Is Second Hour Australia’s Best Kept Microbrand Secret?
There are some watch brands that shout for attention. Others quietly get on with making excellent watches and let enthusiasts do the talking. Australian independent Second Hour firmly belongs in the second camp.
If you have spent any time browsing microbrand forums, Reddit or YouTube recently, chances are you've seen the name pop up more and more. That's hardly surprising. Based in Melbourne, Second Hour has steadily built a reputation for producing thoughtfully designed mechanical watches with finishing that often punches well above their price point.
While the collection includes everything from elegant dress watches to sporty everyday pieces, there is one model that immediately caught our eye.
The Gin Clear 3
If there is a flagship for the brand, it has to be the Gin Clear 3.
Now in its third generation, this is a proper dive watch that somehow manages to feel both rugged and refined. Rather than simply copying the usual Swiss icons, Second Hour has created something with its own identity, from the distinctive handset to the beautifully balanced dial and one of the nicest bracelets we've seen in this price bracket.
Available with Sunburst Black, Arctic White, Dark Rhodium and Emerald dials, we'd be reaching straight for the Dark Rhodium. The combination of the rich metallic dial, polished bezel grip and crisp white lume gives it an understated luxury that looks considerably more expensive than its asking price.
Perhaps most impressive is just how wearable it is. A 40 mm case, 47 mm lug to lug and a remarkably slim 12.2 mm thickness make it suitable for almost any wrist, while 300 metres of water resistance means it is far more than simply a desk diver.
Specifications
Price: Approximately £645 (AU$1,325)
Case: 316L stainless steel with 1200 Vickers surface hardening
Diameter: 40 mm
Thickness: 12.2 mm
Lug to Lug: 47 mm
Lug Width: 20 mm
Movement: Swiss Sellita SW200 automatic
Water Resistance: 300 metres
Crystal: Flat sapphire with six layers of internal anti reflective coating
Bezel: Ceramic or anodised aluminium with ball bearing mechanism
Lume: Swiss BGW9 SuperLuminova
Bracelet: Solid steel bracelet with on the fly micro adjustment clasp
Warranty: Two years
More Than Just The Gin Clear
The Gin Clear may be grabbing headlines, but it is far from the only interesting watch in the catalogue.
The Memoir brings elegant Art Deco inspired styling to the dress watch category, while the Mandala Mk3 offers a more technical, almost architectural design language. The colourful Fusion injects some fun into the integrated sports watch trend without feeling like a copy of anything else, and the Beacon 2 rounds out the collection as a practical everyday sports watch.
It is refreshing to see a young independent brand producing a coherent range rather than chasing every trend that appears on Instagram.
Why Microbrand Collectors Are Paying Attention
One thing that keeps coming up whenever owners discuss Second Hour is finishing.
Collectors frequently compare the overall quality to brands costing considerably more, praising the bracelet comfort, crisp machining, impressive dial work and excellent bezel action. While every watch has its critics, the general consensus is that Second Hour delivers exceptional value in the increasingly crowded microbrand space.
That probably comes from founder Peter Sargison's philosophy of creating fewer models, refining them over multiple generations and concentrating on quality rather than constant new releases.
Winding Things Up
Australia may not be the first country that springs to mind when talking about premium mechanical watches, but brands like Second Hour are changing that perception one release at a time.
The Gin Clear 3 feels like the culmination of years of careful refinement rather than a flashy marketing exercise. It has genuine personality, excellent proportions, premium specifications and enough originality to stand proudly alongside some of Europe's better known microbrands.
The only real question is whether collectors outside Australia have finally started paying attention.
Because if the Gin Clear 3 is anything to go by, they probably should.
