Micro-Brand Digest: Heavy Duty Divers, Saphite, & Asymmetric Cases

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.

Delma Quattro

Here’s a diver with a few tricks up its sleeve. The Delma Quattro is a 500M dive watch that they really want you to take diving. The Rapid Bracelet Exchange System (RBES) allows you to easily swap between a rubber strap or steel bracelet without tools, but also allows the watch head itself to slot into a specially designed decompression plate. There’s a helium escape valve placed discreetly into the side of the unique case, and the chunky bezel gets 6 nodes to make for easy use underwater with a pair of gloves on. We see a lot of dive watches around here, but rarely with such a unique feature set as this. The Quattro is available to order from Delma for $2,390, and comes in three colorways: black, blue, and orange. More from Delma. 

Timeless Watch

Timeless has launched their first watch, the reference 01 (naturally), in two colorways. The 01 pairs modern Arabic numerals with a guilloche finished center section of the dial that radiates outward. Under the hand stack is an exposed hour wheel providing a view of some rarely seen details of the STP 1-11 movement within. A date complication at 6 o’clock makes itself known with the label “date” written out under the aperture (a detail could do without). Likewise, a large plate obscures the 9 o’clock side of the dial with the Timeless branding. One detail we appreciate is the lug integration with the case, which gets a contrasting rose gold collar at the meeting point. The Timeless 01 is priced at 1450 CHF and is available to order now. More from Timeless. 

Aventi Wraith

If you’re fond of the ultra high end watches that boast full sapphire cases, but don’t have the requisite 6 or 7 figures to spend on one, the Aventi Wraith offers a slightly cheaper alternative with a material called Saphite. This watch is still 24,500CHF, mind you, and only available by allocation, but it offers a few unique propositions. The rectangular-ish case is Paraiba Blue Saphite, and is what the brand claims they always wanted from sapphire. According to them, “Unlike sapphire crystal, Saphite is made of a crystalline structure suspended in a glassy matrix”. There are plenty of other, frankly crazy details about this watch, from the shock resistant movement to the sapphire hands, detailed on their website, which is as loud as the watch itself. Aventi.

Orator Sportsman

Moving to the other end of the spectrum, the Orator Sportsman Kickstarter is now live, and has just surpassed their pledge goal of $29,470. The Sportsman looks to revive an historic brand that produced sport and field watches in ‘50s The new watches take deep inspiration from the brand’s early skin divers, and include plenty of vintage details to link the present with the past. Offered with blue and black dials, the lume gets a yellow tint to mimic an aged dial, though you have the choice between pointed or rounded hour markers. Inside the 40mm steel case, Orator is using the Ronda R150 automatic movement, making for a 12.9mm case thickness. A selection of early order straps are being offered, including a tropic style rubber unit and a rally style leather unit. Pricing during the Kickstarter opens at €750 and estimated deliveries are listed as February of 2023. Check out the full Kickstarter for the Orator Sportsman.

Timecore Eclipse 

This watch is listed as coming soon to Kickstarter, so take this news with a grain of salt. The Timecore Eclipse, both the website and the watch, look like something straight out of Demolition Man, a retro-futuristic vision of a world that never came to be. The Eclipse is an asymmetrical case that sets the watch dial and movement to one side, leaving an open cavity at the 9 o’clock side. Timecore claims the design references the “motion of our sun, planets, and moons during an eclipse”. Fair enough. The strap design is just as ambitious as the case, and the whole thing comes together in a way that commands attention. Standy by for more details on this watch, but until then, keep an eye on the Timecore website.