Top 5 Microbrands To Discover In August 2025
8 min read
After the phenomenal response to our series on microbrands, we are back with another edition in the series! This time we are focusing on brands that are truly thinking out of the box- combining precision with beauty, innovation with tradition and adding the fun in functionality. What was once considered an industry ruled by the big names, deep pockets and heritage stretching back centuries, these microbrands are flipping the script. Things are looking a lot more... indie.
These founder-led watch companies are shaking things up with bold designs, direct-to-consumer charm, and storytelling that feels refreshingly personal. It’s hard to pin them down, though. Are they truly micro? Independent? Boutique? Honestly, the lines are getting delightfully blurry. Some operate out of a garage with a dream, others are run like lean, mean creative machines. Either way, they’re proving you don’t need a Geneva postcode to make a great watch. Just a good idea, a loyal community, and a whole lot of passion can do the trick.
Selten
East Meets West
First up is Selten, a contemporary microbrand that celebrates creativity, unique materials, and a global approach to watchmaking. Founded in 2017 by Leonardo Tsai from Hong Kong, Selten draws on his family’s heritage in dial-making. After studying finance in the UK and working at JP Morgan, Leonardo returned to his roots to create something truly his own. Inspired by the precision and beauty of German horology, he named the brand after the German word “Selten,” meaning rare. True to its motto, “A Rare Kind, Not a Stereotype,” Selten’s timepieces are anything but ordinary. The Meteorite Series 00 & 01 marked the brand’s debut, with each model being completely unique after four years of dedicated R&D. Next came the Salvage Bronze diver, featuring hand-patina’d dials in vivid colours—watches that evolve over time with the wearer.
The M1 Moonphase stands out for its minimalist display of just hours and minutes and a stunning CNC guilloché Mother-of-Pearl dial that changes character with the light. Then there’s the Founder’s Edition featuring about 700 hand-engraved lines and delicate layers of grand feu enamel, a rare craft mastered by Artisan Qin over four hours per dial. One of the latest highlights is the Salvage Bronze - Leopard, a wild twist on the patina series with a hand-finished dial and CuSn8 bronze case that develops its own character as you wear it. Selten brings rare artistry and thoughtful design to a wider audience—offering collectors something truly different.
Price: Rs 57,000 - Rs 2,00,000 Approx
Dennison Watch Company
Modern Classic
Dennison’s story began 175 years ago with founder Aaron Lufkin Dennison, whose journey from America to Switzerland to Britain laid the foundation for one of watchmaking’s most respected case manufacturers. Today, the revived Dennison Watch Company carries forward that pioneering ethos with a passionate leadership team that delved deep into the brand’s archives which led to uncovering historical documents, vintage images, and original timepieces that inspired the brand’s rebirth. The result is the ALD Collection, a refined nod to Dennison’s golden era in the 1960s. World-renowned watch designer Emmanuel Gueit who is known for his work with Audemars Piguet, Rolex, Omega and Piaget was brought in to lead the design. His modern interpretation of the classic Dennison cushion case features dials made from natural gemstone, meticulously cut and polished. Available in stainless steel and PVD gold, the ALD Collection blends heritage and elegance in a uniquely expressive way.
This spirit of revival continues in Dennison Watch company’s first-ever collaboration, this time with John Reardon, founder of Collectability and former International Head of Watches at Christie’s. Reardon, drawn to the ALD Collection’s bold case shapes and vibrant vintage appeal, first became a collector before becoming a co-creator. What emerged is a new timepiece that fuses Reardon’s passion for horological history with Gueit’s contemporary design language. Dennison Watch Company’s watches are not made to be tucked away, it’s built for the now, merging legacy with wearability and priced to invite a new generation of collectors into the fold.
Price: Rs 43,00- Rs 75,000 Approx
Vario
Vintage At Its Best
Since 2016, Vario has been quietly redefining what it means to wear a vintage-inspired watch not just as an accessory, but as a personal statement. Based in Singapore, this microbrand designs timepieces with real heart, blending historical charm with everyday functionality. Whether you're a hardcore collector or just starting your horological journey, Vario’s thoughtfully crafted watches are built to connect with your story. Each piece is produced in small batches, powered by reliable Japanese or Swiss movements, and individually inspected on home turf. Vario doesn’t copy history it reimagines it, giving classic styles a fresh perspective and modern reliability, all wrapped in honest craftsmanship.
Among its standout pieces is the 1918 SG60 Merlion Trench, a limited-edition tribute to Singapore’s 60th year of independence, drawing inspiration from early 20th-century military watches with a bold patriotic twist. The Vario Empire series is another fan favorite a gateway to the elegance of Art Deco, available in both a hand-wound version with a Miyota 6T33 movement and the Empire GMT Summer Blue, powered by the Miyota 9075 True GMT automatic. All models feature custom parts and supple Italian leather straps that feel great straight out of the box. In a world full of mass production, Vario offers something refreshingly personal. It’s a watch that not only tells time but also tells your story, one vintage-inspired tick at a time.
Price: Rs 34,000- Rs 77,000 Approx
Furlan Marri
Watchmaking With Heart
Furlan Marri began as a spark between two friends Andrea Furlan, a designer with a love for timeless aesthetics, and Hamad Al Marri, an artist with a deep appreciation for storytelling and craft. In 2021, they launched with a simple idea: bring emotional watchmaking and elegant design to a wider audience. Just 35 seconds after their first mechaquartz chronograph went live on Kickstarter, it was fully funded proof that their blend of classic inspiration and thoughtful execution had struck a chord. But it wasn’t just about selling a watch. It was about creating a community. Since then, the duo has introduced beautifully considered timepieces like the “Disco Volante” series, known for its smooth, pebble-like silhouette, and a growing range of mechanical and Swiss-made editions—all with that same Furlan Marri touch: accessible luxury, timeless charm, and a whole lot of heart.
Every watch is the result of global collaboration, with components sourced from Hong Kong and Japan, supple straps crafted in Italy and France, and high-end projects developed with Swiss expertise. The Mechaquartz series is a prime example of this collaboration. Also known as a hybrid movement, the so-called "Mecha-Quartz" offers the best of both worlds — pairing the accuracy and reliability of Japanese quartz with a mechanical module that delivers a sweeping seconds hand and an instant-reset chronograph. Originally developed during the late 1980s in both Switzerland and Japan, this type of movement was pioneered by Swiss companies like Audemars Piguet and Jaeger-LeCoultre to bring back the tactile feel of mechanical chronographs in response to the quartz crisis. One that belongs as much to Switzerland as it does to Japan.
Andrea and Hamad are deeply hands-on, sharing prototypes, gathering feedback, and fine-tuning every last detail with their collectors. By staying direct-to-consumer, they invest more in finishing, design, and your overall experience while keeping things fair and transparent. This is watchmaking with feeling: pieces that evoke memories, stories, and a sense of belonging. As Andrea says, “We strive for perfection, accepting we’ll never arrive.” But that pursuit, full of passion and curiosity, is exactly what makes Furlan Marri so special.
Price: Rs 60,000- Rs 2,70,000
Laine
Uniquely Yours
If you’ve always dreamed of customizing your own watch- Laine is the one for you. Torsti Laine isn’t your typical watchmaker. After training at the prestigious Finnish School of Watchmaking, working with legends like A. Lange & Söhne and Kari Voutilainen, and even winning the Lange Watchmaking Excellence Award in 2014, he packed up his family and moved to La Chaux-de-Fonds because where better to build your dream watches than the Swiss Jura Mountains? With a workshop full of old-school tools and a head full of ideas, Laine set out to create watches that blend traditional craftsmanship with his own quiet flair. Every piece is handmade, highly detailed, and refreshingly down-to-earth in spirit.
Take the P37, for instance a small but mighty manual-wind beauty built on the Peseux 7001 gear train, but reimagined with in-house bridges, hand-turned guilloché dials, vintage-inspired steel syringe hands, and black polishing galore. Even the movement is a work of art, with 17 hand-polished parts and a frosted main plate to make that guilloché pop. Prefer an automatic? The V38 has your back; it's slim, elegant, and powered by a finely finished Vaucher 5401 movement with a custom-engraved rotor. You can go wild with dial options too: Moonfrosting, meteorite, triple guilloché. The possibilities are endless.
Price: Rs 10,60,000- Rs 12,35,000 Approx
The Power Of Hidden Gems
Trying to define microbrands is like trying to label your favorite indie band; they don’t quite fit into boxes, and that’s exactly the point. What started as a niche has turned into one of the most exciting corners of the watch world, where collectors discover hidden gems and creators have room to play. Whether it’s a rugged diver with a cult following, or a minimalist dress watch built by a one-person operation, these brands remind us that great horology isn’t just about tradition it’s about imagination. So the next time you’re scrolling through watches and something unexpected catches your eye? Don’t be surprised if it’s from a microbrand. They’re not just the future, they're the fun of watch collecting, here and now.
