Soo... what did I miss? A special shout out to (in no particular order): Second Hour, Vesuviate, Perpetual, Signum, Tiga, Nadir, Borealis, Ubiq, Revelot, Orion, Vario, Nordic Marine Instruments, Draken, Wise, UniDesign, Lesablier, Medeor, Wayforth, Viqueria, and apologies to all I have forgotten to mention: thank you for your help!
This is one of the best 2024 lists I've seen. It's great to not see reviews of all the nuance of the various seamasters or subs. Thanks for the reviews. Keep them coming.
Great review again Tony I’m glad to see the Horizon Nemo made the top 10. For me, that’s the best watch of 2024 though agree the adjustable clasp is it’s Achilles Heal. Surprised that the Pitzman made it higher than the Nemo. It’s a nice watch but I feel lacked originality, looks too much like a Daytona so it’s lost in a crowd of lookalikes in my humble opinion Whilst the Shellback isn’t my thing, I do get why it made number one. It’s the true GADA alternative to the Rolex submariner. If I was a one watch guy, I think it’s the most sensible option
Thank you so much, both for the praise, but, more importantly, for the great insights! I initially echoed your thoughts on Pitzmann, but, if this makes any sense for a rather flashy watch, it gradually won me over. In the end (and I didn't go too much into this conversation on any of the watches in the Top), it was "the amount of watch one gets for the money" that propelled the Korean watch to third. And, considering the watch costs $1500, this is indicative of how great it is.
This is a very good list Toni. Others may not “get it” because they don’t see the usual suspects here. I have the Tennet Onyx and it ticks all the boxes for me, particularly with my slim wrists. I’m aiming for a Pedral or possibly a Zentier next. Thank you as always for an excellent presentation of smaller very promising brands! Happy New Year!! 🎉
Thank you so much for your support throughout the year! I don't aim to "please" any watch enthusiast and/or any brand, and I'm glad people like you find value in going off the beaten path and doing it as objectively as possible. It's you and people likeminded that I do this for. Happy New Year!
Great video! 2024 was a strong year for microbrands. My personal favorite release of the year was the Direnzo Wandering Star and it has become my favorite watch.
I have rarely seen a business owner (let alone a microbrand owner) so uncompromising in executing the watch HE wants to do, not trying to entertain anyone, really.
This is not a top 10 without surprises, but one that can definitely meet with my approval. Sure, for me the Tennet might have scored higher and a couple would have been unlikely to make my list (Belhamel and Arcturus) due to sizing and personal style preferences. I'm glad to see Alato and Pedral in the list. I maintain that Pedral has some strides to make to jump on my priority list, but I can see that this may happen. Alato already sails eerily close and I may regret not giving it a go at the earliest KS price. The Horizon seems deserved, despite the somewhat suboptimal clasp implementation. I could see myself enjoying one, and yet I'd probably enjoy this not being a diver and presented a bit more formally. The Pitzmann I can understand, based on my experience with the II. Given your gripe it is especially worth noting that the microadjust clasp has since arrived, as well as a rather fetching and fresh green variant. And then we're down to Feynman and it's two entries on the list! Wow. That was a surprise, but I must admit I had forgotten your enthusiasm for the One. In this line up, looking at it again, I think my problem is purely down to personal preferences of aesthetics. The One feels too busy and continues to look slightly peculiar in its case shape. Going down the route of what I consider to be busy design on this list, Arcturus, Feynman, Tennet, Pedral, and possibly even Alato, it would be the Tennet I'd place on top. The VI, however, won me over in reviews on its aesthetics, and I could really enjoy one. Price is an obstacle, but perhaps even more so, size. If it were smaller, it would very likely have made my shortlist of watches to actively consider for a next purchase. To see Tusenö topping the list is a surprise, mainly because of all the others on this list. Yet, as a fellow non-diver enthusiast, the Shellback continuously has me asking whether I shouldn't try one after all. In this V2, pretty much my gripe comes down to liking the style of the bezel on the white better than on the black and blue and feeling that the case could be trimmed a little, especially from the side. Beyond that, the problem is that I genuinely would struggle to choose between the dial variants because they're all that good. Overall, I see a list with several brands I rate highly and several watches that only narrowly missed out on entering my collection. Some of those decisions might have been mistakes, but without being able to put them side by side, it's unlikely I could ever make that call. The fact that I could easily pick four of five out of your list that I'd still be excited to own is quite something in my book.
Thank you, Benjamin, and apologies for the late reply! I warned you first place will be a surprise, and I'm glad you understand my reasoning for going this way. Quite puzzled seeing you have included Pedral in the "busy design" list, as I believe Artefact is one of the more streamlined watches not only in this list, but in the overall list of watches released this year. Size notwhitstanding, Arcturus and both Feynman are watches to be experienced in person. As is what I consider the actual big surprise of the top - Belhamel Contra. Also, I've mentioned it in the video, Tennet would have placed higher had they sent one of the more "appealing" dial options (btw, the new dials are candy!).
@@themicrobrandexpert Yes, you did warn me, but then I perhaps was expecting more debatable surprises. I could reasonably easily find myself in general support of this list! Yes, to me the Pedral Artefact is certainly a busy-ish watch, but perhaps not majorly more so than Alato. The multiple dial finishes in combination with the standout shape and the fact that integrated bracelets tend to be more 'present', so already louder on the wrist, it is a fine balance. To me it reads busy. The Tennet is certainly busy, which is possibly why I might prefer the white version over more notable colours. In fact, for me personally Tennet actually doesn't quite pick the kind of hue of the colours I would prefer, and then one would be better off with white. It calms it down. Of course there are some extravagant flourishes in the case shape too. It's difficult to describe and colours will be very personal. I'm very sensitive to it, in general. So Tennet's blue, red, and green are all too in-your-face those exact colours. I like something that's arguably a bit harder to define or shifts hue, not just in shade, or is somethig in-between or more toned down. See: difficult to describe. Never mind, but e.g. Alato does better already with both the deep almost purple-ish luxurious blue and velvety burgundy red. Of course the dial finish in those also tones colour experience down further. It mellows, which is quite classy. Pedral, generally seems to look for some especially clashing colour combinations, too. I think the preference for 'loudness' is quite apparent in the Artefact. Staying on the topic of colour, the blue Feynman VI is a triumph in this respect: a moody, deep, almost murky midnight blue. It's a classy affair. So is the silver, one could argue, but I prefer the contrasty effects on the blue. With regards to the Feynman One I am going to have to be honest and highlight that I may just never quite get used to the (in my eyes) odd conical top-heavy effect of the very tall bezel with the bulbously broad base. It's very characterful, but perhaps just not my character. I'd gladly try it, though, if I ever had a cost free opportunity to. I do have a penchant for the slightly eccentric, but I've repeatedly found my limitations within that. I can never quite predict where those will be. The fact that the horizontal profile of the MB01 persuaded me this year is an interesting case in point. Regrettably for microbrands, they remain dependent on social/watch media exposure to effectuate such persuasion as long as one cannot try them in a local shop.
Awesome material... no other channel will put so many and "exclusively" micro brands on the list. Keep up the good work. Maybe next year I'll see my brand on the list here;)
Thank you so much, Bartek! I debated if I should add in "honourable mentions", but I decided to just add in a comment which I was writing just as you posted your comment. Thank you so much for your constant support, you are one of those great humans that make the microbrand world special! Happy holiday!
Well, I like the Horizon and the Pedral. 😅 I have never disagreed with a top 10 list more, but I guess we all have different interpretations of good quality and good design! Despite disagreeing, it was a good video and I can use it as a list of watches I don’t want if I forget. 😂
Soo... what did I miss? A special shout out to (in no particular order): Second Hour, Vesuviate, Perpetual, Signum, Tiga, Nadir, Borealis, Ubiq, Revelot, Orion, Vario, Nordic Marine Instruments, Draken, Wise, UniDesign, Lesablier, Medeor, Wayforth, Viqueria, and apologies to all I have forgotten to mention: thank you for your help!
Happy Holidays to you and your family. Thank you for a year of quality, enjoyable content.
Thank you, Darren, for everything you've helped me with. Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones!
Thanks Toni, the Pedral watch is beautiful. Not sure Ive seen anything like it. Happy New Year 🎉 💥 ✨️
Happy New Year to you, too, Fred!
PS: I know you warmed up to bracelets lately, but, come on!, I didn't expect you to go fully integrated bracelet!...
@themicrobrandexpert Me either lol!
This is one of the best 2024 lists I've seen. It's great to not see reviews of all the nuance of the various seamasters or subs. Thanks for the reviews. Keep them coming.
Thank you, it means a lot to me!
My Tuseno Shellback V2 is finally on the way! I'm extra thrilled now. Thanks for the tremendous tour of 2024!
I believe you'll be very happy with it, wear it in good health! Thank you for the nice words!
Great review again Tony
I’m glad to see the Horizon Nemo made the top 10. For me, that’s the best watch of 2024 though agree the adjustable clasp is it’s Achilles Heal.
Surprised that the Pitzman made it higher than the Nemo.
It’s a nice watch but I feel lacked originality, looks too much like a Daytona so it’s lost in a crowd of lookalikes in my humble opinion
Whilst the Shellback isn’t my thing, I do get why it made number one.
It’s the true GADA alternative to the Rolex submariner. If I was a one watch guy, I think it’s the most sensible option
Thank you so much, both for the praise, but, more importantly, for the great insights!
I initially echoed your thoughts on Pitzmann, but, if this makes any sense for a rather flashy watch, it gradually won me over. In the end (and I didn't go too much into this conversation on any of the watches in the Top), it was "the amount of watch one gets for the money" that propelled the Korean watch to third. And, considering the watch costs $1500, this is indicative of how great it is.
This is a very good list Toni. Others may not “get it” because they don’t see the usual suspects here. I have the Tennet Onyx and it ticks all the boxes for me, particularly with my slim wrists. I’m aiming for a Pedral or possibly a Zentier next. Thank you as always for an excellent presentation of smaller very promising brands! Happy New Year!! 🎉
Thank you so much for your support throughout the year! I don't aim to "please" any watch enthusiast and/or any brand, and I'm glad people like you find value in going off the beaten path and doing it as objectively as possible. It's you and people likeminded that I do this for. Happy New Year!
On point with each one of them. Really well done. 👍
Thank you so much!
Great video! 2024 was a strong year for microbrands. My personal favorite release of the year was the Direnzo Wandering Star and it has become my favorite watch.
That's one great watch, wear it in good health!
I'm so excited for Feynman's future. They are really carving their own spot.
I have rarely seen a business owner (let alone a microbrand owner) so uncompromising in executing the watch HE wants to do, not trying to entertain anyone, really.
This is not a top 10 without surprises, but one that can definitely meet with my approval. Sure, for me the Tennet might have scored higher and a couple would have been unlikely to make my list (Belhamel and Arcturus) due to sizing and personal style preferences. I'm glad to see Alato and Pedral in the list. I maintain that Pedral has some strides to make to jump on my priority list, but I can see that this may happen. Alato already sails eerily close and I may regret not giving it a go at the earliest KS price. The Horizon seems deserved, despite the somewhat suboptimal clasp implementation. I could see myself enjoying one, and yet I'd probably enjoy this not being a diver and presented a bit more formally. The Pitzmann I can understand, based on my experience with the II. Given your gripe it is especially worth noting that the microadjust clasp has since arrived, as well as a rather fetching and fresh green variant. And then we're down to Feynman and it's two entries on the list! Wow. That was a surprise, but I must admit I had forgotten your enthusiasm for the One. In this line up, looking at it again, I think my problem is purely down to personal preferences of aesthetics. The One feels too busy and continues to look slightly peculiar in its case shape. Going down the route of what I consider to be busy design on this list, Arcturus, Feynman, Tennet, Pedral, and possibly even Alato, it would be the Tennet I'd place on top. The VI, however, won me over in reviews on its aesthetics, and I could really enjoy one. Price is an obstacle, but perhaps even more so, size. If it were smaller, it would very likely have made my shortlist of watches to actively consider for a next purchase. To see Tusenö topping the list is a surprise, mainly because of all the others on this list. Yet, as a fellow non-diver enthusiast, the Shellback continuously has me asking whether I shouldn't try one after all. In this V2, pretty much my gripe comes down to liking the style of the bezel on the white better than on the black and blue and feeling that the case could be trimmed a little, especially from the side. Beyond that, the problem is that I genuinely would struggle to choose between the dial variants because they're all that good. Overall, I see a list with several brands I rate highly and several watches that only narrowly missed out on entering my collection. Some of those decisions might have been mistakes, but without being able to put them side by side, it's unlikely I could ever make that call. The fact that I could easily pick four of five out of your list that I'd still be excited to own is quite something in my book.
Thank you, Benjamin, and apologies for the late reply!
I warned you first place will be a surprise, and I'm glad you understand my reasoning for going this way.
Quite puzzled seeing you have included Pedral in the "busy design" list, as I believe Artefact is one of the more streamlined watches not only in this list, but in the overall list of watches released this year.
Size notwhitstanding, Arcturus and both Feynman are watches to be experienced in person. As is what I consider the actual big surprise of the top - Belhamel Contra. Also, I've mentioned it in the video, Tennet would have placed higher had they sent one of the more "appealing" dial options (btw, the new dials are candy!).
@@themicrobrandexpert Yes, you did warn me, but then I perhaps was expecting more debatable surprises. I could reasonably easily find myself in general support of this list! Yes, to me the Pedral Artefact is certainly a busy-ish watch, but perhaps not majorly more so than Alato. The multiple dial finishes in combination with the standout shape and the fact that integrated bracelets tend to be more 'present', so already louder on the wrist, it is a fine balance. To me it reads busy. The Tennet is certainly busy, which is possibly why I might prefer the white version over more notable colours. In fact, for me personally Tennet actually doesn't quite pick the kind of hue of the colours I would prefer, and then one would be better off with white. It calms it down. Of course there are some extravagant flourishes in the case shape too. It's difficult to describe and colours will be very personal. I'm very sensitive to it, in general. So Tennet's blue, red, and green are all too in-your-face those exact colours. I like something that's arguably a bit harder to define or shifts hue, not just in shade, or is somethig in-between or more toned down. See: difficult to describe. Never mind, but e.g. Alato does better already with both the deep almost purple-ish luxurious blue and velvety burgundy red. Of course the dial finish in those also tones colour experience down further. It mellows, which is quite classy. Pedral, generally seems to look for some especially clashing colour combinations, too. I think the preference for 'loudness' is quite apparent in the Artefact. Staying on the topic of colour, the blue Feynman VI is a triumph in this respect: a moody, deep, almost murky midnight blue. It's a classy affair. So is the silver, one could argue, but I prefer the contrasty effects on the blue. With regards to the Feynman One I am going to have to be honest and highlight that I may just never quite get used to the (in my eyes) odd conical top-heavy effect of the very tall bezel with the bulbously broad base. It's very characterful, but perhaps just not my character. I'd gladly try it, though, if I ever had a cost free opportunity to. I do have a penchant for the slightly eccentric, but I've repeatedly found my limitations within that. I can never quite predict where those will be. The fact that the horizontal profile of the MB01 persuaded me this year is an interesting case in point. Regrettably for microbrands, they remain dependent on social/watch media exposure to effectuate such persuasion as long as one cannot try them in a local shop.
Very nice.
Awesome material... no other channel will put so many and "exclusively" micro brands on the list. Keep up the good work.
Maybe next year I'll see my brand on the list here;)
Thank you so much, Bartek! I debated if I should add in "honourable mentions", but I decided to just add in a comment which I was writing just as you posted your comment. Thank you so much for your constant support, you are one of those great humans that make the microbrand world special! Happy holiday!
Well, I like the Horizon and the Pedral. 😅 I have never disagreed with a top 10 list more, but I guess we all have different interpretations of good quality and good design! Despite disagreeing, it was a good video and I can use it as a list of watches I don’t want if I forget. 😂
Glad to see you liked a couple of watches.