Exploring Mid-Level Independent Brands: a Collector’s Perspective

I recently read Zach’s article on “Micro Indies,” in which he explains how small independent brands are challenging the bigger watch companies in terms of design and innovation, and yet offering watches in the $3,000 – $5,000 price range. This made me think about another category of brand that does not fall squarely into the “Micro Indies” bucket, but is a level above in terms of watchmaking and challenges the higher-end independent brands. I could not clearly decide on how to label this category – it is not accurate to call them “affordable independents” since they are not that affordable, therefore I landed on referring to them as “mid-level independents” or MLI for short. 

How do I define the MLI category? These are brands that fall in the $5,000 – $15,000 price range and offer a combination of various aspects of high horology – from in-house movements, dials, and finishing, to complications often seen in the higher spectrum of independents. Even though I selected this price range where the majority of the watches fall, there are outliers based on precious metals and complications, that can go well over $15,000, and sometimes into the six figures.

I selected three very different brands to highlight in this category since their specialties cover different aspects of watchmaking: D. Dornblüth & Sohn, Laine, and Sartory-Billard. I will go into details on how each of these brands has their own niche in watchmaking, and how their strategy differs in challenging the higher independent brands.

Dornblüth & Sohn

I heard about Dirk Dornblüth in the mid-to-late 2000s on the Watchuseek forum and met him for the first time during Baselworld in 2009, where he was visiting to meet clients and friends. I placed an order for my first “Dorny” in 2011. It was the model 99.1, a 42mm watch with a silver dial and a highly modified Unitas movement with a red gold-plated three-quarter plate, and high level of finishing. Since then, I have visited Dirk a few times in the small village of Kalbe, about a couple of hours’ drive from Berlin. I justify my multiple visits to Dirk as a way to balance out my trips to the big watch companies, and as a reminder that there are master watchmakers out there who make watches without the use of modern machines. 

Dirk Dornblüth’s workshop is located in a two-story house with a pointed gable. The property includes a garden with apple and plum trees, and a small creek runs through the grounds. A large Dornblüth clock is mounted at the front of the house; it combines modern and traditional design elements and is powered by an older weight-driven clock mechanism. In addition to manufacturing watches, Dirk restores both vintage and modern watches, as well as clocks. The watchmakers at the workshop produce machinery and watch parts themselves, especially when these parts for vintage watches are not available. Where Dornblüth excels is in movement construction and finishing, as well as dial making.

The ground floor of the building has an impressive assortment of machines from the 1950s that are used to manufacture tools and components for watch parts, such as dials, hands, plates, gear trains, and engravings. A few of the machines date back to the 19th century, with other equipment estimated to be around one hundred years old. There is not a single CNC milling machine in the factory; everything is done the old-fashioned way.

The plates are produced using historical pantographs, which transfer the design from an enlarged matrix. The swan-neck regulator is milled from a round steel plate using a pantograph to achieve the required curved shape. The winding wheels are milled, cut, and drilled from a blank using traditional machinery.

The compact workspace on the first floor is where dials are manufactured and the hands are finished, polished, and thermally blued. In a separate room, watchmakers polish cases, assemble watches, and carry out repairs. Even though Dirk has a desk downstairs, he is often seen working at the watchmaker’s bench upstairs. 

According to Dirk, about 80% of the watches with the Unitas base caliber are made in Kalbe. The dials, hands, and movement parts are made in his workshop. Jewels and springs are not made in Kalbe. Some of the cases are made by a metal-working company, which is now a supplier to the watchmaking industry. While the movements of the 99 series are based on Unitas base caliber, they are significantly modified in the workshop. The only thing that remains almost untouched in the finished movement is the base plate.

The 99 series offers various complications, including small seconds with a power reserve indicator, a GMT complication with a power reserve indicator, a big date with central seconds, and a regulator with a power reserve indicator. When I purchased my Dorny in 2011, the 42mm case felt very large on my wrist. When Dirk announced the 40mm and 38.5mm case sizes, I sent in my watch to be downsized with a new dial (movement remained same) in a more compact 40mm case. The 99 series prices start from 4,600 euros and go up to 9,700 euros.

The more advanced Quintus 2010 series also offer a range of complications, but this time 90% of the watch is built in Kalbe. Dornblüth’s in-house caliber features a double barrel and a Maltese cross spring for linear torque of the power to the movement. Dirk states that the hairspring is calibrated by them but manufactured by Nivarox. However, the movement is beautifully finished in red and yellow gold plating. Although, my favorite finishing that Dirk offers is in black rhodium. It is breathtaking to see traditionally constructed mechanical movements in contrast with modern dark rhodium finishing. The Quintus 2010 series prices start from 9,200 euros and go up to 17,000 euros. 

It is worth mentioning that in late 2024, Dornblüth presented the CHR.2022 Flyback Chronograph Limited Edition. Dirk has patented a hand-wound flyback chronograph with a 30-minute counter, power reserve, and central seconds. 

During my second visit to Dornblüth, I met with the dialmaker, Ute, a former dental laboratory assistant. Her work is truly impressive with ceramic and enamel dials. Instead of using the “pad printing” process, Ute uses a hand milling machine to create deeper, more defined impressions before hand-finishing and painting the dial. The color or luminescent material is then hand-applied to the milled areas by one of the watchmakers. Dornblüth offers a lot of customization when it comes to the dial. I have challenged Ute with four different dials in custom colors, including one translucent dial, all made flawlessly.

If Dornblüth watches are so good, why aren’t they seen very often? Well, there are a couple of reasons. The first is due to the manual workload involved in the production of watches – it takes one to two years to receive a customized watch. My most recent Dorny is a Quintus 2010 Flieger, which took over two years to be delivered. Second, they do not have any brick and mortar stores in the U.S. where you can experience their various models, so it is hard to decide and customize without visiting them or seeing them on another collector’s wrist. 

Laine

My first exposure to Laine watches was at a RedBar ATX event when I was living in Austin. I was impressed by the hand guilloché work and his sense of vintage aesthetics. I met brand founder Torsti Laine for an interview, and I got to learn more about him and his work. Even though he is an introvert and soft-spoken watchmaker, he opens up once he is comfortable.

Torsti studied computer science in Finland and began his career as a software programmer and teacher. He later developed an interest in watchmaking, influenced by the global recognition of Finnish watchmaking. Laine subsequently enrolled at the Kelloseppäkoulu watchmaking school, the same school attended by Kari Voutilainen. No wonder the hand guilloché game is so strong with both master watchmakers.

Torsti states that he was bored with the theoretical work at the watchmaking school, so he began constructing his first clock using a set of plans. With assistance from his teachers and access to school resources, he completed both his education and the clock within three years.

In 2014, Laine was selected to participate in a Lange & Söhne competition for students to complete the design for a moon-phase complication. His appreciation of the differences in how the moon appears around the globe enabled him to present an innovative design that would win him a 10,000 euros prize. He used the prize money to buy tools and pursue his work in watchmaking.

He developed his expertise with chronograph complications after relocating to Le Locle, Switzerland, where he established a watch company under his name. His initial work involved vintage Valjoux 22 movements, which was followed by the Unitas 6498-based 1817 and the Gelidus. The name “Gelidus,” derived from Latin, meaning “frosty” or “ice cold,” references the frosted surfaces present on the movement and dial. 

Similar to Dornblüth, Laine uses the Unitas gear train for the Gelidus model, but bridges are made by him and so is the movement finishing. Unlike Dornblüth, Laine uses a CNC machine and an engraving machine for the movement work. His customization, with rose gold galvanic treatment of the movement and frosted finishing on the movement and dials, makes the watches stand out from other independents at a price point of 10,000 CHF. 

Torsti’s attention to detail on the movement at this price point is very impressive. The black polishing of parts, including screws, beveling, snailing of ratchet wheels, and high level of polishing of the base plate, including countersinks that hold the jewels, is expected in a much higher-priced watch. He does most of the work within his small workshop, but also relies on partners in Switzerland to provide parts such as applied numerals, movements, and straps.

In 2024, Torsti came out with a new 37mm model featuring five dial variations and a Peseux 7001 movement. His intent was to make this a serialized model for customers who are overwhelmed with customization, and retailers to showcase his entry-level watch. The majority of Laine watches are custom pieces with any combination of movement finishing, guilloché patterns, hands, applied numerals, and rotor engraving. If you follow his posts on Instagram, you will see some very creative customizations requested by his clients. 

Even though Torsti offers a high level of movement finishing, it is his dials with guilloché work that make his watches desirable. In recent years, he purchased his own engine turning machine and began making the dials with various guilloché patterns. He offers up to three different patterns to be engraved on the dial located in the small seconds counter, the center, and under the applied numerals. Torsti’s expertise in guilloché has earned him recognition among collectors and enthusiasts, especially when discussing the topic of “best indies for money” with collectors of independent watches.

Since I am a sucker for watches below 40mm and micro-rotor movements, Laine’s V38 model speaks the most to me. However, the movement is made by Vaucher (a supplier to many independent brands), including all the decoration. Still, Torsti can personalize the micro-rotor with engraving. It is cased in a 38mm polished steel case with a height of 9mm. My favorite combination of the dial is the frosted salmon with a center section in dark meteorite, with blued sword hands, and Breguet numerals. Depending on customization, the price of the V38 starts at 11,500 CHF.

Sartory-Billard

Sartory-Billard watches appear thoroughly contemporary in comparison to Laine and Dornblüth. They are designed so well that when you try them on for the first time, it is a pleasant surprise. At least this was my experience when I saw them in the metal. One day I was sitting with Stefan Kudoke and throughout the whole conversation he kept staring at my wrist. I asked him if something was wrong. He replied, no, he is just fascinated with my Sartory-Billard watch. I handed it to him and after careful inspection, he said the design is very impressive. That’s a big compliment coming from Stefan who is usually quite stoic. 

Armand Billard, the owner and designer behind the brand, is a self-taught watchmaker, using his education as an industrial designer and his experience working in Paris to define his sense of style towards bespoke watches. While Sartory-Billard recently introduced serial production of watches for direct sales and retailers, all the watches until then were bespoke per the customer’s wishes. Armand is quick with grasping when a design for a bespoke watch is described to him. He would sometimes respond to me within minutes with a rendering when I described to him my idea for a watch. As one collector puts it, “Designing a watch with Sartory-Billard is one of the most rewarding experiences for any watch enthusiast.”

When Armand started out, he used shaped cases to express his design. Early backers and collectors of his watches still wish he would go back to shaped cases. Armand’s first three watches, the SB01, SB02, and SB03, featured case shapes that reflected his industrial design background. In 2020, for his next model, the SB04, Armand switched to a 40mm round case and focused on creating intriguing dials. This became a winning formula for him. His prices for the discontinued SB04 bespoke watches ranged from $3,000 – $5,000. 

Armand replaced the SB04 with the SB04-E, which is an improved and slimmer version with a La Joux-Perret G101 movement. The 39.5mm case can be made in steel or titanium. It is 10.3mm in height and has a screwed-down crown with a 100m water resistance rating. The concave bezel and short-spaced lugs make the watch appear slimmer than 10mm. One unusual feature is that the crown is lumed, and shines brightly in the dark. 

The dial can be configured with almost any material – semi-precious stones, guilloché, meteorite, or even a combination of materials. Additionally, Comblémine Voutilainen produces complex stone and guilloché dials for Sartory-Billard. Since 2024, the majority of the dials are made by Armand’s own Swiss dial company, Horocra. The two SB04-E watches he presented in Geneva in the Spring are great examples of his contemporary designed pieces – the Ruby Platinum and Tantalum Hand-Engraved. 

The center of the Ruby Platinum dial is made from a single piece of ruby that is cut and shaped into a flat, thin disc. Framing the ruby center is a platinum-plated outer ring with a sunray finish. The SB04-E dial features applied diamond-cut steel indices on the sapphire chapter ring, with alternating pad-printed Y-shaped markers. 

The center disc of the Tantalum Hand-Engraved is made from tantalum, and so is the surrounding outer ring. Armand hand-engraved the center disc to give it the distinct textured appearance (hence the name Hand-Engraved). The Tantalum Hand-Engraved is $4,300 and the Ruby Platinum is $5,700. Both the watches come with a Delugs CTS rubber strap, which I find very comfortable to wear year-round. 

While most of the bespoke watches are under $6,000, Armand does offer high complication bespoke watches that reach six figures, but in a very limited number. My first bespoke watch was (no guesses needed) an SB04 Flieger with a black meteorite dial, a matte bead-blasted titanium case, and blued hands. I changed the strap to a white Delugs CTS rubber strap. This watch remains among my most worn, and is a great grab and go option.

I have known Armand for a few years, and he is a very charismatic person. He and his team are deeply engaged with watch communities and exhibitions around the globe. Sartory-Billard also has a number of growing retailers. Therefore, it is more likely that a casual watch enthusiast might be exposed to Sartory-Billard than Laine or Dornblüth. However, all three brands offer creative and exceptional watches in an independent space where Voutilainen, Gronefeld, and FP Journe are unobtanium. 

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