We're still bundling up in boots and parkas, but looking ahead to springtime already. Sweats, sneakers and tees are on the brain, but so are some unexpected watches. This week's roundup features watches from smaller brands you might not know but which are worth discovering, as well as the likes of some statement-making apparel. Kick your weekend off with the cool discoveries below.
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Maen Manhattan Watch
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We knew the style associated with watches like the Royal Oak and Nautilus would trickle down more to the likes of affordable indy brands. With an integrated bracelet design, vaguely octagonal case shape and alliterative name, Maen once again seems to get a lot of the specs (Swiss automatic movement, 37mm case, tapering bracelet...) and details (check out those bevels) right with its new Manhattan watch — all at an approachable price.
Ahead of sneaker season, the Nike Waffle Trainer 2 arrives in a retro-tinged colorway I can see being pretty, pretty popular this year. Snag yours before the masses.
It's tough for a new dive watch to stand out, but the young brand Marin makes a striking proposition. Available in "Standard" black dial and "Polar" white dial variants, the specs and looks of the new Marin Skin-Diver are compelling.
Done to celebrate Jason Jules' new book, Black Ivy: A Revolt in Style, this crewneck from Drake's comes with one of the book's memorable silhouettes printed across the back and the book's title arranged around it.
The Swiss company that helped Bremont develop its ENG300 movement this time has partnered with the US Olympic Biathlon team on a special edition watch. Limited to 100 examples, it's packed with high-end details and the brand's in-house movement, to boot.
Cowgirl Blue 1962's graphic love letter is just in time for the upcoming spending holiday (err, I mean, celebration of love) that is Valentine's Day. "I'd be sad and blue... if not for you," it reads.
The slow transition from beanie to ballcap season leaves plenty of time to prepare accordingly. How, you ask? Buy a ballcap. This one's made from corduroy and finished with chain stitching.
It's clever and probably not a feature you've seen before, and yet it's pretty clear right away how Ochs & (und) Junior's new dual-time watch works: Windows in the dial display the hours 1-12 on a disc beneath, which can be rotated via the crown. For example, the primary time zone shown here is read as normal (2:24) while the disc indicates the hour in a second time zone (10:24).
Garrett Leight's new Eco line is the brand's first-ever "eco-friendly" one, meaning rather than making the frames from regular acetate, they were instead crafted from bioplastic acetate, an alternative that derives from vegetable starch and bioethanol. What's that mean? The glasses are largely the same, but the process to make them produced 60-percent less carbon emissions.
Watches with astronomical complications are complex, exotic and high-end by nature, but often utterly captivating. That's all true of the new Moonstruck watch from Ulysse Nardin which mechanically displays the moon's rotation, a tide chart and "the apparent movement of the sun around the globe as we observe it from Earth" ...and more.
Artist Matt McCormick mirrors as a fashion designer, producing pieces for his online store, One of These Days. This Work Jacket isn't a pricy work of art, but it still sort of is (if you get what I mean).
Avant-garde watchmaker MB&F was founded in 2005, and it now looks back on its first 15 years with a book that's perfect for fans of its artistic approach. MB&F is technical, visual and conceptual if nothing else, and treating all of their works so far in a single hardcover book should offer deeper insight into the brand's unique vision.
Jungmaven's Baja shirt isn't new, but this color is — and so too are like 8 others. If you're unfamiliar, the style's made from a blend of hemp and organic cotton and each tee is garment-dyed.
Independent watchmaker Ophion teamed up with watch blog The Horophile and UK retailer The Limited Edition on a, well, limited edition of its classically inspired Velos watch. We can attest that the brand is doing some fantastic work for the price, and this new version called the Gilt Spectre offers a striking new titanium execution with an anthracite dial and hands/numerals in gold. With only 40 examples produced, they quickly sold out.
