 parts – variable inertia balance wheel with Breguet terminal curve – 18,000vph – 72h power reserve – calfskin leather strap with titanium pin buckle – limited to 14 pieces in titanium – CHF 72,000 (excl. VAT)

Dunselman Black tulip

The Black Tulip is Annelinde Dunselman’s breakout watch, launching her own watchmaking atelier in the process. It’s not often we see new watchmakers from the Netherlands like this, so we were quite excited about this one! The Black Tulip is a time-only watch with a ton of details. It starts with a 38mm case with recessed flanks and a special inscription between the lugs. The silvery-white dial is finished with 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 befriended specialist, and the attention to detail continues here, too. We see individual openworked bridges, bevelled edges, polished screw heads, frosted surfaces and so on. Only 10 will be made in this configuration, for a price of EUR 38,000.

For more information, please visit DunselmanWatchmaking.com.

Quick Facts – 38mm x 11.9mm – stainless steel case, brushed, blasted & polished – black tulip decoration on the bezel – inscription between the lugs – recessed flanks – decorated crown – 50m water-resistant – silvery-white dial with tulip pattern – raised logo – steel dot hour markers – floral tipped hands – Calibre D202.5, developed in-house – manufactured with specialist movement maker – hand-wound – 21,600vph – 100h power reserve – alligator leather strap – limited to 10 pieces – EUR 38,000

Alan Birchall Piece d’essai N.00

True artisanal independent watchmaking is a big yet rare thing on the indie scene, but one of the most impressive watches we’ve covered is Alan Birchall’s Pièce d’Essai N.00. While the watch in the images 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 track is a better word perhaps), the hands and above all, the movement! With gold-plated frosted bridges and plates, black polished bridges and screws, a balance wheel with gold poising weights and so on, it is the stuff of dreams. Production is limited to one per year at the moment, with a price upon request and depending on bespoke options.

For more information, please visit A-Birchall.com.

Quick Facts – 35.40mm diameter – stainless steel case, made by hand – sapphire crystal front & back – German Silver dial – handmade & blued hands – in-house movement, made by hand – gold-plated frosted mainplate & bridges – Beryllium copper setting mechanics bridge – 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 – priced upon request

Nicolas Delaloye Renaissance Tantalum 39mm

Ok, we’re bending our self-imposed parameters a bit, since Nicolas Delaloye is far from a new name in watchmaking. But 2025 saw the industry veteran return to independence with his Renaissance Tantalum 39mm, a largely handmade watch with an intriguing mix of tradition and materials. The tantalum case holds an ivory or black enamel dial, with blued or polished leaf-shaped hands. The hand-wound Calibre ND01 is based on an AS1130 gear train and reveals German Silver bridges, a swan-neck regulator, wolf’s teeth on the ratchet wheel, an ultra-fine click spring, and ample amounts of hand-finishing. It’s limited to 24 pieces, presented on a fabric and Nubuck leather strap with a pin buckle, at a price of CHF 45,000 excl. VAT.

For more information, please visit DelaloyeGeneve.ch.

Quick Facts – 39mm x 11.1mm – tantalum case – crown with vitrine or amethyst cabuchon – sapphire crystal front & back – black or ivory enamel dial – Roman or Arabic numerals – leaf-shaped hands – Calibre ND01 (based on AS1130) – hand-wound – 18,000vph – 72h power reserve – hours, minutes, small seconds – fabric and nubuck leather strap – tantalum pin buckle – limited edition of 24 pieces – CHF 45,000 (excl. taxes)

Fam Al-Hut Möbius

The oddly shaped Möbius (previously known as the Mark I Bi-Axis Tourbillon) by Fam Al Hut came seemingly out of nowhere last year. Well, in reality, it comes from Chongqing, China, but you get what I’m saying. There’s no denying this is a very different kind 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’s developed with the help of a specialist, and finished and assembled in-house. The case is in steel, and with its integrated thin rubber strap, results in a watch unlike anything else. With a price of USD 32,000, Fam Al Hut presents a standout piece at a remarkably competitive price for such a complex piece.

For more information, please visit FamAlHut.com.

Quick Facts – 42.2mm x 24.3mm x 12.9mm – stainless steel case – sapphire crystal bubble top – see-through caseback – flat knurled crown – split retrograde displays for jumping hours & running minutes – Calibre M-01T, in-house – bi-axis tourbillon escapement – 21,600vph – 50h power reserve – high-end finishing throughout – integrated thin rubber strap with folding clasp – limited production – USD 32,000 excl. VAT