Horon Ocean Hunter
Yes, another month, another microbrand diver – but thankfully Horon’s is a good deal more interesting than your usual Submariner homage. The Ocean Hunter collection consists of a quartet of affordable underwater specialists, all tested to 300m. What really sets them apart though is the multi-layered nuance on the dial – particularly in the yellow and blue Naga, which matches the bi-colour diving bezel with a dark blue ring for the indexes and a splash of yellow guilloche at the core. There is a Meteorite edition, but this is one of the few times it’s the most subtle option that stands out.
The Specs
- 42mm, stainless steel case with 300m water resistance
- Sellita SW-200 automatic movement with 38-hour power reserve
- From $499 (approx. £370), available at Horon Watches.
De Rijke Miffy Moonphase
You read that right. Move over Snoopy, another beloved cartoon animal is taking to the stars courtesy of Dutch driving watch specialist De Rijke. Along with the brand’s signature rotating case (for ease of reading with both hands on the wheel), their latest piece includes a bright yellow moon phase against a blue dial. Sitting on said moon is Miffy, the painfully adorable rabbit that started life way back in 1955. Bright, colourful and extremely limited, it’s one of the most quintessentially charming microbrand pieces around.
The Specs
- 38mm, stainless steel case with 100m water resistance
- Sellita SW 288-1 automatic movement with 38-hour power reserve
- €2,724 (approx. £2,300), available at De Rijke and Co.
Timeless Watch HMS-001
Timeless Watch is a brand dedicated to creating watches with an architectural flair with a focus on textures and graphic elements. The HMS-001 has a fine guilloché dial and a white coloured hour scale paired with the Timeless logo which sits above the guilloché at 9 o’clock. The hour and minute hands are equally intricate with a unique open design that isn’t quite skeletonised. Inside it houses the Swiss made STP 1-11 automatic movement which has a 44-hour power reserve and a date wheel function. Overall, the intricate details certainly live up to the intentions of the brand.
The Specs
- 41.5mm, stainless steel case with 50m water resistance
- STP 1-11 automatic movement with 44-hour power reserve
- CHF 1,450 (approx. £1,160), available at Timeless Watch.
Pancerna P.7 Pilot
There are a fair few field watches designed for a bit of rough and tumble; the P.7 Pilots’ watch from Pancerna looks built for a high-speed plane crash. A pebble-smooth case with thick, chunky lugs, it’s a solid piece of metal with all the aviation quality-of-flight additions a pilot could need – including oversized, lumed numerals for at-a-glance time-telling and an oversized, fluted crown operable with gloves. More subtly, it also has an ion plating, making it eight times harder than steel, so that whichever dial colour you go for (our vote’s the Desert Tan) the P.7 will outlast whatever you throw at it.
The Specs
- 40mm, stainless steel case with 200m water resistance
- MIYOTA 9039 with 42-hour power reserve
- $525 (approx. £390), available at Pancerna.
Aevig Thyïlea GMT
What’s more retro than the rounded TV-shaped case of a 70s-inspired timepiece? Not much, honestly – and the Thyïlea (or Thule in modern parlance) nails it. Thule means the northernmost inhabitable lands, so Alaska or Greeland, but if you were expecting an explorer’s watch think again. The pair of GMT-equipped timepieces use a fantastically angular, sporty case with an integrated bracelet, yet don’t fall into the easy rut of Gentainspired sports luxe. The Thule is very much Aevig’s own brainchild, and the brown especially is retro done right.
The Specs
- 39mm, titanium case with 100m water resistance
- Sellita SW330-2 automatic movement with 56-hour power reserve
- €1,149 (approx. £960), available at Aevig.
