So with one reluctant veto, David Cameron looks to have started the process of withdrawing Britain from the European Union. Is he going to look stupid? Will the EU fall apart? Only time will tell. Meanwhile, the British prime minister can console himself with the thought that being independent and going against the grain are often the only ways to get noticed. Sometimes going it alone frees up creativity, and that is certainly true with independent watchmakers, who aren't under orders from Richemont, Swatch, LVMH, PPR and the like.

One brand that has a real problem with conformity is Urwerk. Founded in 1995 by watchmaking brothers Felix and Thomas Baumgartner and designer Martin Frei, Urwerk has grown from its small independent beginnings to become one of the world's most technically innovative watchmakers. Urwerk's rebel spirit runs right through the design of its super sleek, near-future watches, and the UR-110 Torpedo (top left) is the company's heavy artillery. The Torpedo is 10 times as complicated as it looks, and it looks mighty complicated. The beautifully machined 47mm asymmetrical titanium case houses a dial and movement that features a satellite complication of three rotating hour-minute modules, each of which counts four hours with a minute scale to the right. Amazingly, this is a pretty easy-to-read watch despite the riot of technology. The sense of fun is ramped up with a day-night indicator and an 'oil change' indicator, which counts down the time between servicing and doubles as a small seconds counter. No pricing details have been released for the Torpedo, but because of its limited production run, you can expect to pay millions.

MB&F is as close to 'concept' as watchmakers get. Established in 2005, MB&F prefers the term 'horological machine' rather than 'watch' to describe its creations and, after one look at the HM No4 Razzle Dazzle (above), it is difficult to argue with the term. The Razzle Dazzle is one part of a pair (along with the HM No4 Double Trouble) that MB&F has created as a tribute to second-world-war aircraft. The titanium double dial mimics the giant engines on bomber aircraft - complete, of course, with morale-boosting nose art. The retro styling continues on the dials, which are coated in a mixture of Super-LumiNova and a copper-like patina to give a delightfully aged look. Of the two dials, one indicates the time and the other is a 72-hour power reserve indicator. Another glorious feature is the leather strap that evokes vintage leather flight jackets. Limited to eight pieces (as is the Double Trouble), the Razzle Dazzle costs HK$1.7 million.