Overlooked is your weekly horological treasure hunt — where we dig through the vaults of European Watch Company to spotlight a few quietly brilliant pieces hiding in plain sight. It’s the sleeper hit, the underdog, the “wait, how is this still available?” watch you didn’t know you needed… until now.

As independent watch brands continue to become a larger part of the overall language of watch collecting, collectors who may have once set their sights on a Rolex Submariner or a Patek Philippe Nautilus - outstanding watches in their own right - might want to go a little bit more off the beaten path. Independents can offer more avant-garde design sensibilities, allowing the wearer to feel like they are wearing something unique amongst the bevy of quirky, interesting designs to choose from. These four outstanding examples offer style, rarity, and in some cases, mind-bending time displays.

Kudoke 3 HANDwerk Series

Kudoke is a relatively new brand, launched in 2004. Founded by German master watchmaker Stefan Kudoke, the brand is known for its attention to detail and sometimes unconventional time displays. This Kudoke 3 HANDwerk model is an example of the latter, with a three-armed hour indicator across the top half of the dial, which is comprised of three scales that correspond to the hour. The shortest of the hour arms works with the innermost scale, then disappears as the next one appears at the beginning of the next section. The blued minute hand remains traditional, with the minutes on the outer chapter ring. In a 39mm steel case with a grey dial, it’s powered by Kudoke’s in-house manually wound Kaliber 1 movement. It’s sure to be a conversation starter.

Urwerk UR-105M Iron Knight

We’re not going to lie: Urwerk’s offerings often remind us of alien spaceships. This UR-105M Iron Knight model, limited to 77 pieces, takes that spaceship vibe but brings in some medieval influence, with a titanium body and steel bezel that is reminiscent of a knight’s breastplate. It features Urwerk’s signature satellite time indication, an example of nontraditional time display that makes the brand stand out amongst its peers. Powered by the brand’s in-house manually wound UR 5.01 movement, with a 42-hour power reserve that is indicated on the dial. It’s giving Klingon warrior aesthetic, in the absolutely best way possible. 

Parmigiani Fleurier PFC423 Toric Chronometre

For a more classic aesthetic in the indie oeuvre, Parmigiani Fleurier is the way to go. Founded by watchmaker and restorer Michel Parmigiani in 1996, the brand is known for its movement design and decoration and classic, refined designs. This Toric Chronometre in 18K rose gold demonstrates the brand’s elegant approach, with a deep black dial that is punctuated only by the date window at the six o’clock position. It’s powered by an automatic chronometer-certified movement that is visible through the exhibition caseback. The case is 40.8mm in diameter, and at only 9.5mm in thickness, it will look refined and tasteful on any wrist.

Ressence Type 2G e-Crown

Ressence is another brand that defies the conventional ways of displaying time. Founded by industrial designer Benôit Mintiens in 2010, the brand is known for being unburdened by the traditional way of displaying time, developing orbital time displays that speak to the avant-garde design history of the brand’s home in Antwerp. This Type 2G e-Crown takes this concept a step further, forgoing a conventional crown and integrating an e-Crown technology that allows the wearer to set and synchronize the time via smart controls. (Trust us, it is absolutely mind-blowing the first time you see the watch “set itself”.) It’s cool, funky, and very unconventional, but also incredibly wearable with its lightweight titanium case.

Some independents take major liberties with time displays or even the form factor of the watch itself, while some retain a more traditional approach, but with their own individual design aesthetic. No matter what your style preference, the independent watch world is worth a closer look.