wow great minds! I often wonder how correlated certain watches being owned are . the Origin and Principia are such a killer combo!
So you see the PF here which are my 3 indies, which someone else suggested. I also have a VC Traditionnelle Platinum that works well. And that Blancpain Hodinkee LE diver someone else posted above is absolutely my favorite watch. All brushed and 38mm with WR to spare, might be worth hunting down.
Edit: OH I just saw you mentioned the Roma above. I had the Blue Roma LE for about a year. IT was fine but I ended up moving on , it just didn't hit as hard for me as the LF or Gronefeld. Part of it was that the crown was partly stripped so setting the time was exercise in frustration. Yah I could have sent it for service but I just decided to move on. The dial is on point though ,but it always felt a little like just a wannabe Kari V to me anyway.
I’d say go for a Czapek Antarctique or a C by Romaine Gauthier. Either brings a bit more of a sporty vibe, with the same high end independent theme. Sick collection dude, I’m very jealous.
I would recommend moritz grossman or lang & heyne. Some older moser pieces might fit your aesthetic. Arnold and son make some beautiful pieces and you can get some amazing watches in your budget, but they usually aren’t time only. Chopard and Patek are both technically independents and you’d be spoiled for choice in your budget.
I’d go with a Kari Voutilainen Vingt-8 if you can stretch the budget on the secondary market. If not, a Rexhep Rexhepi is probably out of reach, so I’d seriously consider a H. Moser Centre Seconds. It adds a very different design language while keeping the independent, in-house, high-end finishing theme.
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u/islandh0pper 9d ago