Microbrand Monday: Back in Bronze with the Baltic Aquascaphe
It?s no secret in the watch community what a great value Baltic watches represents in the market ? microbrand or otherwise. Founded in 2017 after two years of preparation, the brand kicked off with a successful Kickstarter campaign launching its first two watches: the time-only HMS 001 and chronograph-equipped BICOMPAX 001 (both below). Not too long afterward, the French company established a reputation for producing high-quality, vintage-inspired timepieces at an affordable price point.
Recently, I had an opportunity to sit-down (virtually) with founder Etienne Malec to learn a little more about the Baltic brand, where it?s been, and where it?s going, as well as to take a closer look at Baltic?s popular Aquascaphe, in steel as well as in its new bronze incarnation. Malec is currently spending his time in the French countryside as a result of the pandemic, leading his team of six remotely and posting some fantastic imagery of his adventures along the way, via his personal Instagram.
Etienne Malec and Baltic Watches
I first had the opportunity to speak with Malec in 2019 upon the reveal of the Aquascaphe dive watch, which I reviewed that year in its prototype phase. Then, as now, he remains incredibly driven and excited about his brand, and ready to share details on its latest projects and happenings.
The Baltic name, as you likely guessed, derives from the Baltic Sea north of eastern Europe. Its significance is one of even deeper relevancy to Malec, ...
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