We all know the famous Swiss watch brands. But what of Serica, Baltic, and Dennison? Or the watermelon-coloured chronograph by Studio Underd0g, or the chiming C1 Bel Canto by Christopher Ward?

If these names are new to you, it’s time to discover Time+Tide – a watch media platform that celebrates the world’s most exciting microbrands, founded in 2014 by the ever-energetic Australian Andrew McUtchen.

In 2023, Time+Tide evolved from media into retail, opening brick-and-mortar studios – first in Melbourne, then in London, and a 2,000sqft space on Broome Street, in New York’s SoHo neighbourhood, will debut shortly.

Opened earlier this year, Time+Tide London Discovery Studio is designed as a ‘gathering place’ to browse and buy watches

A former watch editor at GQ Australia, McUtchen chose the name Time+Tide from the old proverb “time and tide wait for no man”. ‘Our Australian patois helped us build a global audience fast,’ he says. ‘It was accessible and friendly – but still authoritative. Just not snobby.’

This tone resonated with a new generation of watch enthusiasts drawn to niche, reasonably priced brands. ‘It’s exploded since the pandemic,’ he notes. ‘People suddenly had time to create new brands; manufacturing in China became more vertical; and popular Swiss models grew scarcer – the dots just connected.’

At Time+Tide’s Discovery Studios – all hidden on first floors like secret clubs – around 30 brands are on show. Some, such as Studio Underd0g, make playful, distinctive pieces; others, such as Furlan Marri, channel vintage elegance. Dennison specialises in dress watches with striking dials in materials such as tiger’s eye gemstones or mother-of-pearl marquetry. All brands on display provide genuine horological intrigue, with a price point from as little as £395.

Studio Underd0g’s Watermel0n (Gen3), £550

McUtchen sees watches as ‘wearable assets’. ‘You can’t wear a car or a painting,’ he laughs. ‘Buy from an emerging brand for a few hundred pounds, and you might just watch your investment grow.’

What drives him most, though, is building community. ‘That old idea of a gathering place is in decline,’ he says. ‘Our Discovery Studios are like a tribe’s meeting hall – a modern-day library or church.’ One regular visitor, a senior Google executive, drops in almost daily. ‘He’ll try things on, have a drink, chat, then head out again. No pressure, no transaction – just connection.’

4 Great Portland Street, W1W 8QJ; timeandtidewatches.com