Edition ·
The Daily —
May 17, 2026
Hand-picked independent and microbrand watches worth a closer look — the same five every member woke up to.
KF302-BK-BK
$70
This is Future Funk's iconic roller watch — a quartz movement that displays time via vertically rotating disc rollers like a vintage car odometer. Pure 1970s Space Age aesthetic, very unique display mechanism, deeply Japanese in its quirky ingenuity. At $70 it's an irresistible conversation piece.
AT-38SVPTBL TAKUMI Kanazawa Gold Leaf
$93,500
Knot's TAKUMI Collection takes traditional Japanese Kanazawa gold leaf (箔一) and applies it to a Miyota 9015 automatic movement in a fully Made-in-Japan watch. The platinum foil dial is a one-of-a-kind art piece — no two are exactly alike. Modular design lets you swap straps endlessly.
MURAKUMO
$23,000
Kikuchi Nakagawa's MURAKUMO is extraordinary — case and hands finished entirely by hand to a mirror black polish (Zaratsu-level), 36.8mm, powered by a custom Vaucher movement. Founded 2018 by Masayuki Nakagawa. Every surface is hand-beveled, polished, and finished. A true independent artisan piece. NOTE: $23K is over Sean's $10K budget.
Aquascaphe MK2 Blue
$695
Baltic's 2025 redesign of their cult dive watch — now 39mm with beefed-up case, new movement, deeper lug geometry, and a cleaner lume plot. The deep blue variant is exactly the kind of 'affordable everyday sports watch' Sean can grab without touching his TUDOR money.