Independents
sham1 sparks a lively debate by presenting his personal top five independent watchmakers, complete with illustrative photos. This post invites the WatchProSite community to share their own perspectives on who represents the 'best of the best' in independent horology. It serves as an excellent starting point for new collectors to discover key figures and brands in this specialized segment of watchmaking.
We all have our favourite independents and our own views on who are the best among them but this is my top five which I am sure will not necessarily be agreed upon by everyone. I have decided to attach some photos to highlight why I think these independents are the best of the best!
And in no particular order, the affable and humble Kari Voutilainen, the king of finishing Philip Dufour, the visionary Romain Gauthier, the traditional Roger Smith and the master watchmaker and designer, FP Journe! I was tempted to add Laurent Ferrier to the list too instead of FP Journe but FP has been an iconic figure for over a decade and his collection is arguably more varied.
Let me know what you think 
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all!
Best wishes,
Sham
PS Needless to say none of the lovely photos below were taken by me!
You mentioned Laurent Ferrier and I\'m fully agree with you. From my side, the Galet micro-rotor in white gold grey or blue dial is a dream. I would add the MB&F Legacy Machine 101 and the Robin\'s Moser with its funky blue dial. Thank you Santa for this lovely reminder before Christmas. Best wishes Alkiro
I was actually referring to the top 5 independents rather than the top 5 watches by independents and I randomly chose 5 watches from their respective collections. Coincidentally two of them are on your wish list
Greubel Forsey, master of contemporary finishing! Laurent Ferrier would also be in my dreamlist. Even on their basic micro rotor, it exhibits finishing youd find on say a tourbillon piece. Also, unique escapement mechanisms. Then not to forget, Gronefeld brothers for their very unique bridge decoration and rementoirs... Regards, skyeriding
I have been informed in a separate post that Gruebel Forsey does not qualify as an independent as 20% of the company is now owned by the Richemont group!!
Vianney Halter and De Bethune Nice choices anyway Cheers D
But, I would be really curious to know the distribution of the capital of these "independent" firms. For instance, Laurent Ferrier is not the main shareholder of the company which has his name (several private investors behind). I think it is the same situation for FP Journe. But, finally, the main goal is these brands make us dream ;-) Best wishes Alkiro
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