The Ultimate 4th of July Watch: 2023

There’s something cool happening in the watch world right now and it has nothing to do with watches.  Oh, don’t worry, we’re going to get into them; this is a watch blog.  But it’s starting to feel like there’s something more to the story.

Local artisans are finding their way on the global stage.  And it’s awesome.

From Etsy boutiques to craft beers & spirits to, of course, microbrand watches — customers are seeing an explosion of carefully-cultivated products high in character and rational in price.

No coincidence that these interests often overlap, like in the upcoming Watches & Whiskey event outside DC.  And at least in the watch world, United States brands are leading the charge for independence.

So each Independence Day for the last 5 years I’ve talked about this trend by selecting one US brand as the Ultimate watch for 4th of July.  Criteria remain tried and true:

1. Colors obviously red, white, and blue
2. Water-resistant for a day splashing about in pools, lakes, and beaches
3. An American brand, especially now with so many star-spangled choices
4. And the ultimate pledge of allegiance: something that brings an American Independence story to your regular wrist-checks

The first 3 years focused on reviving such stories from the past: Pan American Airlines propelling international travel while commissioning the first GMT, brought to new life by Philadelphia brand MKII; NASA launching a global age of space exploration, now honored in wristwear by the techy SF brand Xeric; and riding the wave of America’s surfing tradition becoming an Olympic event, commemorated by Freestyle USA’s nostalgia “Surfing USA” watch with brand ambassador Caroline Marks.

Then last year, something began to shift.

American brands were writing their own present-day stories of self-reliance — like Maryland Watch Works coming mighty close to producing their own movements with the 7081 project, seen here in the Rockville diver.

This brings us to 2023, where we have not just one brand to honor but an entire alliance.

The Time Bum salutes the Vero Meridian watch held secure by the NodeX bracelet & clasp as the Ultimate 4th of July Watch 2023.  Two American companies working, quite literally, hand-in-hand to produce some of the most intriguing and independently-crafted watches in the world.

First, the watch.

There isn’t much to add to the high praise already received in numerous reviews.  Just look at this thing: a classically-styled field watch in modern proportions — yep, 36 mm — with a simple, delightful dial in restrained red, white, & blue on the front that belies a more studly black rhodium-plated movement on the back.  For extra mechanical grit, that’s a fully-hand wound mainspring packing 42 hours of power.

And while you’re drooling over the heat-treated blued screws and snail-finished gears, don’t forget about the articulated stainless steel bracelet and on-the-fly micro-adjustments perfectly proportioned by Nodus’s new NodeX clasp.   This innovative design allows for 1/2 inch of adjustment spread over 5 locked positions.

It’s even got a quick-release attachment.  Come on.

But the tech isn’t really the story here.  Sure, it’s great, and I look forward to this option on many new bracelets.  Especially writing this on a summer day where I’ve already stuck my finger more than I’d like to admit making not-so-micro adjustments.

No, the story is that X.  There’s a reason it’s capitalized.  Now the universal symbol for collaboration, it’s that X-factor that truly sets these brands apart while bringing them together.

Vero x NodeX.  NodeX x Vero.  It’s just the beginning.

For Vero, the collaborations have mostly integrated with adventure, just more visceral. Many brands can say they like rugged outdoor events — Vero drops you right inside them.

Whether it’s flying above California’s Channel Islands with filmmaker Matt Costa in “Katabatic Flight” or bouncing among the dunes of Baja, Mexico, with their latest Safari Special Edition, the “Vero x” brings an added dimension of raw, impassioned story-telling.

And for NodeX — the sky’s the limit.

Will this clasp end up being the new standard-bearer for microbrand watches?  Like Michelin tires for a new generation.  Seems possible.  At the very least, you foresee collaborations beyond this one.

In fact, you can start to see a coalition.

A fledgling band of entrepreneurs assembled, appealing to the supreme judge of the world’s market for the rectitude of their inventions.

There you have it — The Ultimate 4th of July Watch 2023.  Let clasps be submitted to a candid world.