A microbrand is a small, independent company that makes wristwatches. Many were started by watch enthusiasts. Most have their watches made by outside firms and sell straight to buyers, not through retailers. Collectors use the word for brands that sit outside the major watch names.
Where it comes from
The first microbrands appeared in the early-to-mid 2000s. Christopher Ward, founded in 2004, is named as an early example. Crowdfunding was still small for watches in 2012. That year, only two watch projects on Kickstarter succeeded, and together they raised about US$100,000. Quill & Pad links the growth of microbrands to three things: social media, wider public interest in watches, and easy access to money.
How are microbrand watches made?
A microbrand does not usually build its watches itself. Outside suppliers make the watch, and the work tends to happen in third-party facilities. The brand may still do some final finishing in its own hands before the watch goes out. Once the watches are ready, most microbrands sell them straight to the people who buy them. They do not rely on shops or other retailers to stock and sell their watches.
Not to be confused with
Independent watchmakers. Both are independent, but they work in different ways. An independent watchmaker can make its watches entirely in its own workshop. A microbrand tends to have production done in third-party facilities. The word is also used in a looser sense. Collectors apply it to brands that are not among the major watch brands. One view among watch enthusiasts is narrower. It keeps the term for newer brands that sell mostly online and set out to build a following there.
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