Cheap Watches are Getting SCARY Good...
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- čas přidán 13. 05. 2023
- I feel like every year I see a tangible improvement from microbrands. From design to fit and finish, what these guys are able to do with very little cash is starting to blow my mind.
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You are correct. Smaller brands are starting to eat the horological lunch of the bigger companies.
Just goes to show... Great watches don't have to come... with even Greater price tags... 😁
@@andromedagodit2492 Exactly.
Just stop buying -rolex we need to punish this greedy basta*s🤣
we poor bois will soon be feastin
Microbrands can get pricey, but still relatively less than luxury big boys. The creativity and fun factor is higher I think with some micros.
The San Martin/Seestern/Sugess watches at $200 will blow you away.
I just got the Seestern BBPro homage with the Explorer II dial and it is genuinely the most incredibly well made watch I've ever seen at anywhere near that price point (really, on anything sub $1k). Astonishing fit and finish. I can't wait to see these Chinese manufacturers start to really do their own thing in addition to the homage designs, because what they're doing already is unbelievable.
I have a Sugess panda chrono. It's a gorgeous watch and a huge piece of value for the money.
Totally agree with You.
I’ll never get over the fact that San Martin made their BBPro homage 2mm THINNER than the Tudor.
The only tangible downside to chinese watches is that their QC is a crapshoot, and customer service is almost non-existent. They’re still a great bargain though
I got a seagull 1963 for 450 pounds...and you can definitely tell it's not made that well. It's hit or miss with cheaper watches.
I know it didn’t come from the watch world but the phrase “price is what you pay, value is what you get” is pretty applicable to this hobby !
i'd like to disagree, have you seen daniel wellington watches?
I'm at that stage now where I get far more excited about microbrands than I do about the bigger brands. Everything from Christopher Ward to Farer and Zelos peak my interest now far more than the likes of Rolex, Omega, AP etc.
Microbrands, morning coffee, and mediocre pornography - what's not to like?
Zelos is CRAZY with their designs, their pieces are a little more than I would like to spend but just the case material and design alone make them worth buying, not to mention putting luminescence in the crown 🤯
Agreed the watch snob in all of us makes me think no because they have no history / legacy .
If the legacy brands did this stuff at these price points ( or close enough )❤❤
I know it will never happen .😢
I purchased the Nodus Sector Sport almost two months ago and I wear it 5 days out of the week. It’s become my go to. It’s solidly built, lovely pop of color and regulated before shipped. Nodus even send a little card displaying the four positions they’ve regulated, with a illustration of which resting positions are ticking plus or minus. I thought they was a good touch. I’ve also left it on bracelet and yet to explore alternative looks. Really nice tool-less micro adjustments as well.
It's a stand out for sure. Congrats! 👍
I got the Brew Metric in 'gold' instantly the email announcing it arrived. Even surrounded by GS, Omega, Tudor, Longines etc it gets its fair share of wrist time because it's actually a nice watch that is just plain fun to wear. These kinds of watches and the micro brands making them really have their place. Nice video Max and some great choices too.
Great video, actually one of my recent favorites. Not just because of the pieces you covered but because you found multiple pieces to celebrate rather than eviscerate. I get that knocking watches generates more views but I also think that’s what separates the “enthusiasts” from the “content providers”. Thanks for some positivity on Mothers Day.
I've been super disciplined about not buying many watches and just "window shopping" until i know what i want. But it's gotten really hard to rationalize buying a "grail" or expensive watch. At the same time, i'm not a big fan of collections where people have 15 watches in a box that cost $100-$300 a piece. But I agree, I think you can get some amazing watches and build a great collection for a reasonable price. I think it's just about being disciplined and keeping the collection compact with 2-3 pieces. You could literally do a great Tissot, Hamilton, and Seiko collection for around $1,000 - $1500. ANd be still less than half the price of an Omega or Tudor
I understand and fully agree with what you’re saying about the small collection. I downsized from 30+ (over $60k) to 4: one diver/gmt, one chronograph, one dress piece, and one heirloom watch that’s been in the family over 40 years. I wear them all and don’t feel like I need to see a psychiatrist
@@wristroll_vlad haha well said. Damn that’s a lot of money! Good for you though. Can I ask what the 4 are?
@@minimalistmaverick batman on jubilee, navitimer rattrapante, reverso duoface, and a 45 yr old chayka
@@wristroll_vlad Had no idea what the Rattrapante was, had to look it up hahah. But amazing collection, you should be proud!
This concept of being "super deciplined" and only buying "name brand" watches seems kind of funny to me. Why?! What's the fun in that? Chinese watches are so incredibly well made and such great value for the money. Why can't you have more than 2 or 3. That's ridiculous! If you can afford them, go for it. Have a little fun!
Microbrands have really been stepping up their game lately, especially in the sub 1,500 dollar mark. I have owned many watches over the years, (Rolex, Omega, JLC list goes on) and lately I have found more interest and joy from some microbrands than many of the big boy watch companies. Most well known manufacturers seem to do nothing but copy one another these days. The quality on some of them has gone down as they become more mass produced and yet the cost keeps going up. 10k for a Rolex OP?? If you think that's a good deal on a good watch then you're lying to yourself. Microbrands are currently giving a lot of watch for what you are paying for. Many on par with other brands that cost thousands more.
Yes the creativity on the low budget end is really great to see 👍
I agree.
As an …uh…”enthusiast”, I have a mid size collection that covers from the Big 3+2( got the JLC; still stalking an ALS) to Casio’s, Seiko’s and micro’s (including that Picard and a different Brew), I whole heartedly concur.
I now only collect pieces that are unique, agnostic to brands (only reliable ones, though) and prices. After gotten the flex pieces out of curiosity, I am now indifferent toward those without significant technical or personal stories.
Also, micro’s allow me to do test runs. The Furlan Marri sector dial allowed me a chance to see if I really want that grail sector from Patek, or if it is enough to scratch that itch and move on.
It’s a challenge not to have too many overlap, though.
Also, pre owned pieces are more interesting most of the time, too. A scratched up Seiko Turtle that got its owner out of the jungles of SE Asia is much more attractive than an Explorer that has never been wet in the rain.
Happy hunting:)
Love your channel man. Your commentary is top notch and always brings a smile to my face.
Thanks Mark, appreciate you 😊
Watch designs and their *designers’* stories have been the biggest factors in my last four purchases: a Fears Brunswick Salmon, Studio Underd0g Watermelon and Dessert Sky, and the powder blue John Mayer G-Shock. I feel I have evolved to appreciate those aspects more than what Swiss watch marketing and overpricing attempts to tell me what I should appreciate. Heck, I might even evolve further and get a CWC *quartz* watch next. (Hmm, I’m detecting a British watchmaking theme here.)
The British have been coming hard for a few years now! Watch out
Underd0g is really impressive ... I have a Watermelon, too ... and it's just so much fun and so quirky ... and it's just a fantastic bonus that Richard is a really nice guy who actually cares about watch collectors.
Wow, the brew watch looks fresh, i instantly fell in love with it.
Thank you very much WatchCrunch
I’m a budget watch collectors, Chinese, Casio, Timex, Russian and any others watches that are reasonable. For my budget I have found the Chinese watches for catching up big time!
You have to check out the Chinese …uh…”homage” to the Serica, especially the insulting customer service the Serica brand is giving.
Great video! I love the talk about the industry in general. A lot more than just specs and looks.
I agree about design and storytelling being a big factor in ultimately buying a piece. But crazy no one in the comments are talking about YOUR storytelling in this video, pretty sick, you got a new sub. Keep it up!!
I am always glad to see high build quality from micro brands😊 Avi8 or Straton always looks good for my taste of racing and aviation . Always good to watch your videos I hope you grow lot more
Thanks bud. Love fliegers myself!
Love the Brew with it’s Kaffee connection! Thank you Max!
Brew's Metric in gold has a nice look not gonna lie
Damn right 😎
Spot on, Max! The Vario looks great! Cheers!
Own a Panerai and Omega speedy pro, but one of the watches that gets the most wrist time is the Straton Curve blue dial. Such a cool 70s motor racing vibe . I love it.
I own two of Vario’s models. Love em both. Solid construction. Great quality control.
Nicely done. I own all three of these and they are all terrific pieces.
Really appreciate this, sometimes I think a lot of watches are overrated, being so expensive but not having so much value in them. Sometimes I would rather choose a Tissot watch, eg, Carson Premium Powermatic 80 or Le Locle Powermatic 80. Seiko watches are not bad also such as the presage zen garden family(really underrated) and cocktail series.
Affordable watch are definitely getting better. Some expensive luxury watches are definitely getting worse and overpriced mainly because the brand name behind them.
I own many watches and I was lucky enough to purchase a Brew. Absolutely fanatical about their design. Sometimes a design just hits that perfect note and it just works. Beautiful piece
I love watches, and I love these fantastic ones you are showing us in this video! That Spinnaker Picard is now on my list to get. Thanks for showing us the "cheap" underbelly of watches and how very good they can be!!
i absolutely love my brew retrograph espresso. it's insane value for money while looking super classy. and the meca-quartz movement without a running seconds hand is great!
A significant part of my collection is microbrands. They are just good values and they really have some great designs that come together well.
Smooth update and addition of the Folgers coffee mantra 😄👌
You chose some really good looking and interesting watches to demonstrate your point. Great video I really enjoyed it.
They are well made because they are not cheap, they are expensive. 300 dollars is not cheap.
Cheap is like a 15 dollar Casio or a 30 dollar Timex.
Anything over 100 dollars is already a premium watch.
What a great video! I am a big fan of Brew and Nodus, both some fantastic offerings!
And the owners are great people to boot!
Absolutely loved that video, just one small suggestions, I would love it if you could add time stamps to your videos!
Good and value-adding video! Thanks!
Vario is such a sleeper brand…great shots of the trench watch. The grey dial with the tan bundt strap is a nice combo. Makes me wanna go out and get one!
It doesn't disappoint!
I've been daily wearing a white dial 37mm 1918 for a year, go for it. Mine has survived everything from construction to swimming and everything in-between. I also highly recommend picking up the shrapnel guard.
I’ve sworn off buying watches until the new year, but god that Vario is doing something to me.
Right?! 😊
I've worn a 1918 every day for ever a year, no complaints at all.
@@NomadicPhoton Don't tempt me Demon!!! Anyway I think I will grab this once my prohibition is over.
The academic new year is only a couple of months away. 👍
Your video 8 months ago was way ahead of its time, I think the old watchmaking guard needs a good shake up!
Great vid! My favourite watch in my collection is one of my cheapest
They all get the love 👍
I have that exact brew and i love it. The bracelet isnt anything to write home about so i put it on the leather strap they sell. If you can get passed the stainless steel clasp not matching the gold then id recomend it. The leather is much more comfortable and adds more class
Awesome video Max, any chance you could drop some links in your description next time, just because I'm lazy about googling!
I'm still astounded at the prices of watches in the high end side. A Rolex used to cost a couple hundred dollars. Slowly they inflated their prices where they're unaffordable. So the rich buy them and flippers flip them. I wear a 400 dollar watch daily, but my favorite watch I own is a timex. The most reliable watch I own is a casio and a citizen for analog. The high end are classics, but there's no longer a need to spend a year salary on a watch to look good.
Incredible value for money. On the upper price ,especially because of import tax, I'd also consider Christopher Ward.
Swiss watches are entering a price range where most people won't be comfortable to wear them freely. This means that the fun part of collecting will be dried out, only the anxiety will stay. History, big or small, won't be made anymore with them on the wrist, and this will reduce their appeal and collectability in the future. I'm convinced that the future of mechanical watches is now in small independent producers with low prices, original designs, creativity, low production numbers and strong and passionate fan base, like Zelos.
Well summarized 💯
Really good point, yes! Crime has increased a lot in recent years where I live, and I would not feel at ease walking around with a watch costing thousands or tens of thousands of dollars on my wrist.
With what Zelos charges, I think the owner barely have enough to buy ramen.
Are you the ceo of Zelos?
yes, more modern history triumphs and tragedies are now made by humble men/women wearing plain Seiko 5 automatic or Casio digital quartz than expensive Swiss watches.
Another great video Max!
Loving my Helm Miyako. Excellent finishing and have loved it for the year I have had it. $410!
Bought my first micro brand sub $500 about 4 years ago and was really surprised at what was delivered. I have bought 2 more since.
Gave my PRX to a friend but I kept the Brew Metric Gold. Fully agree that for those with whom the PRX does not resonate, they should try the Brew Metric instead.
Inexpensive might be a better term than cheap and I'm all for such watches instead of ones for which 90% of the price is for the name. That said, I wouldn't wear any of the ones you show here.
Thanks for the warm welcome to the WatchCrunch App community!
Cheers,
Richard
Hi Max, really nice selection. As I mingle with my rabbit friends I too look for more interesting offerings. And more and more the Micros fit the bill and billfold.
I love the Brew. But I am enamored by square/TV screen watches. Awesome video as always.
Thanks! The Brew is awesome
The CW Twelve has raised the bar a notch up and the twelve is really scary good!!
You're not wrong. Out the few watches I have ranging from 3k down to £300 a recent purchase is the one impressed me the most. Excellent lume , matching my skx, sub 10 seconds per day reg, 200mtr textured dial with mantaray and its tandorio sterile dial at £ 60. And it's boxed, simply but boxed,. It's now my daily wearer.
The Vario looks very good with those numerals on grey.
I had my eye on the brew metric for some time now. It has that wow factor
Vario, Brew, and Nodus are three of my favorites.
I wouldn’t call it cheap but smart priced 😎
Damn, these watches look good. Thank you for sharing this info. Great video! ☺️
Great video! What are your thoughts on Islander watches?
Marc is a great dude, if the design speaks to you, can't go wrong 👍
Max, I couldn’t agree with you more. I’ve been into watch collecting since 2020, a pandemic sanity-induced hobby. I continue to be drawn to micro bands and have many. I actually have a couple of Brew models, just bought a Vario Empire, and have my eye on a Vario 1918. I’d love a Nodus, but their models always seem to be out of stock! Micro brands just seem to be much more fun and creative with their designs, while using reliable movements, maintaining solid build quality; all at a very competitive price-an overall great value. Even on the more expensive end for me, ($2K-$5K), I’m more drawn to Sinn, Nomos, Longines, and even an avant-garde brand like Alexander Shorokhoff. While an even more expansive brand like Grand Seiko, and possibly Zenith, are on my wish list-I find brands like Rolex and Omega are overpriced and resting on their laurels (although kudos to Omega for their recent and colorful Speedmaster ‘57 line). I’m no millionaire, so my brain continues to lock on looking for fun, uniquely designed, and smartly priced models, when it comes to my watch purchases.
Explore the pre owned market with reputable dealers (a few have very respectable CZcams channel). You will be shocked by how much you will save on almost new pieces with full sets. The only thing that’s worn are the boxes.
For example, I got a deal last month from a national on-line pre-own company with a huge CZcams channel that starts with Watch*** for a full set sbgw231 with “most time remaining on manufacturer warranty “ for under 3k. They immediately overnighted it to eBay authenticity certification and then overnighted it to me. The AD card showed date of purchase to be January 2023!
I got the Sinn 556i and 2 Nomos at as good of deals.
Happy hunting:)
As long as they are not Rolex’s, then you can expect very good delta from new.
Never seen nor heard of this Vario brand. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.
I have purchased 3 Vario watches - one will arrive this week. The white dial orange lettering Trench in brass is just so nice that it inspired me to order a second one with a black dial in silver. I live in Hong Kong - I have tried on Omega, Tudor and Oris - they're nice but man for looks - some of the microbrands and Vario to me are just flat-out nice looking. Sure the Movements aren't as fancy but Vario has been tested at + 5 seconds a day and if it ever does break - the movements are affordable and plentiful. This is something to consider with a Rolex that servicing is $700+ Whereas you can buy a whole new Miyota movement for $60. You can buy 10 Vario watches and you'd still not be halfway to the price of a Rolex - I mean Rolex is nice and all but they're not THAT much nicer.
Thanks for this vid. Microbrands are more and more numerous year after year, nearly day after day. It's cool to create a watches microbrand (and also, with the crowdfounding, not as difficult as 10 or 15 years before). But good micro-brands are not that numerous. You have to know how and what to choose. Spinnaker and Vario are good, but not for me. Perhaps Brew, or Nodus, one day ...
I went and checked out the Vario and see it is available in a brass case. That, with the patina associated with brass, will make for a very realistic aged look. I always thought an antique dial looked strange on a polished, pristine case, and this avoids that issue.
Brass or bronze?
@@MrPINKFL0YD From their website…”solid patina-ready brass case”.
Can you do a review of a Baltany Dirty Dozen mechanical re-issue? Be curious to get your opinion on it.
Those lumen blocks are dope!
What’s the exact color on that vario bund strap? I want to pick it up
The Russell Peter cuts cracked me up!
Just joined the watchcrunch community 🙌🏼⌚️
Bro i need you to share the links to purchase watches. whether affiliated or Not affiliated but please do share the links to buy the watches.
Max, as a 53 year old male, it is nice to see you have an App! Wow! You are ahead of your time!
I have 3 Brew watches and I actually get more compliments than my Rolex’s. Reason being they are different conversation pieces. 👍
Wow!
Love the TV watch Max😍
I love wearing it!!
My attention was drawn to the retro feel of the Vaer C3. Explorer vibe, but with syringe hands (I don't care for the 'classic' Mercedes hands) and reasonably affordable. Now that I have one, it's one of my favorites.
Just bought the Vario D12 and I can’t wait for it to arrive.
I bought a Vario Trench watch (white enamel dial with orange hands) and was so impressed I ordered a second one. Double Domed Sapphire with AR coating, really nice engraved case-back (with optional exhibition case back and shrapnel cover) and really fantastic straps. There are Seikos for more money that do not have Sapphire glass and use that awful Hardlex that scratches after a week and looks beat up (I know I had one and gave it away. Indeed, there are many fantastic watches out there but as soon I see Mineral or Hardlex glass - I move on. The Seiko Presage series for example - stunning looking dress watches but no Sapphire (with some pricey exceptions). I think Microbrands can take more risks on their dials because they are not going for global mass appeal - the problem with global mass appeal is that it is like the Big Mac - you can sell it in every market and it holds a certain bland flavor that most everyone can eat. But if you want something exciting and spicy - it holds far less appeal. So you wind up with watches that look kind of the same from brand to brand.
You can see some Hamilton/Tissot and even some Swatch group Calvin Klein made watches that look very similar just with different name badges. I would rather have a Vario where they make 100 watches in one colour style and that's it - globally you have a watch that almost no one on the planet owns. Lastly, you're also supporting the little guy instead of a mega-corporation. Lastly, Consider that many of the micro-brands buy Miyota, Seiko, and ETA movements. Some of the big-name expensive brands buy their movements too - you will see ETA movements in Omega or Tudor and Oris for example.
This is what Rolex used to be as an english tool watch, before it became a piece of jewelry.
*But a Rolex was always expensive, about a month's average salary.*
All are great choices been thinking Bakir living a brew up myself I have the timex midget that’s similar to the vario cool pieces
Vario, Brew, Maen, and Monta are redefining the Indy watch market.
I own a Rolex, a Tudor, a ball, a Glycine, and 4 Chris Ward watches, it's frightening how close some of my $200/$400 watches are in quality
European watches are going insane with their prices. This video gives me hope. Subscribed !
That brew looks amazing
I really like my Deep Blue and Aragon's. Micro-brands are fun if you are a careful shopper.
Is watch crunch a buy/sell place too? That would be a nice feature to add if so. As far as peer to peer.
Max, in answer to your question early in the video, I think the battle with the cheaper brands is changing people's opinions about a watch that is not from a recognisable name, or has Swiss made on the dial. I also think that if people want a cheap watch, they go to Casio mainly.
Great point. I do hope that we can get around the hype train...
That vario looks class
It is!
I saw Shane review the Vario. Its one i might pick up.
Vario a solid rep from Singapore! 🇸🇬
Good to hear! Top notch watches 👍
How do you get the microbrands? I am in Michigan in the U.S.A.
Some prices of those big brands are just ridiculous. It´s good that those established brands get some competition.
Please let me know what is the last watch deep sea one ?
I'm certain that at this point I've spent enough on good micros/independents that I could own several "real" luxury watches. But that's just not what interests me. Something like an in-house movement is obviously cool and all, but I'm more interested in design than innards. So I'm happy to have a diverse and unique collection of (largely) high quality watches from the more affordable end of the spectrum. We really are getting to a point where small/"cheap" brands are hitting similar heights in terms of materials and finish, and I'm loving it.
"Grown tolerant to the softer drugs, and now you need the hard stuff." Best reference when talking about watches, ever!
Which watch stores did you stop at in SF? I wasn't aware that any of those watches were in physical brick and mortar stores.
WindUp Watch Fair was two weeks ago, and that is where he picked up the Sport Glacial from us.
vario also has this buscalanet-reverso watch, its kinda thick, but imagine having a reversible watch for such an affordable price
Love what they are doing👍
Brother can u share what current micro brand that are making significant now
Wow ! Im getting the last one dude ..🎉🎉🎉
i’ve been looking at a watch from a company called ‘Cainte’ any info on this?
Been eyeing the BREW for a while now.
500.00 dollar watches are not considered a cheap watch.. accuracy in titles are significant. your site merits viewing, bravo and kudos.
That brew watch looks like it can scratch the itch of an old Polo I’ve been listing after