Oracle Recommends: Microbrand Watches for April 2025

Ferro & Co Time Master, £504 or £690

TV-shaped cases are back in full force. Perhaps that’s more hopeful than it is true, but there’s definitely been a resurgence in that funky 1970s flavour and Ferro’s Time Master is one of the coolest. The clean, cushion-adjacent 39mm silhouette is paired with a dial straight out of a retro bedside clock with rings in various colours. The orange pops the most, but the silver is potentially the most wearable. Paired with a Japanese or Swiss movement (your choice) visible through the orange-tinted caseback, there’s a lot to love here, rose-tinted or not.

More details at Ferro & Co.

Solstice Revival Automatic, £613

Tapping into the ’70s trend for integrated bracelet sports watches, the Revival is obviously in the same aesthetic vein as the Tissot PRX with it’s angular planes, but Solstice are doing it their own way. For one, the contrast between polished edges and brushed planes makes for a watch that catches the light wonderfully; for another, that dial. It’s like a 3D render of tappisserie, similar to Louis Erard’s stunning marquetry numbers and in shimmering green is an absolute stunner.

More details at Solstice.

Detrash Cali Melting Ice Cap Blue, £375

While you might assume Detrash picked this new light blue dial for their fun Cali beater simply because it’s perfect for summer, you’d be wrong. There’s a good reason it’s called ‘Melting Ice Cap Blue’ and that’s to draw attention to climate change. As one of the most sustainable watch brands around, it only makes sense that they’d focus on a cause near and dear to them, and it helps that the result is a really handsome watch, slightly dark surf-ready globe and all. Do good and look good doing it.

More details at Detrash.

Scurfa Top Side Crew, £230

We’re used to seeing Scurfa watches designed for extreme depths; founder Paul Scurfield is a professional saturation diver, after all. But their latest line is designed more for the team that stays above the water – the Top Side Crew. So, the handsome new collection drops the diving bezel and gives the dial a colourful makeover, in this case with a green, hexagonal pattern, and contrasting white indexes. It’s still robust and its 200m water resistance will more than stand up to everyday elements, it’s just a little more ‘everyday’ than bottom of the ocean.

More details at Scurfa.

RGM 801/40-CE, £11,800

Where most microbrands opt for eye-catching modern looks, RGM has gone the opposite way with their classical 801. The Roman numerals, the crisp white dial, even the Breguet handset all pay tribute to watches past, particularly with an American railroad flavour. That includes a double-sunk grand feu enamel dial straight out of a vintage pocket watch. This particular version has been downsized to 40.3mm to suit more wrists. The finishing across the board is up there with any of the heritage houses too, so don’t be expecting the 801/40-CE to come cheaply, even if it is worth every penny.

More details at RGM Watch Co.

BŌKEN Breacher Black Ops GMT, £1,999

We always talk about British watches in terms of design rather than construction and for good reason, as very few British brands do much of the graft at home. And yet with the Breacher, BŌKEN are bringing it back. The Breacher is the brand’s first watch designed and assembled in the UK, in collaboration with Horologium, the watchmakers that work with the good and great of the British watch world. As for the watch, it’s a solid GADA beast, especially in the stealthy Black Ops version equipped with a GMT function. Solid lume numerals and indexes with 200m water resistance make it a proper advancement on BŌKEN’s previous, already formidable Odyssey. In fact, there’s a lot to love; being built in Britain is just the blacked-out icing on the cake.

More details at BŌKEN.

Crafter Blue Mechanic Ocean Mark II, £475

A lot of divers, particularly at this level, opt for performance over comfort. That makes sense if you’re actually going to strap it over a diving suit, but who actually does that? Crafter Blue’s refined Mechanic Ocean Mark II on the other hand has a slim profile, a four o’clock crown and a svelte 41mm diameter, adding up to a watch that sits very nicely on the wrist. Its vintage, monochromatic aesthetic looks the part too – though if you did want to wear it on a dive, its 300m water resistance is more than up to the task. You just might not want to take it off when you surface.

More details at Crafter Blue.

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