Microbrand

Thomas Earnshaw

United Kingdom · est. 2012 · 10 watches · $139–$189

Founded in 2012, Thomas Earnshaw takes its name and inspiration from the legendary English watchmaker Thomas Earnshaw, the 'Father of the Modern Chronometer' whose instruments aided voyages of exploration such as Charles Darwin's. The brand was created to fill a gap in the market by pairing historical watchmaking heritage with contemporary accessibility, naming its collections (Longitude, Longcase, Baron, Beaufort, Drake) after iconic explorers, vessels, and locations. It is known for intricate skeletonised automatic movements, exhibition case backs, and open-heart designs delivered at price points far below traditional mechanical watches.

Worth knowing

These are fashion-tier affordable mechanicals built around stock movements with frequent deep discounting, so finishing, accuracy, and resale value are modest compared with enthusiast-grade microbrands.