When you hear the name Indonesia, what is the first thing that comes to mind?
For most, it is a country with amazing natural beauty, friendly people, and delicious food.
Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelago, consisting of more than 17,000 islands. It is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, as well as stunning mountains, forests, and Rice Terrace fields.
The Indonesian people are known for being very friendly and welcoming to visitors. They are also very proud of their culture and heritage.
One thing that, without a doubt, Indonesia isn’t predominantly known for is watchmaking. In fact, most people would be hard-pressed to name even a single Indonesian watch company.
And yet, there are a few Indonesian watch brands that are starting to make a name for themselves lately, some producing really unique types of watches.
Let’s dive right into them now.
Indonesian Watchmakers = Real Obscurity
Watch aficionados looking for an obscure watch market to discover will be delighted with the constantly improving and super affordable Indonesian watch industry.
While it’s still very much in its infancy, there are a few brands that are starting to turn heads with their innovative designs and decent level of craftsmanship.
Here are some of the best Indonesian watchmakers that you should keep an eye on.
Nine Best Indonesian Watch Brands
NAM Watches
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Nam Watches is a watch brand that was founded in 2014 in the country’s capital, Jakarta. From the get-go, their goal was to create affordable, high-quality watches that would appeal to a wide range of people.
Since then, Nam Watches has released several collections of well-designed timepieces. They have a particular focus on clean and minimalist designs, which is evident in most of their collections.
However, the brand has also more adventurous designs to its name, particularly in the Star Wars Edition watches.
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Interestingly enough, the brand was launched after a highly successful Kickstarter campaign. Nam’s initial two watch models, the Krakatoa and Toba, were well-respected by enthusiasts both in Indonesia and abroad, prompting the release of fresh collections.
Like all Indonesian watchmakers discussed in the article, Nam Watches are extremely affordable. The cheapest models can be snatched for the equivalent of $35 while the most refined releases don’t break the $150 mark.
All watches are powered by reliable Japanese quartz calibers.
Nam Watches is the sole Indonesian watch brand with an actual online store from where their watches can be purchased. That’s in contrast to other companies that sell solely through social media pages or popular Indonesian marketplaces such as Bukalapak or Shopee.
Briliont Watches
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This cool-sounding Indonesian watchmaker is unique in the sense that it utilizes Swiss movements.
Moreover, a fair share of their watch models is automatic which is hugely impressive coming from an Asian microbrand.
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Style-wise, the brand promotes a combination of elegance thanks to leather straps and sportiness coming from the presence of uni-directional bezels you normally see in dive watches. Such an approach makes their timepieces equally suitable for casual and more formal wear.
Although Briliont describes itself as a luxury watch brand, it’s fair to say it’s a bit of a stretch. However, the prices of their products are still on the high side for an Indonesian watch company. You can expect to pay an equivalent of $400 for their products.
WAS Watch
Was Watch is a brand created by skating enthusiasts that focuses on a small collection of hand-made watches.
Even though the company started out as a side project, it has managed to release some interesting timepieces over the years.
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Design-wise, WasWatch focuses on minimalistic timepieces. At the time of writing, there are 6 watch models available in their catalog. Four of them are on the dressy side with stylish leather straps while the remaining 2 models are more like toy watches, fully made from plastic.
All their watches are ultra-affordable, with prices not exceeding $50.
Apart from timepieces, the brand also offers clothing and other fashion accessories such as belts and wallets.
Kala Watch
Kala Watch is another local Indonesian microbrand making its baby steps in the watch industry.
Akin to most of its competitors, it focuses on a rather casual style. The dominating approach is clearly minimalism, however, some of their models include brightly-colored straps that add a touch of playfulness.
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The brand currently has 3 watch models in its catalog, all of which are quartz-powered. Prices start at an equivalent of $40 which is very reasonable.
Woodka
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A brand named Woodka (not to mistake for Vodka!) opens up the list of eco-friendly Indonesian watchmakers specializing in wooden watches.
The brand is based in Bandung and uses recycled wood with watch cases and some of its straps (the majority of bands are made from leather).
The watchmaker is a great choice for those who appreciate a more adventurous and playful design of watches.
Most of their watches oscillate in the $40-$60 price basket.
Garvinoes
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Next on the list of wooden microbrands from Indonesia is Garvinoes.
The brand operates from Yogyakarta and considers itself a pioneer of the wooden watch industry in Indonesia.
The company presents a very modern design concept, with a combination of premium hardwood raw material and stainless steel. On the pricing front, most of their models are available for $50-$60.
Matoa
Three regional artists from Ciwidey, Bandung, West Java, founded Matoa in 2011.
A total of 32 artisans have now joined and are contributing to the manufacture of this brand.
Most of their watches are fully made from recycled wood, without any additional materials included. As far as eco-friendliness goes, Matoa is definitely one of the most prominent names on this list.
Furthermore, they are also quite an affordable watch brand, with models costing between $40 and $60.
Eboni Watch
The Ebony design is straightforward but elegant.
The brand picks maple and rosewood as their major materials in all collections because of their high durability standards.
EboniWatch was created n Klaten, Central Java.
All of their watches utilize Japanese quartz movements and are extremely budget-friendly, with prices rarely breaking the $40 mark.
If you believe a wooden watch would be a wonderful present for your family members, you may personalize the dial, strap, back case, box, and a greeting card with your name.
INA Watch
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Finally, closing the list of Indonesian watch companies is INA.
The business was established in 2018, making it one of the more recent entries on the list.
It employs six types of native wood with distinctive fibers and colors, including rosewood, teak, jackfruit, manga, and mind.
The straps are likewise produced from traditional woven textiles using a non-machine weaving method, and the wood is a recycled material made from waste in the Central Java region.
When it comes to prices, most watches are available for roughly $40.
