The concept of a microbrand has shifted over recent years, yet one quality shared amongst them all is the pervasive spirit of independence. The same can be said for boutique brands and independent watch brands. Whether specialising in pilot’s watches, diver’s watches or producing a much broader range of luxury timepieces, unique names are emerging onto the scene with a strong ethos – to remain independent.

To lure their audiences with quirky collectables that promise a sense of purpose and functionality.

Here is a guide to 20 of the best independent watchmakers in the world. Some of these names focus on affordability, others remain close to the top of the price spectrum when it comes to high-end manufacture. What can be said for all of these brands no matter how diverse, is that all are associated with quality and autonomy.

Nomos Glashutte was once a start-up brand that focussed primarily on affordability. To do this it sourced parts from other suppliers. Thanks to its vertical integration strategy, it now has a success story to be proud of. 95% of its components are now manufactured in-house, passing Glashutte’s standards for the town quality seal. Nomos is an independent manufacturer of luxury watches that now include the Tangente, the Ludwig and the Metro, Orion, Minimatik, Club, Tangomat and Ahoi to name a few, and has developed innovations like the Swing System, the ultra-slim DUW-3001 movement and, before this, the Epsilon calibre.

Distinctive for its minimalist dials, bold colours and robust cases, Unimatic is an independent watch brand that specialises in diver’s watches with military-inspired undertones. If you collect diver’s watches and have not yet discovered Unimatic – the independent watch manufacturer is certainly worth taking a look at. Many of these diver’s watches offer impressive 300-meter water resistance, Super-LumiNova-coated dial details for easy timekeeping whilst underwater, domed sapphire glass for a glare-free view into the display, and comfortable silicone straps that dry easily once out of the water.

Independent watchmakers like Parmigiani Fleurier definitely need a mention. Having specialised in watch and clock restoration before, horology was certainly Parmigiani’s speciality from an early age. By 2000 Parmigiani Fleurier had become a fully independent, vertical manufacturer. This name brought us the famous Bugatti 370 and has become renowned for producing exceptionally complex and technical watch cases for driving. Leading watch brands producing watches for motorsport today are now having to contend with more recent Parmigiani Fleurier watches like the Bugatti Aerolithe and Bugatti 390.

Carl F. Bucherer has been producing luxury mechanical watches since the year 1888. Since then, the company has enjoyed masterful control over its own design and engineering. This gives the company incredible flexibility when it comes to producing popular Carl F. Bucherer watches like the Manero, Adamavi, Heritage, Pathos and the Patravi. The Swiss brand’s Heritage collection in particular is a family of limited edition series – each one paying homage to the independent element of the brand’s manufacture, who develops all its own creations from the ground up in its Lucerne-based facilities.

F.P Journe has a total of three “Aiguille d’Or” grand prizes to show for its independent watchmaking. Journe has explored all aspects of ancient horology and is fascinated by the 18th century, which remains the golden age of time measurement. The brand patented the ultra-thin large date display, which still features in many models today. Recently F.P Journe released the new Chronomètre à Résonance, which has only one single barrel spring, to celebrate twenty years of the Resonance design.

Philippe Dufour is an independent watchmaker that operates out of its Le Sentier, Switzerland facilities. The Grande and Petite Sonnerie is a minute repeating watch that has gone on to inspire many other profound watchmakers within the industry and was first presented at Basel in 1992. The Dality and the Simplicity are two other timepieces that have since joined this famous Sonnerie masterpiece, which chimes an audible gong on the hour. Those watches that have been signed with the Philippe Dufour name are incredibly hard to come by and are very rarely seen at auction.

It was in collaboration with Audemars Piguet that Richard Mille finally decided to launch his own company after 25 years in the watch business already. The RM 001 Tourbillon has since become one of the independent watchmaker’s most sought-after models, having only been produced in a limited series of just 17 pieces originally. Mille has continued to thrive in the watchmaking business thanks to many partnerships including Rafael Nadal John Malkovich and Michelle Yeoh. Richard Mille also produced the lightest weighing tourbillon in the world with the RM 027 which weighs a mere 18 grams.

Audemars Piguet is renowned for being one of the oldest independent watchmakers in the world. It was first born in 1875 and is now part of the Holy Trinity of the watchmaking world, sitting amongst Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin. Although resolutely elegant, Audemars Piguet watches are about much more than just their aesthetics alone. The independent watch company has dedicated centuries to mastering unique manufacturing methods and developing signature design elements like its Tappisserie dial effect, which became one of the most distinctive features of the brand’s Royal Oak and Royal Oak Offshore watches.

Ball first established itself in 1875 in response to a solution to America’s Railroad system. Without accurate time, fatalities on the tracks were an ongoing risk. Webb C. Ball created the first wristwatch for permitted use on American railroads and as a result, was appointed by Chief Time Inspector for the Lake Shore Lines in 1891. Since then, the brand has become renowned for its gas light technology for use on its dials as a longer-lasting alternative to luminous material. These gas tubes used on the hands and indexes of a Ball watch are incorporated into the manufacturer’s most famous lines including the Engineer II and III, the Fireman, Roadmaster, Trainmaster and Engineer Hydrocarbon.

Bell & Ross is an independent watch brand that specialises in military-inspired aviation wristwatches. Some of its most popular designs are those that incorporate the “circle within a square” concept such as the BR 03 and BR 05 watches. The company was launched in 1992 by Bruno Belamich and businessman Carlos A. Rosillo, and has always focussed its attention on principles of; readability water-resistance, precision, and performance. As a result of this watchmaking commitment, military pilots, underwater bomb-disposal experts, and racecar drivers have all turned to a Bell & Ross watch to assist with completing important tasks.

With a name synonymous with quality chronographs, Breitling is certainly amongst some of the world’s most famous luxury watch brands and specialises in automatic watches and quartz watches that promise impressive standards in accuracy. About 5% of Breitling's customers are pilots, with several Breitling watches having been used for space missions. These include the Cosmonaute and Aerospace watches. Other popular lines include the SuperOcean Heritage, Avenger, Chronomat, Transocean and Navitimer.

Founded by Louis-Ulysse Chopard in 1860, Chopard has upheld the highest standards in manufacturing luxury wristwatches by using some of the hardest materials in the industry. It is renowned for combining these materials with lavish diamonds and scintillating stones, whilst simultaneously achieving a very minimalist and contemporary styling. It introduced the Happy Diamond concept in 1976, created a name for itself within the motorsport industry, and began developing mechanical L.U.C. movements by 1996 to name just a few of its milestones.

If Chronoswiss should be remembered for any one thing, in particular, it should be its development of the world's first chronograph with a moon phase display and a mineral crystal, back in the year 1982. Screwed and channelled bezels also become a recognisable hallmark of a Chronoswiss watch, along with screwed strap lugs and a distinctive onion-shaped crown. Its Timesmaster series pays tribute to classic racing cars, whilst the 1993 Orea model resuscitated life back into horological art with a hand-crafted white enamel dial – another nod to the brand’s commitment to independent watchmaking.

Grenchen-based company, Fortis has produced wristwatches that have been part of the Cosmonauts' official equipment since 1992. It celebrated its 25th anniversary by launching a chronograph series, which then went on to influence the Fortis Official Cosmonauts Chronograph Automatic Alarm. Fortis remains an independent watch company that has specialised in materials and timekeeping concepts that have kept time during spacewalks and extra-vehicular activities for many years. Some of the most popular Fortis watches include the Flieger, the Aeromaster, the Marinemaster and the Stratoliner.

Graham is an independent luxury watch brand with a unique English and Swiss heritage. Considered the father of the chronograph, Graham’s history stretches far back into the archives, telling one of the oldest horological stories to date. The brand, of course, specialises in chronographs – in particular, left-hand chronographs – which better assist the needs of the racer whilst behind the wheel. Graham watches tend to be oversized and feature well-designed column wheel mechanisms with lever-activated controls.

Oris is an independent watchmaker who began specialising in steel models only but has since branched out into other material use for its cases. The company, which identifies itself by a red rotor, has flitted from manufacturing its own movements, to outsourcing, to returning once again to the independent manufacture of its movements. It has focussed faithfully on producing quality affordable wristwatches – a promise that still remains true for its entire catalogue. Popular Oris watches manufactured by this famous Holstein-based brand include the Aquis, Big Crown, ProPilot and Artelier to name but a few.

Although not entirely independent just yet. American-based watchmaker Kobold has made great strides in achieving the end goal – to be able to produce the first entirely American-manufactured watch by the year 2025. Kobold watches have been worn to the summit of Mount Everest thanks to their remarkably robust case designs using innovative materials. The Soarway and Spirit of America models are some of Kobold’s most notable lines.

Tutima is best known for its pilot’s chronographs like the Tutima Glashutte Pilot’s Chronograph, which was developed in response to requests made by the Ministry of Defence for a reliable timepiece that would be resistant to shock, high acceleration and pressure. During the 70s Tutima suffered the crushing effects of the quartz crises but returned to manufacturing mechanical wristwatches in 1985, where innovations like the Military Chronograph 798 were created. Other popular models include the Tutima Flieger and the Tutima M2, but more recently, the Tutima Sky and Tutima Patria watches.

Patek Philippe is one of the most famous independent names within the luxury watch industry. It also produces some of the most expensive timepieces. Patek Philippe watches are some of the most complex in the world – the Calibre 89 pocket watch, for example, developed in 1989, boasted 39 complications. Provenance, history and experience all contribute to the price tag of a Patek Philippe watch, as well as a superior selection of materials, which the brand turns to when meticulously manufacturing its wristwatches belonging to popular lines like the Calatrava, the Grand Complications, the Nautilus and the Golden Ellipse.

Lastly, Greubel Forsey had to make this list of the best independent luxury watchmakers. In a short space of time of just 10 years, Greubel Forsey has manufactured a total of 17 calibres and 50 registered patents. If you have not yet learnt about this independent watchmaker, it is certainly worth consideration. Built from the ground up in the company’s La Chaux-de-Fonds workshops, each movement is designed and built to improve the accuracy of the mechanical watch that we have come to know and love today. The brand’s developments are Spearheaded by master watchmakers, Frenchman Robert Greubel and Englishman Stephen Forsey, who have played their hand in creating popular models like the GMT Sport, the Balancier Contemporain, the Tourbillon 24 Secondes, and the Quadruple Tourbillon.