10 Small Watch Brands We're Paying Attention to in 2024

In recent years there has been a flurry of small watch brands that have succeeded in making a big impact on the watch-collector community and in the overall watch industry. With new watchmakers coming on the scene from almost every corner of the world, with styles ranging from vintage to traditional to avant-garde, which of these brands are worth paying attention to, and why? We asked two veteran watch-industry watchers and commentators (and regular fixtures on TeddyBaldassarre.com) — contributing writer Blake Buettner (former managing editor of Worn & Wound and founder of The Deep Track); and our Director of Editorial Content, Mark Bernardo (former senior editor of WatchTime magazine) — to name five small watch brands that are on their radar in 2024. 

Formex (Switzerland)

Formex is, in many ways, an interesting brand and manufacturer. Its design DNA is quite bold and won’t be to everyone’s taste, but it’s matured quite nicely in recent years, though the true story of this brand goes deeper still. Formex designs and manufactures many of the components used in the case and bracelet, from a quick-adjustment system to a full case suspension (explained in this article), so there’s plenty to appreciate when it comes to mechanical ingenuities. On top of that, Formex is aggressively experimental when it comes to working with novel materials, offering rarities like forged carbon cases and stone dials across its lineup.

What I love about Formex is the company’s willingness to push its design language further into modern territory, and apply unique innovations throughout the line. These are truly interesting watches, and if they had a different name on the dial I’d expect their prices to have another zero or two at the end. Looking at something like the Essence Leggera, with a forged carbon case containing the clever suspension system, and a carbon deployant clasp with a super slim and effective quick-adjustment system, we see so much value built into its sub-$2,000 price point. This is a brand you should be paying attention to if you’re over the throwback trend, and are looking for some serious innovation for your dollar. — Blake Buettner

Minase (Japan)

Minase, based in Japan’s Akita Prefecture, traces its relatively short history to the high-end manufacturer Kyowa, which has been making tools and components for watch companies inside and outside Japan since 1963. In 2005, a group of ambitious watch designers within the company launched the brand HIZ, which became “Minase” in 2017, taking its name from the former village that occupied the area around the factory. Minase watches specialize in openworked dials whose movements appear suspended inside the cases; the geometrically inspired “Windows” cases, with rounded rectangular sides and five to seven individual sapphire crystal windows that showcases the movements; and the elite “Saliaz” surface treatment on the case elements, which combines mirror polishing and satin-brushing for sharp diamond-like facets. 

Minase is one of the smallest Japanese watchmakers, producing fewer than 500 complete timepieces annually. The most limited pieces are from the brand's Masterpiece collection, which feature exquisite lacquer dials by master craftsman Junichi Hakose, with traditional patterns hand-executed in the ancient Urushi lacquer technique. I discovered Minase at the 2023 Windup Watch Fair in New York, and came away with an immense appreciation for the artistry and meticulous attention to detail that go into each piece. One also has to admire the fortitude of the brand’s principals and its contributing artisans in the face of adversity: a devastating earthquake that struck Japan’s Noto peninsula in January 2024 completely destroyed the workshop of one of Minase’s top purveyors of Urushi lacquer dials, putting a major, indefinite delay on new timepieces from that artisanal collection. The brand hopes to get back to normal production “hopefully very soon” and I, for one, will be cheering for them. — Mark Bernardo

Furlan Marri (Switzerland)

This one may seem obvious, but there’s more here than meets the eye. Furlan Marri made an impact immediately upon launching in 2021 thanks to its well-considered designs and attention to detail, and the brand has only continued to impress in the few short years since. Furlan Marri has expanded from meca-quartz movements into mechanical movements, and is looking to push the boundaries of what kind of complications it can bring to the table while still keeping a seriously attractive value proposition. Furlan Marri also haven’t lost the plot when it comes to design, as evidenced by its newest Disco Volante, pictured below and covered in detail here. 

What turned this interesting startup into a must-follow brand was its creation for the Only Watch auction, a timepiece that immediately established Furlan Marri as one of the most exciting small brands out there. The watch is a Secular Perpetual Calendar, meaning it takes into account the Gregorian calendar’s imperfect leap-year system, ensuring it will remain accurate over thousands of years. This is an exceptional complication that the brand implemented in a simple and elegant manner. These are the kinds of complications and execution that I love seeing in this space, and one reason why Furlan Marri is a brand worth keeping an eye on. — BB

Nivada Grenchen (Switzerland)

Here is where we clarify that “small” doesn’t necessarily mean “young.” Founded in 1926, Nivada Grenchen made a name for itself throughout the 1950s and ‘60s with watches like the Buccaneer, Aquamatic, Wanderer, and Antarctic before claiming its most prominent spot in watch history with its Chronomaster collection of chronographs. The Chronomaster (not to be confused with Zenith’s Chronomaster models) and the Antarctic dive watch, in particular, exert a strong influence on the modern Nivada Grenchen collection, which leans heavily into the designs of the brand’s mid-century heyday.

What caught my attention about Nivada Grenchen initially was the riveting value proposition offered by its automatic chronographs. Take the modern Aviator Sea-Diver, which somehow manages to be a chronograph, pilot watch, and dive watch all rolled into one handsomely vintage-inspired package for under $2,000. The “Broad Arrow” version presented here, based on a 1960s favorite, has nearly identical case dimensions (38mm) to the original model as well as all its dial elements. Under a vintage-style domed crystal, the bicompax dial has rectangular hour markers, arrow hands, and a 30-minute subdial standing out with a pop of red in its countdown sector. Sellita provides the movement, a period-appropriate manually winding chronograph caliber with a hacking seconds function and a 48-hour power reserve. A retro-style beads-of-rice metal bracelet completes the picture. If chronographs aren’t your thing, but affordable retro-chic is, you’d still be well advised to check out the rest of the collection. — MB

Autodromo (United States)

Autodromo has been a personal favorite of mine since the release of its Group B model back in 2015. The proprietor of this brand is a true automotive enthusiast, and brings his passion for motorsport into his watch design in a fully organic manner. The Group B exemplifies this, all while being an interesting watch even to non-automotive enthusiasts. These are slim, fully titanium watches with a novel design that captures a distinct ‘80s vibe with ease. The platform has worked with each color that’s been thrown at it, which is always a sign of sound design.

More recently, with the release of the Group C, Autodromo has exhibited an ability to capture yet another era of automotive history in an entirely unique way. This digital watch is treated with respect, with all the small details getting appropriate attention. And this is a trend that has me always excited to see what comes next from the brand. There aren’t frequent releases here, but when they do hit, they hit hard. — BB

Nodus (United States)

The brand name Nodus comes from the Latin word signifying the intersection of pathways, and signifies the microbrand’s mission of merging the two worlds of vintage and modern design. The first watch launched by the SoCal-based brand was the Trieste in 2017, a robust, retro-designed divers’ watch, which was discontinued after its initial run but continues to inspire successor models, like the Retrospect dive watch and the skin-diver-styled Sector Dive. The former takes design inspiration from early dive watches from the 1950s and features a utilitarian-designed inwardly sloping dive bezel and an automatic movement from Seiko; the latter is a smaller-sized, more versatile timepiece that has since evolved into the Sector Dive model. Nodus actually refers to itself as a “watch research and design company” and assembles all of its watches at its Los Angeles headquarters from a global supply chain. 

Why does Nodus stand out in the increasingly crowded field of value-oriented watchmakers setting up shop in the good ol’ U.S. of A.? One element that sets the brand apart is its proprietary, button-operated adjustment module, called NodeX, that enables the wearer to easily adjust the watch in five different positions. Another is its bold and seemingly joyous use of contemporary colors on vintage-style dials, perhaps best exemplified in its Sector Field series, whose vibrant, gradient sector dials are available in hues of Marine (blue, pictured), Redwood (brown), and Malibu (gold) and feature the classic, military-style 24-hour time track inside an outer ring of Arabic hour numerals. Deftly marrying the traditional designs of the early 20th Century with the eye-catching color treatments of the 21st century is trending strongly throughout the entire watch industry, and Nodus is unquestionably taking a leadership role in the “micro brand” space. — MB

Unimatic (Italy)

Unimatic is an Italian-based tool-watch brand with a fascinating presentation. Its approach to watchmaking is largely design-forward, almost conceptual in nature, breaking down the constituent components of a genre and serving them up in unexpected ways. Whether it’s a large bezel with no markings, or a dial that’s been stripped of its indexes, these are watches that force you to confront archetypes that you generally rely on. Every decision made with these watches is presented clearly, making for a highly compelling experience both on wrist, and in hand.

This brand is slowly expanding on its ideas in new and interesting ways, and its owners never seem to lose sight of the foundation in the process. How this will manifest in new models has me very excited about the future of this brand, and its ability to achieve these goals at relatively reasonable price points keeps Unimatic firmly in the sweet spot for its growing cadre of fans.

Circula (Germany)

Circula, a name referring to the circular shape of mechanical watch movements and their gears and wheels, traces its history all the way back to 1926 (yes, the same founding year as Nivada Grenchen above), when the founding Huber family opened a watch and jewelry wholesale business in Pforzheim, one of Germany’s traditional horological centers. The brand as we know it today, which is currently run by Cornelius Huber, grandson of the founder, came into being in 1955. Then as now, Circula has specialized chiefly in purpose-built tool watches, like the DiveSport and AquaSport for divers, the AquaSport GMT for active travelers, and the ProTrail, a robust field watch with a sturdy, scratch-resistant antimagnetic case; Swiss-made automatic movements, chiefly from Sellita, can be found in the cases of all of these watches.

As seasoned watch enthusiasts are mostly aware, but newcomers and casual industry-watchers may need to be reminded, Germany offers no shortage of well-built, meticulously designed, and affordably priced watches — from purveyors ranging from Mühle Glashütte and Meistersinger, to Sinn and Damasko to Nomos and Union Glashütte. Circula (which I must admit I had not even been aware of until relatively recently) deserves a spot at that table owing to its rare combo of family ownership, historical cred, and classical yet contemporary design language. — MB

Isotope (United Kingdom)

Much like Unimatic, Isotope is a brand that subverts expectations in the best of ways. This young brand leans into big colors, big shapes, and big ideas. While Isotope’s initial concepts had me intrigued, it was seeing watches like the Chronograph Moonshot (pictured) that got me truly excited about what this brand is doing, and where it is heading. The brand’s co-founder, José Miranda, is a wealth of creativity and his willingness to put those ideas into motion is why I feel that this is a brand with a bright future. 

As impressive as the Chronograph Moonshot is, there is a lot more coming from Isotope that will have the industry at large taking notice. Once again, there is no throwback inspiration here, just pure novel design work that’s pushing ahead, and showing us what’s possible with a few ideas and a little ingenuity. Isotope is a brand that should be on your radar if you’re looking for a big personality along with a ton of value. — BB

William Wood (United Kingdom)

Founded in London in 2016, William Wood Watches pays tribute to its namesake, founder Jonny Garret’s grandfather, who was a decorated 25-year veteran of the British Fire Service, with its use of upcycled firefighting materials in its watches. The crowns are capped with a medallion crafted from melted-down brass London Fire Brigade helmets from the 1920s. Among the interchangeable straps and bracelets available are tough, supple rubber straps that have been hand-cut from fire hoses used by the U.K. Fire and Rescue Service, which still maintain a faint smokiness from their decade-plus of service. Other aesthetic nods to firefighting culture abound, including checkered rings around the dials’ perimeters, in place of a traditional minute track, echoing the livery of a British fire engine; a double index at 12 o’clock that resembles the collar markings on the lapel of a U.K. Fire and Rescue Service Crew Manager, an applied vintage fire helmet above the logo, and the counterweight on the central seconds hand that takes the form of the chime inside a historical fire bell. William Wood Watches are offered with a choice of two different types of mechanical automatic movements, either a Japanese Seiko NH35 or, for a slight upcharge, a Swiss Sellita SW200. William Wood donates a percentage of the sales of each watch to firefighting charities.

I discovered William Wood (actually, we kind of discovered each other) during the Covid-era watch-press doldrums of 2020, and I have been an unabashed booster of its watches ever since. In the short time since the initial launch, Garret and his creative team has supplemented the original three-handed Valiant sport models with the Triumph chronograph series (with fire-hose pressure-pump gauge subdials), the elegant Chivalrous dress watch collection, the everyday Fearless models (with smaller cases and charcoal-effect dials), and special editions dedicated to the anniversary of 9/11, Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee, and the anniversary of the Dunkirk landing in World war II. In fact, my only hesitation in including William Wood on this list was the difficulty in choosing which watch to feature in a photo. I went with one of the newest and most cleverly offbeat takes on the watches’ firefighting theme: the “Fire Exit” model, which uses seven variations on the internationally known “running” figure from fire exit signs for each day of the week on the central date wheel. — MB