Micro Tournament Round 1 Day 6: Fears Vs. Tsao Baltimore

Check Out The Lineups Here:

• Fears

• Tsao Baltimore

Fears all day...all the way...no comparison here...

Hoping this one lands soon...supposedly in the final prep before packing...been waiting it seems like forever...

Fears… because the Brunswick Aurora is one my grail watches

Went with Tsao Baltimore. The Fears brand is too expensive for a Microbrand for me.

Clearly, Fears! On my radar, have not yet owned one.

Tsao for me. I like there watches. There Fume dials are beautiful. Mix of movements including a local assembled one in Maryland. Good value. And for me supporting a local business is always a good thing. Customer service is very good. If you ask a question don’t be surprised if the owner Allen is responding himself.

Fears. Solid builds, great designs, good movements, history and great customer service.

I didn't know tsao but their designs are practical and I liked the world timer. Find it very useful. The fears is at a difficult price points.

Not even close for me, #fears wins

Is that the Platty Joobs limited edition?

No idea how Fears comes up with those prices, my vote goes to Tsao.

Fears are aesthetically stunning,, but I gotta pull for the regional brands across the Chesapeake Bay from me. 😁

Tsao

Tsao is a serious underdog here but gets my vote, I’ve got two!

Hard one

Tsao Baltimore does some great work. I know they’re lesser known, a bit region locked, and won’t win this one but Alan Tsao gets my vote here. They do great work and have a blend of more fun watches that are admittedly focused on the local region as well as quality more serious watches such as their “legacy” line

I love both and hope to one day own a Fears. I bought a Legacy GMT in Steel Green Fume a couple of years ago and Alan personally corresponded with me and since I had it shipped to my parents place in FL while visiting for Xmas, I didn't have tools to resize the bracelet. Alan sized it as best he could for my wrist AND included a hybrid strap at no cost just to make sure I could wear it while I was on vacation. Alan, like some of the others (Jonathan Ferrer, Jon Mack, and Richard Benc to name a few) are one of the main reasons I patronize microbrands so much! It feels refreshingly old fashioned to have a relationship with the owner of a business these days and since I don't yet know the owner of Fears...It's Tsao Baltimore for me 🙂

I like what Tsao Baltimore has done and I hope to see the brand grow, but Fears wins this one for me. They are both in Atlanta this weekend for Intersect too.

Tough matchup for Tsao in the first round, I think they deserved a shot at moving forward some in the tourney. #fears

Regal! The jubilee one is a striking purple too

Fears has a few interesting watches but the prices are more then I expect from a microbrand. Is it solely because they are hand built in Britain? They seem to have standard ETA movements. Can anyone tell me what justifies the price as opposed to a Longines, Christopher Ward or a Farer?

I have a couple Fears, many Farer, and a CW. My two cents without knowing how much each actually spend;. The quality of parts for Fears, as well as finishing are steps above the other two. In addition, Fears are hand assembled in house, but then again, Nodus, Jack Mason, and others also build in house for less. Honestly, they feel more artisan than the other two and given the small batch nature of their releases.

Tsaoi Baltimore has nicely designed Worldtimers. Not really sure about the Baltimore theme but it’s nicely made in USA.

Gotcha… so it’s smaller batches, better finishing and a bit higher quality parts. Still expect atleast a house made movement at those prices. They do have some elegant designs.

Here’s a good YouTuber discussing what goes into the price of a watch. It’s very educational… https://youtu.be/2Dw6DCq4dL4?si=ybn3Cnbtvy2UGEGE

At that price it is definitely knocking on the door for in-house, but to be fair there are brands 2x the cost of Fears using the same movements.

Teal Baltimore

Lovely #fears watch, I’m off to a presentation for them next month, they are showcasing their collection, can’t wait