Independent watchmakers are all the rage among watch collectors

The world of independent watchmakers is a far cry from mainstream manufacturers. Independent watchmakers create timepieces from scratch - hand-polishing them with simple tools, such as files and screwdrivers, with an annual output of as few as 30 pieces. With their groundbreaking innovations, handcrafted polish and utmost exclusivity, independent watch brands are becoming the favourites of serious collectors and are certainly here to stay.

"The only way I can continue to learn is through creativity. My watches represent my own ideas and these ideas are what set us apart. We are defined by authenticity," says Peter Speake-Marin, a former complications specialist from Renaud et Papi, who established his own firm in 2000. His timepieces can fetch up to HK$800,000 each.

Like Speake-Marin, independent watch brands are producing collectors' pieces which win prestigious awards and fetch impressive prices at auctions. This year's Only Watch charity auction, for example, saw boutique brand Laurent Ferrier joining the three most expensive pieces sold.

While different people might have different opinions on the definition of indie watchmakers, the term refers to a loosely-formed clan which are independent from industry conglomerates such as the Swatch Group, Richemont and LVMH which own prestigious Swiss watchmakers including Breguet, Vacheron Constantin and Hublot. Some major brands, although privately-owned, such as Rolex, Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet, are a different group of giants from boutique watchmakers such as Philippe Dufour, Peter Speake-Marin and François-Paul Journe.

The 1980s created a big crisis - quartz movement - for Swiss watchmakers, but the past decade has been the industry's golden age. Impressive sales in emerging markets, especially in Asia, led to a 70 per cent rise in watch exports from 2000 to 2012, according to a Credit Suisse Global Research report released last year.

The growing demand for high-end luxury watches brought a surge in sales and diversity as more indie brands began to emerge.

Talented watchmakers were encouraged by the booming market to break away from prestigious watch companies they were working for and start their own label, such as Patek Philippe alumnus Laurent Ferrier and Bart Grönefeld, who used to work for Renaud & Papi.

Others such as Lang & Heyne and Antoine Preziuso carried on their family legacy in watchmaking by producing ultra-exclusive timepieces featuring innovative movements and impeccable handiwork that would make their ancestors proud. Other indie watchmakers include MB&F's Maximilian Büsser - former Harry Winston rare timepieces director - and DeWitt's Jérôme de Witt, who exchanged their executive seat for a designer role.

From running the business first-hand, the executives saw a niche in the market that needed to be filled. Büsser was credited for launching a single watchmaker to the forefront of a marketing campaign when he introduced Harry Winston's sought-after Opus line created by consummate watchmaker François-Paul Journe. The move convinced many individual watchmakers that they could break out of the system to search for their very own creative freedom. In return, their effort is appreciated by watch collectors who look for individuality and exclusivity.