Which Independents Should You Keep Your Eye On? | Market Wrap

The watch industry never rests and neither does Mike Manjos, who is back in Philly this week, taking a look at what some independent brands have been up to this past year. Before diving in, he presents a few watches we took in over the week, including the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Calendar in rose gold (Q3912420), the Patek Philippe Aquanaut Chronograph on an orange rubber strap (Ref. 5968A), and the futuristic Ressence Type 1 Slim X. Our main topic today is split into two parts. Mike opens with a discussion of the new application sales model adopted by A. Lange & Söhne for not only the Odysseus, but pieces from the 1815 Chronograph on up. This means that ADs will be required to submit purchase requests to the manufacture before confirming availability for a client. Managing the demand for desirable watches is often a challenge, and this adds a new degree of complication. He then moves into a conversation with Patrik Hoffmann, Executive Vice President of WatchBox Switzerland, for our new segment, The Pulse. With Patrik's ear to the ground among the Swiss manufacturers, the duo discusses independent brands and watchmakers who deserve greater exposure, from Chronoswiss and Louis Moinet to Kari Voutilainen. Finally, Mike wraps up the show per usual with the Rising Demand section. With Watches & Wonders 2021 around the corner, he draws attention to some pieces we would love to get in beforehand. The Patek Philippe Calatrava (Ref. 5119J), the A. Lange & Söhne Datograph