January 2002 Timepieces/New Products New Year Brands Smaller and newer firms often attract buyers looking for something different The start of a new year is a good time to assess what’s going on in your watch showcases. Major brands tend to benefit – and so do you – from substantial advertising by manufacturers. But lesser-known, independent-oriented brands can benefit you also. They tend to gain repeat customers thanks to unique looks and high-value price points. They also have fewer retailer clients, so you tend to be more important to them when it comes to personalized service. Here are some options. – by Michael Thompson Mido’s Commander Chronograph features a modified ETA automatic movement with day/date indicator. The crown is sealed with treated cork so that even when pulled out of the watch, it’s water-resistant to 150 feet. The case is titanium; the crystal is sapphire. Suggested retail, $650. Mido, Redondo Beach, CA; (310) 212-6436, www.midowatches.com. The Datamax, new to the Hugo Boss Metropolis collection, has a 39mm steel case, quartz movement, large date display, solid-steel bracelet (optional leather strap) and choice of three dial colors. Swiss-made. Suggested retail, $495. Hugo Boss, Wilkes-Barre, PA; (570) 822-1900. Frederique Constant places hand-sewn crocodile or ostrich straps on the new Heart Beat Day-Date. The day-date module was developed in collaboration with Dubois-Dupraz. A skeletonized portion of the Côte de Geneve-decorated automatic movement shows through an opening on the dial. Suggested retail, $2,695. Frederique Constant, Upper Montclair, NJ; (973) 233-9223, www.frederique-constant.com. The 18k yellow gold Mystique features 25 full-cut diamonds on the bezel, 71 diamonds on the clasp and 11 diamond markers on the mother-of-pearl dial. Also available in white gold. The quartz watch has a sweep second hand, sapphire crystal and date indicator. Cyma, New York, NY; (212) 695-4270, www.cymawatch.com. The TeNo “CoNo” model is made of hypoallergenic steel (no nickel) and has a rubber strap, Swiss quartz movement and sapphire crystal. Suggested retail, $250. Other models have diamond and ceramic accents. TeNo, Framingham, MA; (800) 360-2586, www.tenousa.com. The jump-hour steel watch from Epos features a clear back through which you can view a decorated, hand-assembled, manual-wind movement. The 1930s design shows the hour in the window at the top, the minute hand in the larger dial and the seconds hand below. Suggested retail, $1,950. Epos, Providence, RI; (800) 689-2225, www.gntwatch.com.