So, what’s been happening lately? Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you’ve probably heard enough about last week’s eclipse by now. But we’re not here to talk about what’s happening in the sky—we’re here to talk about what’s recently been introduced that could potentially be on our wrists.
The past few weeks have brought another wave of new releases from independent and microbrands across the globe. As usual, we’ve sifted through them and picked out a handful that looked interesting to us—whether for their design, mechanics, unusual details, or simply because they made us stop scrolling for a second look.
Just one thing before we get into the list: this isn’t a hands-on selection. We haven’t seen or handled these watches, and we’re not telling you to rush out and buy them. Think of it simply as our curated shortlist of recent releases that look interesting from afar. If one catches your eye too, do a little homework before putting your hard-earned money on the table.
1. Héron Marinor Rainbow – White
Héron introduced the Marinor Rainbow dive watch more than a year ago, featuring a black dial brought to life by a rainbow colour palette. The brand has now returned with a new version, this time pairing those familiar rainbow colours with a white dial. But those colours aren’t purely decorative. The dial is a modern interpretation of the decompression scales found on certain vintage dive watches, originally designed to help divers calculate decompression stops based on depth underwater.
Beyond the colourful dial, the Marinor Rainbow features a hardened stainless-steel case rated to 1,200 HV and offers 250 metres of water resistance. At 39mm in diameter and 46mm lug-to-lug, it remains relatively compact, with a thickness of 10.6mm—or 12.2mm including the boxed crystal. The watches retails at roughly around 660 US dollars
2. Singer Reimagined Heritage V72 Chronograph
Of all the releases on this list, this is perhaps the one that excites me the most. Swiss watchmaker Singer Reimagined has released a beautiful new chronograph called the Heritage V72. The most interesting aspect of the watch is undoubtedly what lies inside: a restored vintage Valjoux 72 hand-wound chronograph movement. Surrounding this historic calibre, however, is a thoroughly modern case paired with a dial that looks particularly handsome.
The Heritage 72 Chronograph features a classic tricompax layout housed in a compact 38.8mm case. And, unsurprisingly, Singer hasn’t hidden the restored movement behind a closed caseback—an exhibition caseback provides a clear view of the hand-wound calibre and its finishing.
Now comes the part that might disappoint the more budget-conscious collectors among us: these watches aren’t cheap. The Heritage V72 sits firmly in high-end luxury chronograph territory. The collection is offered in two variants, one of which features an 18k yellow gold case and is considerably more expensive than its stainless-steel counterpart. I’m not going to spoil the surprise by telling you the price — you’ll have to do a little searching online for that one🙂. Production is highly limited too, with the stainless-steel version restricted to 50 pieces and the gold version to just 25.
3. Anders & Co AC1 Chronograph
Anders & Co, a microbrand based in Sweden, is back with a new version of its affordable chronograph collection, the AC1. What made me want to include this particular release in the list, however, is the use of stone dials.
We’ve seen plenty of dress watches with stone dials, and even divers — the Venezianico Nereide collection being one example — but I haven’t come across many chronographs using them. That alone makes the new AC1 particularly noticeable. The watch retains its vintage-inspired chronograph dial design, with each version featuring a distinctive dial material or colour: black, white mother-of-pearl, green, red, and turquoise.
Beyond the stone dials, the AC1’s case has also been refined compared with its earlier versions. It measures 38mm in diameter, 11.3mm thick, and 46mm lug-to-lug, with a 20mm lug width. Ticking inside is Seiko’s VK64 meca-quartz chronograph movement and the watches are priced at approximately US$756.
4. Vario NAVI Voyage Chapter One
Singapore-based microbrand Vario, founded by designer Ivan Chua, has released a new collection aimed at lovers of all things maritime. The NAVI Voyage is offered in five dial variants named after European countries: the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, and Germany. Each uses dial colours associated with the respective country’s national identity, while the hour markers are written in the country’s language—for example, the German edition features German text around the dial. The maritime theme continues with a running-seconds hand shaped like a compass, adding another nautical touch to the design.
Ticking inside is the Miyota 82S5 automatic movement, housed in a 316L stainless-steel case offering 100 metres of water resistance. The NAVI Voyage is a limited-edition collection and remains accessible at USD $428.
5. Heinrich Helicoprion Buzzsaw MKII Evergreen
The updated Heinrich Helicoprion “Buzzsaw” MKII collection, released earlier this year, was originally available in three dial colours. Heinrich has now expanded the collection with a fourth colourway called Evergreen, featuring a distinctive green dial.
Apart from the new dial colour, everything else remains unchanged from the other Buzzsaw MKII models, including the Swiss-made Sellita movement and the same case dimensions.
If you want to explore the Heinrich Helicoprion “Buzzsaw” MKII collection in more detail, check out our watch page here.
6. Brew Retrograph Stone Blend
If you haven’t had enough stone dials yet, here’s another one for you. Coffee-inspired American watch brand Brew has introduced a stone-dial version of its Retrograph model. The dial design apparently draws inspiration from the mesmerising patterns created when milk is poured into coffee — creative, but perhaps not surprising considering Brew’s long-standing love for coffee.
Limited to just 250 pieces, each watch features a pietersite stone dial, with the natural variations in the material likely to make every dial slightly different. The familiar Retrograph case retains its distinctive silhouette but receives a gold PVD coating that seems to complement the warm tones of the stone very well. The case measures 38mm × 41.5mm and 10.4mm thick, with a 22mm lug width and a sapphire crystal covering the dial. The watch uses an automatic movement and is priced at US$775.
