Microbrand

Vapaus

England, United Kingdom · est. 2016 · 9 watches · $477–$825

Founded by brothers Rudi and Oliver Laing, Vapaus launched its debut Veli on Kickstarter in 2016/2017 with a design drawn from the textured-yet-minimal dials, domed crystals, slim profiles and polished cases of 1940s-1960s watches. The brothers set out to gently modernize that elegant aesthetic with contemporary materials and Swiss Sellita movements, assembling and regulating watches in England via a British Horological Institute accredited watchmaker. Their ambition has been to build a new European brand worthy of comparison with the likes of NOMOS, Stowa and Sinn, and the lineup has since grown to include the Veli 1950 and Veli 2050 hand-wound dress models plus the more affordable Vorcut meca-quartz chronograph.

Worth knowing

Production is small-batch and many variants sell out or run as pre-orders with multi-month waits; water resistance is minimal as these are dress pieces, and the hand-wound dress focus won't suit buyers wanting sporty or automatic everyday watches.