One of the most consistently interesting things I?ve observed following the ever-burgeoning micro-brand segment of the watch world has been the democratization of materials and processes once exclusive to the high-end. It?s changed how I understand the loaded notion of luxury, and it?s certainly redefined how I perceive value. With that, let?s talk about Bleau.
Bleau is an up-and-coming watch brand out of Australia right on the cusp of ending a successful Kickstarter campaign for their first line of timepieces. The Modest collection consists of three watches?watches that, I should say, at first glance belie their complexity and in-person charm. So, why did I begin this review musing about micro-brands and value" It?s because of what?s in each watch. Founder Daniel Trajanovski really packs it in here. From the dial (there?s an enamel option) and custom hands (there?s a heat-blued set) down to the alligator band, there?s a lot of bang-for-the-buck here. But I?ll save the price for the end of the review. First, let us take a closer look at each watch. The Modest trio from Bleau.
(Editor?s note: the watches shown here are prototypes. You?ll notice some imperfections, primarily tooling marks on the indices and some inconsistencies on the dials. I have addressed these issue with Mr. Trajanovski, who in turn assured me that these problems will be remedied on the final production run.)

$484

Hands-On with the Bleau Modest Collection

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