The April 2025 Roundup
INDUSTRY RECAP: The Last 30 Days in Independent Watchmaking
The past month has been exceptionally busy for the independent and microbrand watch scene, with two major events showcasing indies and micros from all over the world and a bunch of releases from some of our favorite makers.
Christopher Ward Releases a Monumental Piece
The Christopher Ward Twelve has become a major pillar of CW's offerings and they haven't wasted any time improving it and making variations on its theme. These aren't rehashes though - each one has been unique on its own. The latest is the C12 'Loco', a piece that I'm lusting after so bad, I'm considering selling a few things from my collection to make room for it. It's immediately evocative of watches many times its $4500 asking price and is yet another step in CW's journey as it evolves into a high-complication watchmaker—without sacrificing its roots.
The C12 Loco is already sold out, but get on the waitlist for the second drop later this year.
Traska Plans a Second Drop of a Sold-Out Watch
Speaking of being sold out, Traska's meteorite dial Venturer GMT sold out in about two minutes of hitting the site. Since it was a limited edition, they aren't going to release a new run of the same, but there is a silver lining in dark anthracite to this cloud: a new version of the meteorite dial goes on sale in a few days (May 4, to be specific) for a 14-hour reservation window. So, if you missed out on the first, you can still grab this amazing deal of a watch for $975.
District Time 2025 Draws Record Crowds
The District Time watch show in Washington, D.C., organized by The Time Bum blog and co-sponsored by McDowell Time, has established itself as a premier event for microbrand enthusiasts. This year's edition featured over 50 brands and attracted wall-to-wall crowds throughout its two-day run. Perhaps most telling was the queue for Christopher Ward, which extended halfway through the exhibition hall – something I've gotten used to seeing at their tables at every show I've been to.
Geneva Watch Week Spotlights Independent Innovation
Running parallel to the behemoth Watches & Wonders event at Palexpo, independent watchmakers gathered at Villa Sarasin for the Time To Watches exhibition. This strategic positioning – cheekily close to the main halls – speaks to the growing confidence of independent brands as they continue to challenge traditional luxury watchmaking. More of this please.
Key Industry Trends
Several clear trends have emerged across the independent watch landscape:
Size Diversification: Brands are increasingly offering multiple case sizes to appeal to a broader audience. Marathon's expansion of their OSAR-D collection to include both 36mm and 46mm options exemplifies this approach, as does the general trend toward more wearable sub-40mm cases.
Material Innovation: From Formex's first all-ceramic watch to Louis Erard's collaboration with GoS featuring Damascus steel, independent brands continue to push boundaries with materials that distinguish them from mainstream offerings.
Vintage Inspiration with Modern Execution: Brands like Baltic, echo/neutra, and Depancel continue to draw from horological history while incorporating contemporary engineering and design elements. echo/neutra is particularly calling out to me with some of their chronos.
Direct-to-Consumer Focus: The direct relationship between brands and enthusiasts remains central to the microbrand ethos, with community events like District Time growing in importance as physical manifestations of these connections. Coming up this weekend is WIndup Watch Fair SF. If you haven't yet made plans, do so!
Geographic Diversity: French brands (Baltic, Depancel, Awake), Scandinavian watchmakers (Maen, GoS), and North American companies (Marathon, Nodus) are all making significant contributions to the global independent scene.
NEW RELEASES: Standout Watches from the Past Month
Zelos Expands with Multiple New Collections
Singapore-based Zelos Watches has been exceptionally active this month with several significant releases:
Zelos Mako 2025 Update – The brand's popular 40mm diver has received substantial refinements for 2025, including an improved bezel click mechanism, female endlinks for better fit on smaller wrists, and sapphire bezel options. New colorways include the striking "Falcon's Eye" with deep blue mineral crystal dial, returning Meteorite dials paired with bright blue Superluminova, a summery blue-to-white fade "Lagoon" model with purple accents, and a white and orange Cerakote "Solar Flare" variant.
Zelos Mako 'True' GMT – An all-new GMT version featuring the Miyota 9075 movement with independent hour hand adjustment, allowing for true traveler's GMT functionality. The bi-directional ceramic bezel and eye-catching dial materials make this a compelling option for globe-trotters. Most are sold out but there are a couple of colorways left.
Zelos GT Collection – Launched on March 31st, this automotive-inspired collection draws design cues from the legendary Lamborghini Miura. The flowing case curves mimic the car's profile, while the bracelet design references the Miura's louvered engine cover. Dials are inspired by vintage tachometers, with a power reserve indicator cleverly integrated as a fuel gauge. Available in various colorways inspired by iconic racing liveries and classic automotive paint schemes, including special forged carbon editions. Launch pricing starts at $399, with regular pricing at $499 after April 30th. It’s totally sold out and I’m glad I got one in before it did!
Dive Watches
Doxa Sub 250T GMT – Doxa has finally answered the calls for a GMT model, releasing their first travel watch since 2006. The Sub 250T GMT comes in a wearable 40mm case with 18 different references, addressing the market demand for smaller sports watches with travel functionality.
Baltic Hermétique Tourer Bronze – The French brand continues to impress with this 37mm daily driver featuring smoked gradient dials, substantial lume blocks as hour markers, 150m water resistance, and a Miyota 9039 movement. The bronze case adds a distinctive touch to Baltic's already impressive lineup.
Formex Ceramica Skeleton COSC GT – Formex's first all-ceramic piece combines scratch resistance (seven times harder than steel) with a COSC-certified movement and an open-worked dial featuring gold details. At just 137 grams including the ceramic bracelet, it's remarkably light for such a robust watch.
Chronographs
echo/neutra 1956 White Chronograph – This newly announced manually-wound chronograph features a creamy white dial with black handset and red accents. The 40mm stainless steel case houses a Sellita SW510M elaboré caliber, offering 100m water resistance and a telemeter scale bezel.
Depancel Série-R – Taking inspiration from the vintage Delage D8 Aera Coupe, this race-inspired chronograph features a twin-level blue sunburst dial in a svelte 36mm case. Powered by the Miyota 9120 movement, it combines dashboard design elements with practical calendar functionality.
Field & Tool Watches
Marathon OSAR-D Collection Expansion – The Canadian tool watch specialists have expanded their OSAR-D collection to include both Explorer-sized 36mm models and robust 46mm versions. New white dial options suited for Arctic conditions round out the collection.
Draken Aoraki – This 39mm field watch from the New Zealand brand features a Miyota movement, 100m water resistance, and an impressive antimagnetic rating of 20,000A/m achieved through Faraday cage construction. Available with four different dial configurations and shipping with both nylon and leather bund straps.
RZE Endeavour – A field watch with titanium case and bracelet featuring ULTRAHex coating for scratch resistance, making it an ideal choice for adventurous watch enthusiasts.
Haute Horlogerie
Ming 21.01 "Project 21" in Tantalum – This exceptional new release from Ming showcases the rare and challenging-to-machine tantalum metal in a 35mm case measuring just 6.9mm thick. The watch houses a vintage Frederic Piguet 21 movement (just 1.75mm thick) that has been extensively reworked with a titanium skeletonized bridge, chatons, anglage, and sablage. The dial features a multilayered strake pattern with a 5N rose gold coating on the standard version (limited to 15 pieces) or blue CVD coating on the Souscription version (limited to 10 pieces). Priced at CHF 32,500, this represents Ming's most exclusive offering to date.
Kurono Tokyo 34mm Special Project STAR DIAL – Released in March 2025, this new model from Hajime Asaoka's accessible brand is an adaptation of his Tsunami 'As Time Goes By' atelier watch. The 34mm case houses a dial featuring high-polished steel applied 'star' indices paired with a unique Art Deco font meticulously designed by Asaoka himself. Available in salmon pink and blue dial variants, this watch exemplifies the growing trend toward vintage-inspired designs in smaller case sizes.
Bianchet B 1.618 UltraFino – This tonneau-shaped sports watch features a titanium automatic tourbillon movement measuring just 3.85mm thick and weighing only 8 grams. Despite its refined profile, it offers 5000G shock resistance and 5ATM depth rating.
Krayon Anyday – Featuring a new 378-part movement that continuously displays each day and date for the entire month, with a five-week span visible at a glance. Working days appear in dark blue, weekends in light grey, creating a novel approach to the calendar complication.
Breva Segreto Di Lario – Limited to 25 pieces in 18K red gold cushion cases, this watch features a new calibre created by Jean-François Mojon based on the Chronode C101. Dual barrels offer a seven-day power reserve, indicated by a twin retrograde display.
Collaborations
Louis Erard x GoS Regulator – This collaboration showcases GoS's expertise in Damascus steel with a twirling vortex shape for the seconds at six o'clock. The braided salmon leather strap reflects the Swedish brand's Scandinavian roots.
Maen x Nico Leonard – YouTube star Nico Leonard's first watch collaboration is a modern take on the vintage jump hour concept in a 34mm case with 1.7mm thickness, paired with a Hublot-inspired FKM rubber strap.
Nodus/Raven Canyon Green Dial – A collaboration with Matt Farah of The Smoking Tire featuring a 41mm case, green-to-black gradient dial, and La Joux-Perret G101 movement with 68-hour power reserve.
Budget-Friendly Options
Farr and Swit Retro Digital Mix Tape Vol. 1 B Sides – These fun digital watches feature translucent cases in vibrant candy colors with reverse negative LCD displays, all for just $34.99.
Brew Watch Co. Metric Chronograph – This New York-based independent brand offers stylish chronographs inspired by coffee culture. The Metric series features distinctive retro-modern aesthetics with meca-quartz movements in a variety of colorways, priced at $475 – delivering exceptional value from a true microbrand.
INSTAGRAM CREATOR SPOTLIGHT: @talkingabouttime
This month, we're shining a spotlight on one of the most engaging and authentic voices in the watch community: @talkingabouttime. Run by Stephen Nichols, who describes himself as a "Watch, dad joke and unfunny pun enthusiast with a camera," this account has built a following of approximately 13,000 dedicated watch enthusiasts.
Fair disclosure: Stephen is a friend. We’ve met up multiple times in New York and Austin for various shows and the man is a gregarious, welcoming, friendly guy who now calls me Indies. I mean… 😂
What sets Stephen apart is the perfect blend of technical knowledge, creative photography, and genuine personality. His approach combines serious horological appreciation with a refreshing sense of humor, making fine watchmaking more accessible and enjoyable for enthusiasts at all levels.
The account features a diverse range of timepieces with particular attention to independent and microbrand watches. Through his #watchfamappreciation series, Stephen regularly highlights other creators in the watch community, fostering a collaborative spirit that elevates the entire independent watch scene.
His photography style captures watches in their natural habitat – sometimes in carefully composed still lifes, other times in everyday settings that show how these pieces integrate into real life. This practical approach helps followers understand not just how a watch looks in promotional images, but how it might appear on their own wrist.
Beyond aesthetics, @talkingabouttime provides thoughtful commentary on the watches he features, often discussing the stories behind independent brands and what makes their approaches unique. This narrative-driven content helps smaller watchmakers connect with potential customers on a more personal level.
In an Instagram landscape that can sometimes feel overly commercialized, @talkingabouttime maintains an authentic voice that resonates with true watch enthusiasts. His genuine passion for horology and support of independent watchmaking makes this account a must-follow for anyone interested in the creative side of the watch industry.
Follow him at: instagram.com/talkingabouttime
LOOKING AHEAD: What's Next for Independent Watchmaking?
As we move further into 2025, several trends appear poised to shape the independent watch landscape:
Sustainability Focus: Expect more brands to follow Awake's lead in emphasizing eco-conscious materials and production methods.
Complications at Accessible Price Points: Independent brands will continue to democratize complications previously reserved for luxury watches.
Increased Collaboration: Partnerships between microbrands and influencers, artists, and other creative professionals will likely proliferate.
Direct-to-Consumer Evolution: As successful microbrands grow, they'll need to balance scaling operations while maintaining the direct customer relationships that helped build their success.
Material Innovation: The search for distinctive, durable, and sustainable materials will drive further experimentation beyond traditional watchmaking metals.
Stay tuned for our May edition, where we'll continue to track these developments and spotlight the most exciting new releases from the world of independent watchmaking!