Microbrand Watch of The Year 2023

Well, folks, 2023 has come to a close, and that means it’s time to announce The Time Bum Microband Watch of The Year! We drew up our short list of nominations, debated their relative merits, and, from this fine selection, anointed our overall winner.

Here are the rules we followed:

1. We only considered microbrand watches, which we defined as having a small number of full-time employees, outsourcing most of its production, using movements not produced in-house, and conducting sales primarily online with no more than a limited brick-and-mortar presence. So, big boys like Seiko are clearly out, but we also excluded pretty sizable independents like Oris, Sinn, and Christopher Ward.
2. The watches had to be available in 2022. Watches that could be ordered, but not delivered by year-end, did not qualify.
3. We could only nominate watches we had actually handled. This is tough, but fair because photographs are a poor substitute for holding a watch in your hand and placing it on your wrist.
4. The watches could not cost more than $3000, and even in a year of rising prices, all of our nominees were well below that threshold.
5. Each contributor could choose no more than three favorites. I know we used to allow five, but times change.

It wasn’t easy to narrow our selections. There were many outstanding watches released this year, and a freakishly high number of mechanical GMTs. Indeed, six out of our top ten fit that category, including our number one pick. Without further ado, The Time Bum team is proud to announce…

The Time Bum Microbrand Watch of The Year for 2023: Lorier Hydra Zulu

That’s right, Lorier takes the crown for the second year in a row with the outstanding Hydra Zulu. Given the proliferation of automatic GMT watches released this year, a four-hander was almost a foregone conclusion. Lorier’s offering won our hearts with its black-on-black tactical menace. It also employed lume in a creative and highly legible manner, and the retro-styled Bonetto Cinturini rubber strap was the icing on the cake. Everything about this watch perfectly embodies its 1980s action-hero ethos. Best of all, while we at The Time Bum have long admired Lorier’s watches, this was not the sort of watch that any of us would have predicted from the brand. We were delighted to see them expand their range, and can only wonder what they might have in the works for 2024.

The Rest of The Best for 2023

The following watches were nominated, and while amazing, did not garner the consensus to nab the top spot. We present them in alphabetical order.

Baltic Hermetique

Someone once told me that Baltic does not know how to make a bad watch, and I am inclined to agree. Each new release has further refined the brand’s clean, understated aesthetic. What’s more impressive, is the way they have kept prices so reasonable. As Mike said, “$590 for an excellent, unique design, and a Miyota 9039 plus 150m water resistance in a 10mm thick watch? Let’s GO!”

Bremoir Eastern

Bremoir’s Art Deco watches caught our attention when the brand released its debut model, the Lexington, in 2022, which earned it a nod in last year’s Watch of The Year selection. This year, Nate and Matt felt the Bremoir Eastern did the same. In both his nomination and his review, Matt praised its excellent finishing, unique design, and the fact that it’s just so damn pretty. As Nate put it, “So much for sophomore slumps. This second release by the Art Deco-themed Bremoir is giving all the right 1920s vibes, leveled up from their successful Lexington debut model. As it draws inspiration from Los Angeles’ epochal Eastern Columbia Building (of recent Johnny Depp fame), you get charming details like triple-stepped hour markers, a geometrically clever sector dial outlining custom stylized numerals, and rich gilded finishing that all that combine to take you straight back to Hollywood’s golden age. Frankly, it could make Clark Gable give a damn.”

Charlie Paris Concordia GMT

Nate had the Charlie Paris Concordia GMT in his top three. I reviewed the limited edition Latitude 0º  earlier this year, but Nate went the extra mile, visiting the brand’s Paris boutique. “Any GMT can tell you the time in another part of the world,” he said. “It takes a special watch to make you want to go there. Such is the allure of the beautifully executed Concdoria GMT from my new favorite French brand, Charlie Paris. Now, while I personally use this wrist-check to imagine sipping Burgundy along the Seine, the original design was meant for something quite different — to survive the South Pole. In 2018, it did just that: adorning the wrist of Matthieu Tordeur as he became the first French explorer to ski across Antarctica. For myself, I’ll always have Paris.”

E. Stohlman The Earl

This was one of my top three choices. I like retro looks and appreciate it when a brand does justice to a bygone model, but it is even more interesting when a watchmaker looks back on a bygone era and creates something that is both period-correct and yet entirely new. Eugene Stohlman did just that with The Earl. Eugene is the man behind Maryland Watch Works and the E.Stohlman Watch Company, and when he put pen to paper for this watch, he channeled the ghosts of horologers past and cooked up this marvelous Art Nouveau creation. The Earl has a Rhodium-plated Sterling Silver case, horn lugs, and a mother-of-pearl dial. It also has distinctly modern elements such as a sapphire crystal, 100m of water resistance (for a dress watch!), and a gradient rainbow minutes track. Inside, is the MWW7081a automatic movement, assembled and regulated right in Hagerstown, Maryland, U.S.A. It’s got old-world charm, modern mechanicals, and Jay Gatsby swagger all for $2,000. What’s not to like?

Echo/Neutra Cortina 1956 GMT

DC nominated the handsome Echo/Neutra Cortina 1956 GMT, and it’s impossible to fault that choice. This clean, mid-century-inspired design has been a winner in every incarnation and ranked among the best GMTs released this year. Powered by the Soprod C125, the Echo/Neutra earns high praise for its sleek lines and sophisticated use of color, especially this stunning teal blue variant. Perhaps the most striking aspect of Echo/Neutra is the brand’s masterful use of typography, a rare and wonderful thing in the microbrand community and a trait shared across the Cortina range.

Farer Lander 36mm GMT 

I chose the Farer Lander 36mm because of its top quality, versatile style, unisex size, and stunning colorways. Several watchmakers have employed the formula of a small case, bold color, and a mechanical GMT movement, but I think Farer’s was among the most successful designs. When I reviewed the pink Lander Kano back in April, I told you all that it was a strong contender for WOTY. Eight months later, my opinion has not wavered a bit. It is one of the best.

Havaan Tuvali Duodecima

We of The Time Bum have admired the way Havaan Tuvali merges 1970s NOS cases with new, handcrafted dials, so it was no surprise when Lauren picked the new Duodecima for her list. As she explained, “I saw this watch in prototype form at District Time this spring and immediately fell in love. It combines the essence of 70s watch design with charming modern details to produce a winning watch. Thanks to the hand-printed dial, each piece ends up being a unique work of art.”

Traska Venturer GMT

Traska continually refines its watches, so it almost feels like cheating to put them on the list. But given that each revision shows a measurable improvement on an already excellent product, it’s impossible not to give them a nod. This year, both Lauran and Matt chose the third-generation Traska Venturer GMT.  Said Lauren, “I predicted about 18 months ago that we were going to hit a golden age of sub-$1000 GMTs, and the Traska Venturer exemplifies that. It’s compact, immediately identifiable as a Traska, and everything you want in a travel watch.”

Matt was even more effusive. “I wish there were a way for everyone watch enthusiast to check out the Traska Venturer in person,” he said. “Already gorgeous in photos, its dynamic cohesion only fully comes to life without the filter of a lens or screen. No other watch I wore – my own collection, review pieces, or at trade shows – tugged so firmly at my WIS core.”

Tsao Baltimore Balt-Pilot Worldtimer

I loved the Tsao Baltimore Balt-Pilot Worldtimer when I reviewed it last month. The watch has top specs, intimate ties to its hometown, and a wealth of clever details. When Lauren put it on her list, she summed it up thusly: “While the inspiration is a pilot’s watch, this watch pretty much exemplifies the GADA genre. A titanium case keeps it light on your wrist, and the dial (in whichever color you choose) is both classy and classic. The fact that the bracelet is supremely comfortable is a cherry on top of an excellent sundae.”