Affordable Micro Brand - The Baltic Micro Rotor MR01

Baltic Watches first started life via Kickstarter but they have gone from strength to strength after their initial launch. Their aim was to "offer timeless pieces, of the highest quality, for fair prices." And they have succeeded.

One of the biggest hit (at least for me) is their Micro Rotor MR01 which was re-released in January 2022 after a very successful initial run. Coming in three variants - Blue, Salmon and Silver, I managed to get the Salmon and Silver with a matching "beads" bracelet.

Aesthetically, what really strikes me are the fueille (leaf) hands with Breguet numerals - I am a sucker for Breguet style Arabic numerals

Then there is the textured dial and the off-centre seconds sub-dial.

No date? No problem!

In fact, I was having a conversation with another fellow collector and we were discussing about the date feature. Personally, I like "no-date" or "big-date". As one ages, the eyesight fails and a small date window is not functional. And one other thing - I cannot accept the date window at 4 o'clock... call me traditionalist, but the date window at 4 o'clock just don't work for me.

At €605 (excluding local taxes) for the bracelet version, this 36mm MR01 has great Price-Quality-Ratio. The hesalite glass adds to the retro vibes of this timepiece.

Beating inside is the automatic Micro Rotor movement supplied by the Hangzhou Watch Company. The Calibre CAL5000A features a micro rotor which keeps the thickness of the timepiece rather slim at 9.9mm (glass included).

Finishing, while industrial, is excellent for what you are paying. The power reserve is a respectable 42 hours.

But what is surprisingly done well is the bracelet - "beads" as they call it is highly polished on one side...

And brushed on the other side.

Comes with a quick release too - no tools required. Base price of the MR01 is €545 with a leather strap and with a stainless steel bracelet comes to €605 excluding local taxes but including shipping (to Singapore). Looking back, I should have opted for the strap version for the silver dial - the contrast would have been nicer. So I guess I will be making a change soon. But the salmon dial with the bracelet is a clear winner for me.

Given the current market conditions on the more sought after brands, I would definitely recommend going for micro brands. They offer great value for money and are worthy of our support. Paris based Baltic is one such brand I think got it right - making affordable timpeieces that presents an excellent Price-Quality-Ratio proposition.

Watch GTG - BurgerLabo Part 2

The unique thing about our watch gatherings is around some theme - everyone tries to come double wristed around some theme. In this GTG, the two themes were (1) non-round case timepiece and (2) timepieces below SGD5,000.

In our Part 1, we featured the first theme - timepieces with non-round cases. And what a range there was. I think the most jaw-dropping of the lot had to be the white ceramic AP Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar. Uber rare... And then there was the Urwerk UR-110, another stunning piece with their orbiting satellite system. And when you think rectangular cases, the JLC Reverso is always on our minds.

For the second theme, I had asked the group to bring a timepiece below SGD5,000. Allow me to qualify - while some timepieces are now above 5k, some of the featured timepieces were 5k when the owner first bought it.

One such timepiece is the original Grand Seiko Chronometer Diashock. Encased in a gold case and automatic winding, this Chronometer is in pretty good condition and the owner said he paid less than 5k for it. Beating within the Diashock movement is the Grand Seiko manufacture caliber 3180. What a catch!

In today's watch collecting journey, most brands hardly have a timepiece below SGD5,000 (USD3,600). So it was challenging for many but we had such a great range of timepieces in this GTG.

Grand Seiko below SGD5k? Yes, that was then possible when we bought it in the early to mid 2000s. One example is this SBGM003 with a solid case back.

What about pocket watches? Well, this IWC pocket watch can be had even for now, below 5k

Surprise, surprise in this category is that all popular MB&F MAD2

You wouldn't normally associate MB&F in this category but that's what makes the brand interesting.

Then there is a local home-grown brand Vilhelm Watches. A very interesting bronze version of an earlier release.

I brought along the Union Glashütte 1893 Johannes Durrstein Edition.

Featuring an exclusive movement from ETA, Union Glashütte got this one right. Love the dial and the silicium hairspring and all for under SGD5k. I'll be featuring this in another blogpost later on.

It was good to see the Hamilton Pan-Europ. This piece is a tribute to the original Pan-Europ released in 1971. But at the price point, this Hamilton should be a hit.

What I like about such GTG is the fact that you get to see some timepieces you never knew existed. Take for example this Citizen Hisonic Tuning Fork timepiece.

First impression... Retro vibes!

Notice the front sapphire glass?

Originally made in Nov 1973, this Accutron movement was licensed by Bulova to Citizen.

The front sapphire glass gives that an added charm.

Next up is the Casio G-Shock GMW-B5000TR

Titanium cased, this G-Shock is ultra-light and for those not familiar, the GMW-B500TR can be connected to an app via Bluetooth connection. The titanium alloy is a joint development between Casio and Nippon Steel.

Another timepiece that is worthy of any collection is the MIH Annual Calendar. Not only is this an annual calendar, it is also a chronograph.

Developed by Mr. Ludwig Oechslin utilizing the ETA7750 movement with an annual calendar module, the MIH Annual Calendar is perhaps one of the most reasonably priced annual calendar even to this day.

And then there are those guys who "did not get the memo"...

Since when does this retail for SGD5k?

Then there is someone who tried to sneak this one in...

The La Semaine Louis Erard x Alain Silberstein Blanche ... I'll give it to you. It's "slightly" above SGD5k :-)

The highlight of the evening must have been the Moritz Grossmann Hamatic. Didn't fall into any of the theme for tonight but was a special request to see the timepiece first hand as the owner had just picked it up a few days earlier.

The opaline dial with Roman numerals gives it that vintage feel. Plus the ultra thin purple hands... it's a winner!

And the reverse is the highlight...

Instead of the traditional automatic rotor, the Hamatic used a pendulum-style hammer to wind the movement. Quite a large timepiece, this Hamatic comes in rose gold case of 41mm.

The Moritz Grossmann Hamatic was surely the highlight of the evening and thanks to our friend, we got to see and feel the timepiece up close and personal. Thanks to Mr. W for bringing it along.

And the mandatory table shot of what was on display that night.

It is always fun to have such gatherings. As I have said before time and time again, the diversity of collection is mind boggling. If we only open ourselves to other brands.

Another successful gathering and happy ending for everyone. Looking forward to the next one.

Watch GTG - BurgerLabo Part 1

The unique thing about our watch gatherings is around some theme - everyone tries to come double wristed around some theme. In this GTG, the two themes were (1) non-round case timepiece and (2) timepieces below SGD5,000.

We had the gathering at BurgerLabo at Gillmann Barracks. The idea around a theme is to bring together timepieces with unique features and in many cases we get to see timepieces that are either extraordinary or never even knew existed.

First up, the timepieces that does not come with a round case - many interesting timepieces in this category. The most unexpected and interesting for me was The Rolex Prince Railway. This example belongs to the owner of BurgerLabo, Ken Loon and is a rather rare rose/white gold sample made around 1935 to 1938. Commonly known as the "Doctor Watch", this one is a pristine example.

Honestly, how many of you knew this particular watch existed... I can say I didn't until last night.

Next up is the Daniel Roth Papillon with a jumping hour complication.

What a classy piece!

Another less seen but not less popular is the Urwerk.

Featured here is the UR-110.

The orbiting satellite complication tells time is a unique fashion. Not only does it tell time differently, the UR-110 also features a Control Board that shows the small seconds, Day/Night indicator and also when an oil change is necessary.

And when you speak of non-round case, one of the most iconic is the Jaeger-Lecoultre Reverso. Two variants were present that evening...

First, the Reverso Grande GMT. With 8 days of pwer reserve, the Grande GMT is a sight to behold. On the front (above), big date and the Day/Night indicator and on the reverse (below), the second time zone and the power reserve.

Then the Reverso Tribute to 1931 (below) - what a simple beauty!

One of my favourite non-round case timepiece has to be the Corum Golden Bridge.

The original Corum Golden Bridge was developed by Mr. Vincent Calabrese for Corum and the purest version is the handwound version.

The movement of the watch is in the form of a straight bridge, hence the name. And the view of the movement is unobstructed from the front, back and the sides. Time only, several variants have been developed since the inception.

Nope, that's not Cartier but the Girard Perregaux Richeville chronograph.

A not often seen and under-appreciated chronograph, the Tonneau shaped steel case houses an automatic chronograph movement.

Then there is the ultra-cool Bulova D-Cave Computron.

This version is a collaboration between gaming company D-Cave and Bulova and the time is displayed when the button is pushed.

Surprisingly, two Parmigiani Hebdomadaire Kalpa XL popped up in this gtg. First, the bracelet version...

Then the leather strap version of the same timepiece with a different coloured dial.

One lovely feature of the Kalpa XL is the movement - in-house and finished to a very high standard.

Last but not least, there is the Wempe Chronometerwerke.

The Chronometerwerke is a range of timepiece under the Wempe Glashütte range and in this case, the movement was designed by the folks at Nomos Glashütte specially for Wempe. Handwound and with an engraved balance cock, the Chronometerwerke is great value for money.

But wait, how can I forget one of the most famous and recognisable non-round case timepiece???

Not just any AP Royal Oak, but the Perpetual Calendar in ceramic.

Now that is another icon you cannot miss.

Drool worthy right?

Making a special appearance to our GTG was the Feynman One. Yet to be launched, we managed to get a first hand view of the three variants.

The green version is the limited edition according to YK. So if you are into jade green dial, be quick on launch date.

Personally, I prefer the blue dial version.

Doesn't it remind you of another timepiece?

I love the contrast on the dial.

Then there is the white dial version - simple and pure.

The Feynman One comes with a manual winding ETA movement. Featured here are the prototype versions of the Founder's Edition of the Feynman One. The launch of the Feynman One is slated to be on 1st October (Saturday) at 2200hrs (SG time +8GMT).

While I was all excited about photographing the timepieces, I have to apologise for not featuring the food this time around. We had three types of burgers - the Pure Japanese Wagyu Burger, the Blue Cod Fillet Burger and the Chicken Burger.

Feedback was that the burger and the sides were excellently done. Special mention goes to the Fried Brussels sprouts with fermented chili dressing which was a hit.

Based on the above list of non-round case timepieces, which one is your favourite? Would like to hear your thoughts and comments.