Are independent watch brands worth supporting?

Depends entirely on the brand. Some indies are just rebranded Chinese movements in a fancy case. Others are doing genuinely interesting skeletonization work. Hard to generalize.

I bought a skeleton from a small German brand last year. Movement finishing was gorgeous, but servicing is a nightmare—had to shpi it back to Europe. That’s the hidden cost nobody talks about.

Honestly? Half the fun of indies is the story. Big brands have heritage, sure, but but it’s the same heritage everyone else has. A tiny workshop doing weird skeleton dials feels more personal.

^^ this is why I keep buying tehm. Though my wallet disagrees.

Are we talking microbrands or actual independent watchmakers? Because those are two very different conversations. Microbrand skeleton watcehs are usually just off-the-shelf movements with cutout bridges. Real independents like Voutilainen or Romain Gauthier are a different universe.

In that range, I’d say do your homework on the movement. If it’s a Sellita or ETA base that’s been skeletonized, fine, but don’t pay a huge premium for it. The real value is in finishing and original design.

Also check resale. Most indies drop like a rock. If you buy to keep, great. If you flip, you’ll cry.

Resale on indies is brutal, yeah. But honestly, who buys a skeleton watch as an investment? You buy it because you like looking at gears. Speaking of which, anyone seen the new skeleton from that Swedish outfit? Looked surprisingly clean.