October’s independent watch releases are leaning into character without losing sight of value.
This month’s standouts range from a sun-tracking automatic with a slow 24-hour display to a gold-plated Swiss day-date and a sharply priced integrated-bracelet chronograph.
None of them feels interchangeable, which is exactly the point.
At a glance
- Five accessible watches lead the October 2026 shortlist, including automatics from KronSegler, AV86, Mudita and Matthew Mercury, plus a meca-quartz chronograph from Maystone.
- The strongest themes are useful complications, restrained design, Swiss and Japanese movements, and pricing that keeps the focus on wearability.
- Prices run from £299 for the Maystone Skybreaker Chronograph to £699 for the Matthew Mercury Æternum Automatic.
KronSegler puts the sun under the dial
The KronSegler Solaris Sun Phase Automatic is the most conceptually unusual watch here, built around a slow-turning 24-hour disc that shifts visually from day to night.
It’s part of KronSegler’s Project Sonnenphase, a broader idea rooted in how different cultures have measured and interpreted the sun across history.
That poetic layer sits inside a practical tool-watch format.
The Solaris uses a 42mm gold-plated 316L steel case measuring 12mm thick, with an automatic movement derived from the Citizen 9132 architecture.
It runs at 28,800vph, uses 26 jewels and offers a 42-hour power reserve.
At £499, it’s a distinctive alternative for anyone who wants a watch with a story, but not at the expense of everyday mechanical credibility.
Accessible automatics with very different personalities
The AV86 1564 Chronodate Ice Blue takes the busier route, combining a day, date, month and 24-hour display beneath a domed sapphire crystal.
Its textured gradient dial and curved case, with both polished and brushed finishing, give the anniversary collection model a mix of vintage influence and contemporary colour.
Inside is Miyota’s slim automatic Calibre 9120, with a 40-hour power reserve.
At $599, or around £448, it’s aimed at buyers who like calendar-heavy dials but don’t want the watch to feel old-fashioned.
Mudita’s Radiant moves in the opposite direction.
It strips away logos and visual clutter in favour of legibility, clean proportions and a nature-led palette across six dial colours, including Natural White and Pebble Gray.
The Radiant uses a Sellita SW 200 Elaboré automatic movement with a stated accuracy of ±7 to 20 seconds per day and a 41-hour power reserve.
Its brushed 316L steel case was developed with Chrono AG in Solothurn, while the feature list includes sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating, Super-LumiNova BGW9, vegan quick-release straps and 100m water resistance.
With 32mm, 37mm and 40mm case sizes, it’s also the most inclusive watch in the group from a sizing perspective.
Gold plating, stone dials and an eagle-eyed chronograph
The Matthew Mercury Æternum Automatic makes a clear case for itself by pairing a polished 18k gold-plated case with a Swiss Sellita SW220-1 automatic movement.
That combination is still uncommon at £699, especially with a black stone dial and a day-date display at 3 o’clock.
The design leans into vintage dress-watch cues, but the 100m water resistance adds a practical layer that many older gold dress watches never had.
Its crocodile-grain strap is interchangeable, which helps soften the formality if the full dress look isn’t what you want every day.
Maystone’s Skybreaker Chronograph is the sportiest proposition here, and the lowest-priced at £299.
Inspired by birds of prey, the collection launches in three colourways named Peregrine Falcon, Blue Eagle and Steppe Eagle.
The Skybreaker uses a VK63 meca-quartz chronograph movement inside a 40mm case with integrated bracelet styling, 48mm lug-to-lug length, 11.5mm thickness and 100m water resistance.
As only Maystone’s second collection, it made a quick impression by reaching its Kickstarter funding target within an hour in September.
Details & Specifications
| KronSegler Solaris Sun Phase Automatic | £499; 42mm gold-plated 316L steel case; 12mm thick; Citizen 9132-based automatic movement; 28,800vph; 26 jewels; 42-hour power reserve; 24-hour day-to-night sun phase disc; calfskin strap with butterfly clasp and dual safety pushers. |
|---|---|
| AV86 1564 Chronodate Ice Blue | $599, approximately £448; anniversary collection model; domed sapphire crystal; textured gradient dial; day, date, month and 24-hour displays; Miyota Calibre 9120 automatic movement; 40-hour power reserve. |
| Mudita Radiant | From £605; 32mm, 37mm and 40mm case sizes; brushed 316L steel case; Sellita SW 200 Elaboré automatic movement; ±7 to 20 seconds per day stated accuracy; 41-hour power reserve; sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating; Super-LumiNova BGW9; vegan quick-release straps; 100m water resistance. |
| Matthew Mercury Æternum Automatic | £699; polished 18k gold-plated case; black stone dial; day-date display at 3 o’clock; Swiss Sellita SW220-1 automatic movement; crocodile-grain interchangeable strap; 100m water resistance. |
| Maystone Skybreaker Chronograph | £299; VK63 meca-quartz chronograph movement; 40mm case; 48mm lug-to-lug; 11.5mm thick; integrated bracelet styling; 100m water resistance; Peregrine Falcon, Blue Eagle and Steppe Eagle colourways. |
As a snapshot of the independent end of the market, October’s selection is refreshingly varied.
The common thread is value with a point of view, whether that means a conceptual sun display, a Swiss minimalist daily wearer or a sub-£300 chronograph with enough detail to feel considered.
