A Brief Survey of Indie Watches With Integrated Bracelets
It’s rare for independent watchmakers and brands to offer timepieces with an integrated bracelet. Straps, of all the finest materials, are the status quo. There's a practical reason for this. The design and manufacture of a bracelet is complex, much more complex than sourcing a complementary strap.
Bracelets have to provide something both high-quality and original. Especially in today’s world, collectors expect more and more from indies. The bracelet has to integrate not only into the watch, but into the entire ethos and design language of the brand. For many, even when there’s a strong desire to create a bracelet, there simply isn’t enough bandwidth outside of movement, dial, and case design and manufacturing.
Today, we’re focusing on a select few independent watches with bracelets. From Urwerk to Arnold & Son to Armin Strom to Angelus, these are some of the few indies that offer timepieces with metal bracelets.
Arnold & Son Longitude
Launched in early 2024, only a year ago, the Longitude is Arnold & Son’s first foray into the realm of an integrated sports watch. Here, Arnold & Son integrates the titanium bracelet by connecting the dial and the links. We observe that the polished hands and satin-brushed hour markers, both finishing techniques, as well as the hour marker’s shape are found in the links of the bracelet.
The Longitude’s short lugs and flat middle links provide a comfortable wear. In line with the expectations of many collectors today, the Longitude features a simple, interchangeable bracelet system – switching between titanium bracelet and rugged rubber strap.
One of the things that enables Arnold & Son to design and manufacture an in-house bracelet is Manufacture La Joux-Perret – the major watch manufacturer that acquired Arnold & Son over a decade ago. Supplying high-quality ébauche movements and components for the entire industry, there are very few design, technical, and manufacturing limits to La Joux-Perret’s capabilities.
Armin Strom One Week Manufacture Edition
Armin Strom has been on a roll over the last few years. The Orbit, one of the most novel reinterpretations of a complication, as well as the Dual GMT Resonance are absolute stunners. In this mix, the Biel-based brand released a sporty and fun timepiece – the One Week Manufacture Edition. This is the revamped timepiece from one of the brand’s earliest collections, released originally in 2010. Now overall improved and significantly sportier, the One Week is notable for its seven-day power reserve on the in-house manual-wind caliber ARM21.
A challenge with the design and creation of a timepiece is to ensure that the quality of movement, case, dial, and bracelet all match. Movement construction and finishing as well as case and dial skeletonization, all are top-tier in independent watchmaking. Even more true when considering the updated One Week’s “mid-range” price. The addition of the bracelet elevates the sportiness on the timepiece, and its finishing meets the expectations set by all of the other aspects of the One Week. The integrated bracelet features both satin-brushed and polished links. A stainless steel, double folding clasp included, the One Week Manufacture Edition is another exceptional timepiece from Armin Storm.
Urwerk UR-100V Magic T
There’s very little more spectacular than seeing one of Urwerk’s “Full Metal Jacket” timepieces. The duo of Martin Frei and Felix Baumgartner jumped into the realm of integrated bracelets quite early. Their first integrated bracelet watch, the UR-202S from 2010 has gathered a cult following while later editions with bracelets, like the UR-210, are simply a marvel to see in the metal. Recently, Urwerk has returned to bracelets with the release of the UR-100V Magic T. The latest, hunter green edition of the Magic T also released this week (early Feb 2025).
Standard for Urwerk, the bracelet exudes quality and elevates the aesthetic of the UR-102. Composed of 32 links, the bracelet almost appears reptilian – scaly, fluid, armor-like. One would never expect by its sheer look that the lightly sandblasted links would be as soft, light, and comfortable as they are on this timepiece. Compared to the earlier UR-100V “Full Titanium Jacket,” the Magic T is finished with tiny, glass pearls that provide a unique finishing – somewhere between glossy and matte.
Angelus Chronodate
Clear that many indie brands have only begun the journey with timepieces on bracelets, Angelus first venture into this realm comes with the Chronodate. Inspired by the brand’s legendary Chronodato, the first chronograph with integrated annual calendar function, the Chronodate collection fuses together Angelus’ different styles: that of a historical house that is part of Swiss watchmaking heritage and that of a modern, technical brand with a passion for extreme complications. With the brand’s updated A-500 movement, featuring a column wheel and a horizontal clutch to reduce its thickness, is attractive on the eye with its automatic rotor and fine finishing. Earlier editions of this timepiece came with rubber straps only, while more recent editions have come with titanium bracelet. Integrated into the case, the bracelet brings the Chronodate to another level with its smooth, polished links and double folding clasp. In titanium, it’s ultra-light and comfy on the wrist.
As the indie market continues to grow, we suspect that more and more of today’s brands will offer bracelets. This is especially true for watches that represent a sporty and/or modern spirit. For collectors, ourselves included, there’s something to appreciate in a well-made bracelet. It provides a heft to watches, and generally, is much more admired than even the finest-finished straps. It elevates a given timepiece beyond the status quo of highly finished movements, cases, and elaborately designed dials.