What actually IS a micro brand...?

i think the most important factor is the low production on the product. and if they made a low production automaticaly we will considered the brand is a small company. after surpassing some production level we cant say them as microbrand anymore probably like christoper wards, spinnaker, or islander

Yeah I think low production is part of it for sure, but I do then think about some of the super high end, low production companies who don't seem to be described as a micro brand. Take for example FP Journe: 800 watches a year, but I'm not sure they would be considered a micro brand... There's something there that feels different right? 

now that you mention it, i think its true. probably it is because microbrand focussed on the design only, there are no research and development on the movement, they usually outsourced movement to third party like seiko, miyota, eta and just improved it with little decoration. im not familiar with fp jorne, do they made their own movement?

I raise this point on the original thread. In order to determine if a brand is a microbrand then you first need to establish what a microbrand is. 

Oh look up FPJ. You have enjoyment ahead of you. They make their own movements, they are beautiful, and the watch designs are really unique and maintain a consistent design language!

But it's kind of exactly this kind of predicament that made me wonder in the first place what it really means to be a micro brand. I reckon it's probably something fuzzy that might not really fall into a complete and perfect definition... 

Great minds! 

I'd tend to go along with this type of definition and also note that a lot of the production of case and dial could also be outsourced.  

In contrast, take most of the swatch group, whilst they don't tend to do much on the movements themselves they have scale and the movements are provided within the same group.

CW moved onto their own movement and hence away from Micro brand

Dornblueth are more of an atelier as whilst their movement is ETA based it is extensively reworked in house and most production value is in house.

How I think about it

I like this a lot. It handles the problem rather elegantly! 

For me a 'microbrand' is kind of a vibe thing but getting geeky I guess its useful to compare it to independent watchmaker (note - watch, not movement).  So basically its a small operation that's pretty much all brand no making.

So as soon as the company starts making a significant portion of their watch they are a maker.   So anOrdain is a maker not a microbrand etc.

All that management consulting training from decades ago resurfacing!

Obviously there are varying shades within this. Bremont, for example, manufacturers its own movements but off a preexisting design.  Norqain has a movement that it owns in partnership with Tudor and Chanel.  I think they're probably not quite independents because the majority of their movements are still sourced or otherwise third party but they also are certainly more than the average micro brand.

I also intend no pejoratives with these classifications.  There are great and less than great watch makers in all these categories.  Richard Mille makes its own tourbillion for example.  It is definitely not to my taste.

I think it's a term of art, not science. Everyone is going to give a different answer, but I would consider any low production, independent brand a "microbrand." In my opinion, FPJ would be left out of the conversation because they're owned by Chanel.