Watch microbrands have weathered the popping of the watch bubble fairly well. At least slightly better than their luxury neighbours, which have found themselves stuck in a weak market with prices down 30 per cent from pandemic highs.
Microbrands are smaller, upstart brands without in-house manufacturing. They have gone from strength to strength in the last decade: almost no microbrands existed in the mid-2010s, while there are hundreds today.
They are generally more affordable than Rolex or Patek Phillipe despite often being produced by the same factories.
“The big difference is a microbrand or small independent [store is] not only more nimble or able to tend the ship quicker… The impact [of a downturn] is the same, but the response can be quicker and therefore result in less damage,” managing director of Fears watches, Nicholas Bowman-Scargil, said.
Microbrands are also more connected to their audiences, and rely on social media engagement – the “best means” of audience connection – to engage with consumers, Bowman-Scargill said.
It’s not just about shouting into a void, though – the most successful players use it to listen and engage with audiences too.
“Legacy brands use social media as a pure channel to put information out there, almost like a digital version of an advert on your phone,” Bowman-Scargill said. “Whereas microbrands and small independents use it not to talk at their audience but to engage with them, get feedback from them and interact with them.”
“This is why watch enthusiasts tend to feel so much more drawn to microbrands and independents – because they feel that they are part of the journey and therefore part of the brand,’ he continued.
A watch that ‘tells a story’
YouTube stacks his comment up: there are hundreds, if not thousands, of videos on microbrand watches. Reviews, personal collections and rankings sit side by side with names like WatchYaWant, Awkward Horology and The Mad Watch Collector.
“For enthusiasts… many microbrands create a compelling package compared to traditional big names,” one such YouTuber, Teddy Baldassarre, said in a video. “The owners are usually directly in reach and you can build a relationship with them… feedback can have a direct impact on future product launches.”
“[With mainstream brands] people are screaming in the comments, they want this new product, but it’s like no one can hear it, it falls on deaf ears,” he said.
The comments are equally supportive: “For me, I want to wear a watch that resonates with me and tells a story… I feel so much more connected to the people and processes that have brought these [micro]brands to life,” one user said.
A microbrand in tune with its audience via social media will “make and work towards [what they want,” Bowman-Scargil said. “Some brands will even get inspiration from their audience.
“The other difference is that microbrands are more willing to take a risk… Legacy brands very rarely take a risk, [and] when they do and they don’t see the sales they will cut it pretty quickly.
“A microbrand is willing and able to take more risks because the audience is more engaged.”