Microbrand

Reservoir

France · est. 2015 · 13 watches · $4,000–$4,950

Founded in 2015 by François Moreau, Reservoir set out to translate the look of analog measuring instruments from the worlds of motoring, aviation and the sea into mechanical watchmaking. Every Reservoir watch displays time through a single retrograde minute hand that sweeps a 240-degree arc before snapping back, paired with a jumping-hour window and a power-reserve gauge, all driven by the brand's RSV-240 module developed with TELOS in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. Its collections are themed around cars (GT Tour, Supercharged, Longbridge, Kanister), aviation (Airfight), the sea (Tiefenmesser, Hydrosphere) and pop culture, and the Kanister won a Red Dot Design Award in 2022.

Worth knowing

Reservoir sits at the upper, near-luxury end of the microbrand spectrum, with prices around 4,000 to 4,800 USD; the single signature instrument-style display is divisive and far less legible at a glance than a conventional three-hand watch.