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Microbrand watches are wristwatches produced by small, independent watch companies. [1] [2]
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Microbrand watches are wristwatches produced by small, independent watch companies. [1] [2]
The term " microbrand " is usually synonymous with the microbrand watch industry, though it can also be more widely used to describe any small-scale brand that is likely only recognized in niche communities and among hobbyists.
The first microbrands debuted in the early to mid-2000s. With the advent of the Internet, brands were able to distribute watches directly to consumers within e-commerce, without taking on the overhead usually associated with luxury goods such as retail locations, marketing budgets, and other associated costs.
As a result, the prices of microbrand watches are generally significantly lower than luxury-tier watches, despite being produced in the same factories.
The Swatch Group Ltd is a Swiss manufacturer of watches and jewellery. The company was founded in 1983 through the merger of ASUAG and SSIH, moving to manufacturing quartz-crystal watches to resolve the quartz crisis threatening the traditional Swiss watchmaking industry.
Rolex SA is a Swiss watch brand and manufacturer based in Geneva, Switzerland. Founded in 1905 as Wilsdorf and Davis by German businessman Hans Wilsdorf and his brother-in-law Alfred Davis in London, the company registered Rolex as the brand name of its watches in 1908 and became Rolex Watch Co. Ltd. in 1915. After World War I, the company moved its base of operations to Geneva because of the unfavorable economy in the United Kingdom. In 1920, Hans Wilsdorf registered Montres Rolex SA in Geneva as the new company name ; it later became Rolex SA. Since 1960, the company has been owned by the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, a private family trust.
Timex Group USA, Inc. is an American global watch manufacturing company founded in 1854 as the Waterbury Clock Company in Waterbury, Connecticut. In 1944, the company became insolvent but was reformed into Timex Corporation. In 2008, the company was acquired by Timex Group B.V. and was renamed Timex Group USA.
TissotSA is a Swiss luxury watch brand owned by the Swatch Group. The company was founded in Le Locle, Switzerland by Charles-Félicien Tissot and his son, Charles-Émile Tissot, in 1853.
Seiko Group Corporation, commonly known as Seiko, is a Japanese maker of watches, clocks, electronic devices, semiconductors, jewelry, and optical products. Founded in 1881 by Kintarō Hattori in Tokyo, Seiko introduced the world's first commercial quartz wristwatch in 1969.
Compagnie Financière Richemont S.A., commonly known as Richemont, is a Switzerland-based luxury goods holding company founded in 1988 by South African businessman Johann Rupert. Through its various subsidiaries, Richemont produces and sells jewellery, watches, leather goods, pens, firearms, clothing, and accessories. Richemont is publicly traded as CFR on the SIX Swiss Exchange and the JSE.
Omega SA is a Swiss luxury watchmaker based in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland. Founded by Louis Brandt in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1848, the company formerly operated as La Generale Watch Co. until incorporating the name Omega in 1903, becoming Louis Brandt et Frère-Omega Watch & Co. In 1984, the company officially changed its name to Omega SA and opened its museum in Biel/Bienne to the public. Omega is a subsidiary of The Swatch Group.
Piaget SA is a Swiss luxury watchmaker and jeweller. Founded in 1874 by Georges Piaget in the village of La Côte-aux-Fées, Piaget is currently a subsidiary of the Swiss Richemont group.
Bulgari is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1884 and known for its jewellery, watches, fragrances, accessories, and leather goods.
Ulysse NardinSA is a Swiss luxury watchmaking company founded in 1846 in Le Locle, Switzerland.
Compagnie des Montres Longines, Francillon S.A., or simply Longines, is a Swiss luxury watchmaker based in Saint-Imier, Switzerland. Founded by Auguste Agassiz in 1832, the company has been a subsidiary of the Swiss Swatch Group and its predecessors since 1983. Its winged hourglass logo, registered in 1889, is the oldest unchanged active trademark registered with WIPO.
A calculator watch is a digital watch with a built-in calculator, usually including buttons on the watch face. Calculator watches were first introduced in the 1970s and continue to be produced, despite falling from their peak popularity during the 1980s. The most dominant brands were the Casio Databank series and Timex.
Tourneau, LLC is a luxury watch retailer established in 1900 and based in the United States. In 2018 Tourneau was purchased by the European retailer, Bucherer AG. The company carries over 8,000 styles of men’s and women’s watches from nearly 40 luxury brands. Tourneau also sells certified pre-owned watches; offering a trade-in program for upgrading watch styles.
Blancpain SA is a Swiss luxury watch manufacturer, headquartered in Paudex/Le Brassus, Switzerland. It designs, manufactures, distributes, and sells prestige and luxury mechanical watches. Founded by Jehan-Jacques Blancpain in Villeret, Switzerland in 1735, Blancpain is the oldest registered watch brand in the world. Blancpain has been a subsidiary of the Swiss Swatch Group since 1992, and is regarded as a top-tier watch brand.
A counterfeit watch is an unauthorised copy of an authentic watch. High-end luxury watches such as Rolex, Patek Philippe and Richard Mille are frequently counterfeited and sold on city streets and online. With technological advancements, many non-luxury and inexpensive quartz watches are also commonly counterfeited.
A microbrand is a small-scale brand recognized only in a certain geographic location, or by consumers in a specific micromarket or niche market. The majority of microbrands are owned by a microbusiness, though this trend is changing due to the expansion of the Internet and advancement of micromarketing tools. The process of identifying and micro-segmenting customers into more refined targets is becoming an efficient and rewarding operation for larger companies and corporations.
A skeleton watch is a mechanical watch in which the moving parts are visible. This may be through either the front of the watch, the back of the watch or a small cut outlining the dial.
Bremont Watch Company Limited is a luxury aviation-themed British watchmaker based in England. Annual production is approximately 10,000 pieces for an approximate annual revenue of £40 million. All of their watches are either COSC or ISO chronometer rated and built in the United Kingdom.
Bob's Watches is an online marketplace for the resale and trade of watches, with a focus on Rolexes. It was one of the largest watch reselling websites in the United States in 2016.
Hodinkee, stylized as HODINKEE, is a New York City-based watch website, known as an influential editorial and e-commerce site for new and vintage wristwatches. Founded in 2008, the name comes from the Czech and Slovak word for wristwatch, “hodinky”.
