Micro-Brand Digest: Exciting New Sports Watches, a Canadian Brand Inspired by Architecture, and a Former Modder Hits Kickstarter

Welcome to the Worn & Wound Micro-Brand Digest, a semi-monthly roundup of all the new micro-brand news we’re following, from concepts that show promise, to Kickstarter launches to restocks, and everything in between. Small independents, and affordable micro-brands spurred the creation of Worn & Wound over 10 years ago, and they still drive our enthusiasm in a big way.

Here’s what’s caught our eye this month.

If you’ve come across a project you think qualifies, hit us up at [email protected] for inclusion.

Monarte Watches

Monarte Watches founder Domen faced a dilemma. He wanted a durable dive watch that also had a dressy look so he could wear it to work or for a night out, not just for sports and weekends. After conducting his research, he discovered that the only “hybrid” watches that truly met the requirements were extremely expensive. As a result, he reached out to the online watch community to gather their input and preferences. From this collective effort, he believes he has devised a solution, the Monarte Squid, a highly versatile and capable dive watch adorned with numerous little details that enthusiasts adore.

Let us get the elephant in the room out of the way, shall we? Only the original guilloché dial was crafted by hand-operated lathe, and all subsequent dials were CNC machined to replicate it as closely as possible. This cost-saving manufacturing process in no way diminishes their ornateness or splendor. You would be hard-pressed to find more impressive dials, especially when combined with their unique handset and applied markers. The dial colors are green, black, and blue.

The squid’s case is a slim 11.4mm with a multi-faceted finish that really accentuates its 40.5mm diameter. It will fit nearly everyone comfortably with a lug-to-lug of only 47.5mm. An intricate engraving of a squid wearing a top hat covers the Top-Grade ETA 2824, which powers the watch. Further enhancing the value proposition, each watch undergoes in-house regulation in six positions to ensure an accuracy of ±2 sec/day. A limited edition of 50 pieces is available for each dial color with a display case back, which allows the wearer to admire the custom gold-plated rotor. Both options are water-resistant to a respectable 300 meters.

Pre-order pricing for the Monarte Squid is €879 for the standard version in any color and €1219 for the limited editions. Shipping is anticipated to commence in August/September 2024. For more information, visit the Monarte Watches website.

Bohen Watches

When working for renowned watch brands, Blaise-Dominique Giuliani always felt restricted by marketing, production costs, and trends. That is why he created Bohen: to design high-level watches without any constraints or compromises. Bohen is a special place where he can fully express his beliefs, follow his desires, and bring his imagination to life. 

Their newest watch is the Grande Marine, an extra-thin dive watch with a 12.8mm thickness and a 600 meter water resistance rating. They had to create a special case back made of grade 5 titanium to mate with the 316L stainless steel 41mm case to accomplish this. The dial features a gradient from black to grey with an anisotropic effect, resulting in a deep and living sensation reminiscent of a pearl concealed in the darkness. The unique hands are brushed steel, providing great contrast to the dial with polished applied markers. To further improve visibility, Bohen uses their own lume formula, resulting in what they call Hyperlume, which they believe outshines the competition.

The Grande Marine is powered by a Soprod caliber using components 100% sourced in Jura, Switzerland. It is an antimagnetic 4Hz movement with a power reserve of 42 hours. It is regulated in 5 positions to maintain accuracy within ±4 seconds per day. Additionally, it is rhodium-plated, featuring Cote de Geneve striping and pearled bridges. The price is €2,250, including two additional silicone bands (black + brown). The watches are available to purchase now. You can find more information on the Bohen website here. 

MEC Watches

As terrible as the global pandemic was, it proved that the world is much smaller than we thought. Amid the lockdown, Eric Lau from Hong Kong, Carlos Simón Ramírez from Venezuela, and Judd Wood from South Carolina joined forces to establish MEC Watches while socializing online. The team members soon realized they shared a strong passion for similar watch design and construction details despite their diverse experience in watchmaking. The three committed to creating the MEC-1 watch to the highest standard possible. This self-funded project represents American Watchmaking, blending traditional techniques with modern materials and design innovations.

They call the MEC-1 Neo Art Deco, and you can see why. The angular case shape, with jagged edges and mixed finishing, really lends itself to this period in design history. Likewise, the fonts, motifs, minute hand, seconds disk, and the entire bridge configuration and decoration evoke the beautiful era of the roaring 20s and 30s. The base dial is a smoky sapphire plate with an aperture at noon to showcase the jumping hour. The hour is illuminated by a glowing circle under the glass hour disc. Beneath the latter disc, a semi-transparent wheel displays the seconds at 6 o’clock, while on top, a unique transparent sapphire hand displays the minutes along a track contouring the dial.

All this transparency allows the owner to see the inner workings of the manufacture movement, revealing its beauty and functionality. When you turn the watch over, you will see a manually wound in-house caliber made of German silver with PVD-coated black bridges, which create a nice contrast with the “Anglage” or beveling and double gadroon motif on the mid-bridge. Dimensions are 39mm x 9.5mm, and water resistance is 50 meters. If you are interested in owning one of these, you may need to act fast, as only 50 will be produced in stainless steel. All future iterations of Mec-1 will be made in precious metal. Visit their website here for more information. 

Locke & King

Founded in 2020, Locke & King is based in Hamilton, Ontario, the industrial capital of Canada. This means they understand the value of manual labor. They instill their creations with the same spirit of rugged craftsmanship and determination that characterizes their city. Locke & King designs and builds all its timepieces and accessories to withstand the test of a Canadian minute and let you Make Your Own Time. What is a Canadian minute? Canadians are aware of how rapidly things can change. In a minute, summer can turn into winter, asphalt can become mud, rivers can transform into rapids, and grassy fields can give way to the Rocky Mountains. Consequently, Canadians understand not only how to maximize their time but also how to take charge of it.

They name their watches after roads worldwide, but always through a roll-up-your-sleeves Hamilton lens. They wanted to focus on Canada for their first few models, and it would be difficult for them to overlook their neighbor just a few miles east in Toronto. Far from the lights of Yonge or the glamour of Bloor, Ossington has historically been an underappreciated yet effortlessly cool Toronto Street. It has had its share of rough patches and periods of reinvention, but it now asserts itself as the city’s center of style. Whether taking a daytime stroll and exploring the shops, stopping for a drink, or meeting the local artisans, Ossington offers an experience like no other.

The Ossington line draws inspiration from the mid-century buildings that line its namesake street. They embraced a minimalist dress watch style with strong Bauhaus design influences, resulting in a piece that blends sophistication with Locke & King’s signature rugged, everyday hero aesthetic. The watch combines clean geometric simplicity with the complexity of the patterned dial, representing rough patches across time. The hour markers also subtly nod to Scott Eunson’s Ossington Particles installation found in Ossington station, capturing the experimentally casual cool that the street now represents.

The Ossington is available in three color variations: a copper-plated steel case with an oxidized blue dial, a classic silver-tone steel case with a white dial, and a smokey steel case with a grey dial. All are 40mm in diameter and only 11.4mm thick. The very reliable Miyota 9015 movement powers these timepieces, and thanks to the screw-down crown, they have a water resistance of 100 meters. The elegantly molded case back showcases the company logo and a distinctive serial number. All Ossington models come with a matching fine leather strap and tang buckles. They are available now for $750 CAD. More information here. 

ALCADUS

Malaysia-based Yook Hong started his journey in the niche world of Seiko modification. His experience provided a keen understanding of the market, culminating in the creation of ALCADUS, a brand offering a premium yet accessible range of understated and elegant watches. Since 2018, ALCADUS has been a dynamic platform for showcasing his expertise and creativity. The enthusiastic support from the community has consistently driven him to create more exceptional models and designs. Each ALCADUS watch undergoes meticulous hand finishing and assembly, championing the belief that extraordinary watches should be accessible to everyone, regardless of status.

The ALCADUS Quantra is their latest Kickstarter project, and it was fully funded well before its deadline. The dial is divided into pie-shaped segments, each representing an hour, creating a visually striking and harmonious display. The 36mm x 10.5mm 316L stainless steel case features a highly polished bezel, circular brushed finish on the lugs, and media blasted finish on the case sides. The sector dials are truly timeless and are covered by a box-sapphire crystal with five layers of anti-reflective coating.

It features a regulated Hangzhou Calibre 5015A micro-rotor movement with a 42-hour power reserve. The movement is visible through the transparent screw-down case back, providing 50 meters of water resistance. Often overlooked by many brands, the leather strap is a crucial detail for ALCADUS. It is an essential part of the puzzle, embodying craftsmanship, durability, tradition, comfort, and quality. They source their straps from Tanneries Haas (owned by the Chanel Group) in France. Each of their watch straps is meticulously crafted by hand using traditional leathercraft techniques, guaranteeing longevity and ensuring a timeless piece built to last a lifetime.

The dial colors are Salmon, Silver, and Purple, and each Quantra will come with a choice of 2 Tanneries Haas straps. The price is $580 USD, and for more information, visit their website here.