New Stone Series, a New Case, and What’s Changing

This is an exciting update that I’ve been looking forward to sharing. After two months of research, refining my supply chain, clearing the interest list, and working through custom builds, I’m finally ready to introduce several major changes to Bryan Laurent.

Introducing the Stone Series

I’m introducing the Stone Series, starting with a minimalist-style stone dial collection.

Working with stone dials is very different from working with conventional watch dials. They are extremely fragile, and assembling them can be quite challenging. I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ve broken a few during the process—and yes, they are costly!

But I’m getting the hang of it.

More details of the Stone Series will be shared via my newsletter and main page later.

A New 38mm Case Across the Collection

The next major update is the new case, which will be introduced alongside the Natural Stone Series and rolled out across my collections.

I’ve heard your feedback.

Some of you are perfectly happy with the minimalist, no-indices dial. But I also understand that many people may find it difficult to read the time.

Instead of changing the minimalist dial by adding conventional indices, I decided to take a different approach.

I’m introducing a new 38mm case with a C3 Super-LumiNova lumed indices chapter ring.

This keeps the dial clean and minimalist while giving you a visual reference for reading the time accurately via the chapter ring and staying visible in low-light and dark environments. It’s a solution that I feel stays true to the minimalist design philosophy while making the watch more practical.

The new case remains 38mm in diameter, similar to the previous case, but now comes with a flat sapphire crystal instead of the previous domed mineral crystal.

It also measures just 11.5mm thin after casing. I’d say it’s a remarkable NH movement watch.

Small improvements, but meaningful ones.

Milanese Bracelets as Standard

Along with the series-wide case upgrade, I’m also introducing quick-release Milanese mesh bracelets across all my collections.

They are comfortable, slim, easily adjustable, and come with a clasp that makes them convenient to put on and take off.

This change also allows me to improve inventory management, supply-chain efficiency, and overall cost efficiency as the brand grows.

There’s another reason behind this decision.

My watches are tested to 5ATM water resistance, including the new case. This means they are suitable for everyday exposure to water, such as handwashing, rain splashes, and light water activities.

With that in mind, I feel a Milanese bracelet makes more sense as the standard option than the previous suede leather strap.

A New Bryan Laurent Logo

You may have also noticed something else: I have a new logo.

I decided to work with a seasoned designer to create a new visual identity for Bryan Laurent. The new logo will be engraved on the Milanese bracelets and casebacks.

However, I still have some casebacks with the previous logo in inventory that need to be used first. So during this transition period, you may receive a watch with either the previous or the new logo.

It’s simply part of the transition, and I hope you’ll understand.

A New Watch Hand Design

Moving forward, I’ll also be transitioning from the current polished watch hands to a new hollow, C3 lumed hand design.

The quality of the existing polished hands has been somewhat hit and miss. I’ve honestly had to dispose of quite a number of them during QC, as some arrived with stains or imperfections that could not be properly cleaned or removed, even with light polishing.

As part of my commitment to maintaining a high QC standard, I’d rather reject these parts than use them on a finished watch.

I’ll continue using my remaining stock of the current polished hands for the time being. Once that inventory runs out, I’ll transition to the new hollow, lumed hands as the standard design moving forward.

I’m looking forward to this change—not only because of the improved consistency, but also because the hollow hands should complement the minimalist design so you get more of the dial.

Goodbye to the Interest List, Hello to Backorders

I’m also making a significant change to how I handle unavailable watches.

I’m taking away the interest list.

I genuinely appreciate everyone who took the time to sign up, follow up, or even let me know when they were no longer interested. However, managing the list has become increasingly difficult, especially when some people eventually disappear or don’t respond when stock becomes available.

So I’m introducing backorders.

If an item is currently out of stock but available for backorder, you’ll be able to place an order and make payment upfront.

It works somewhat like a pre-order, but on a much smaller scale. The difference is that I’m now confident enough in my supply chain to fulfil these orders reliably. As you can see, most of the watches are also now in stock.

This should make the process much clearer for both you and me.

About the Custom Builds

If you’ve been on my newsletter list, you probably know what happened one month ago.

I was called out on Instagram for supposedly “copying” a dial.

The watch in question was the Disco Dial.

To clarify what happened: the dial was an AliExpress dial that had been sent to me by a customer several months earlier when I first started Bryan Laurent in April 2026. The customer wanted me to use it for a custom-built watch.

It was never intended to become a Bryan Laurent design or a permanent collection. It was simply a one-off custom build.

After learning about the concerns surrounding the dial, I took down the post out of respect for the original creator.

It was a learning experience for me. Moving forward, I need to be more careful about researching the origins of components and designs before posting them publicly.

Because of this, I’ve decided to remove the Custom Builds section from my website.

Personally, I don’t see a problem with homage watches when they are clearly positioned as such, and there are many brands in the microbrand space that operate in this area. But that isn’t the direction I want Bryan Laurent to take.

Interestingly, after the incident, several customers actually approached me asking if I could custom-build another Disco Dial watch.

I politely declined.

There is one thing I would like to say about the incident.

I would always appreciate someone coming directly to me for clarification before making assumptions or spreading information that may not be accurate.

I’ve learnt that what we think may be true isn’t necessarily a fact until we take the time to verify it.

So, whether it’s about watches, people, or anything else in life: clarify first, judge later.

Spread love, not hate.

All that said, I’m still open to custom work privately, like the Ukiyo-e designs, different case colours etc.

Quality Control Remains My Priority

Finally, I’m proud to say that, to date, my watches have had zero warranty claims or reported defects.

That is something I take seriously.

I continue to maintain a high QC standard, even when it costs me additional time, money, and materials.

That means testing and inspecting components carefully, regulating movements, pressure-testing cases, and rejecting parts that I don’t consider good enough.

Sometimes that means disposing of watch hands that arrived defect. Sometimes it means rejecting a faulty movement. Sometimes it means spending considerably more time on a watch than I originally planned.

But I would rather absorb those costs myself than send something out that I’m not proud of.

Bryan Laurent is still a very small independent watch brand.

These changes are another step forward.

Thank you for following the journey, supporting the brand, giving me feedback, and most importantly, allowing me to keep improving.