Monbrey: Inventing a New Dimension in Microbrand Watches

Welcome to The Micro Collector, a podcast where I talk with the founders and operators behind some of the most exciting microbrands and independent watch companies. I'm your host, Justin Dorfman, and in today's episode, I'm joined by Austin Lee and Henry Kwong, co-founders of Monbrey. Monbrey is a Hong Kong-based microbrand with a design language that immediately stands out. The dials, textures, finishing, and overall visual identity feel distinct, and you can tell the brand is being built by people who spent years thinking deeply about watch design.

In this conversation, we talk about Austin and Henry's background in the watch industry, how they met, and what inspired them to create something of their own after years of working behind the scenes for other brands. We also get into Monbrey's design philosophy, their slogan, Invent New Dimension, the stories behind collections like the MB1 Wedge Era, MB2 Kenkyū, and MB3 Trinova, and what it means to build a modern watch brand from Hong Kong for a global audience.

If you enjoy the episode, be sure to subscribe for more conversations with the people behind these incredible watch brands.

And with that, please enjoy my conversation with Austin Lee and Henry Kwong of Monbrey.

All right. Austin, Henry, thank you so much for welcoming me here today and welcome to The Micro Collector Podcast.

Thank you. Justin, thank you. Welcome to Hong Kong.

Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm so glad that we've had this chance to chat today. You know, actually Monbrey was one of the first microbrands in Hong Kong that I learned about — might have been the first microbrand from Hong Kong that I learned about. I found The Watchdrobe. I'm sure you guys are familiar, in Kowloon, which is a store that specializes in microbrands and independents. And I went there and I wanted to buy a Hong Kong microbrand. And I asked them, what are the Hong Kong microbrands that you guys have? And Monbrey was the one that they showed me. And I think it was the watch that you guys have where the dial is like a vintage Hong Kong glass pattern.

Yeah, Hoi Tong, yeah.

Yeah. So it's very cool to learn about a microbrand. And now obviously I saw you guys at Windup San Francisco. We got to chatting and now we get to, you know, dive into the story behind the brand. So thanks again. I'm really excited to learn the story. I guess to start, maybe both, each one of you can tell us a little bit about your background. And I always like to ask founders of microbrands how you first got into watches, what first maybe drew you into the passion, or the, you know, if you were a collector before, what drew you into collecting watches before starting your own brand?

Well my first watch was a birthday gift from my father. It's Casio. It's called — it's an analog thing, it's called Twin Set. It's like a watch with the full screen of LED but with the analog hands.

Cool.

Yeah. And this is the first time I started liking the watches. And then after that I start studying in design, for design and I think pro design, and then I think watches is the career path I want to try a lot. And so I keep on going and then after I worked for a few years and then I start meeting this guy and we worked at the same company for — what, five years, right? Yeah, five years. Five or six years or something like that. Yeah.

Very cool, and how about yourself? How did you first get into watches?

Well, I think I'm total opposite with Henry. So my family works in the watch industry.

Okay.

So very long time ago I started, you know, surrounding by watches, but I have totally no interest in watches.

Interesting.

Yeah. But one thing I do remember is that actually my first watch, it's very funny one. I forget the brand, but it's the dial with the temperature and then the change in the color. That is still the only thing I still remember. I really love that one. So that is my first watches. And I think that's actually starting my interest in watches, is more like on the interesting thing. The weird thing.

Okay.

And then I think back in the day when I was study I also study pro design, industrial design. And you know, at that time is when Steve Jobs just come back to Apple.

Okay.

We have Marc Newson, we have a Philippe Starck. So watches is not that cool thing. You know, in this school, nobody cared the watches. So I have zero interest in, you know, designing watches then. But after graduation and that is actually a time, the SARS pandemic. Yeah. So I couldn't get any offer. And somehow one day they called me and they said come for an interview and I have no clue for what, no idea. Then I just go there, finish the interview and realize they are doing watches. So okay, I would take that. Then I start my watch design, you know, career from there.

Interesting. And it sounds like both of you have been in the watch industry for a while. So tell me a little bit about that. Prior to Monbrey it sounds like you're doing product design, you're doing design for other brands, is that correct?

Yeah.

Okay, interesting. And then you guys met through working at a previous company. At what point did you guys decide hey, maybe we should do something on our own, and where did sort of the inspiration for Monbrey come from?

Well he used to work with the Japanese Seiko thing.

Okay.

My family do watches for Citizen.

Okay.

But when I jumped into the watch industry, I do more like the product for the United States, for the European branding. So it's totally — but somehow we end up in a common doing mostly for European style.

Got it.

Yeah. But almost like six years. Six or seven years. And then, you know, somehow I've actually — for me I've quit the watching for like two times.

Okay.

Yeah. But two fail. For the first time I went to the jewelry but then I come back to the watches. And then the last time I was joining like more like on the tech side. I also do the smart watches and some robotic thingy. But after years I think, you know, like those tech thing is less sexy, yeah.

Yeah.

When you are used to deal with all the like the watches, mechanical thing, it's about styling art, you know. I even studied the fine arts, you know. Yeah. Just want to improve my design skills. And then after years I think okay, I'm not that really — So that's why we think, okay, let's start with something doing a brand by ourselves.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. What was the original inspiration like? Did you guys — obviously you guys worked in the industry for a while, so you had a good purview on what existed out there. Did you see a gap in the market or was it something that personally a watch that you wanted to have in your own collection, or what was sort of the reason for Monbrey at the beginning, what was sort of the inspiration for starting the brand?

At first we did some research and as our background on some Japanese brand like Seiko, we do get some inspiration from the Grand Seiko thing and we're thinking looking through the market, we have a gap like people looking for a watch with high quality on hands and on the dials and the indexes. So we started digging into the Seiko designs and we extract those elements and try to apply to our on brand with our design language to apply on it. So then we came up our first design, MB1.

And you talked about the design language. How would you describe Monbrey's design language? Because one thing that I've noticed is I think you guys have a really strong design language. As I've seen you guys at shows, as I've seen in stores like in The Watchdrobe and then looking through your website, I feel like your watches are one of those few that maybe without looking at the brand logo, there's something there that makes it very recognizable. So you know if somebody that's new to the brand asked you, you know, what is Monbrey, sort of what's the design language for the brand, how would you describe it?

I think what we have learned from our design is that the concept and the brand story, or let's say design element, is totally different. You have a great concept, it's only for one watch. Just like in a story, you have only one character. But what we are building with Monbrey is the story, right? So we have to decide on a design language that could enough to give us room to expand.

We could have only one — let's say, well I would pick it and say the trend is, let's say MOP right? It's our MB2. We could have sticked with MOP having the pattern at the end of the story. Our stories about MOP something, no, it doesn't work out. Because the third model you may be doing the same thing, the second one you do the same thing, then it will be the end of the brand.

Yeah.

So when we start our own brand, we think about this. I think back in the day like 2021, 2022 it's easy to start, let's say we love vintage watches, then okay kick off. But we don't want to do the same thing, right? So we want something more interesting. So let's stay with this: okay, we like them, that's true, we like the vintage watches, but what else design element into it? So I think you might remember our slogan is “Invent New Dimension”. So actually the story is when we're doing the research we found one very interesting thing actually related to MB1 called the Wedge Era.

The Wedge Era is a car design trend, I think it's 1970 something. So like the DMC DeLorean, the Back to the Future. Like the Aston Martin Bulldog, if somebody doesn't know that. So it's a Cybertruck. But it's 1960s, 1970s, that period. So when we look at the car design, it's very interesting because it's from the history, right? But it looks now like it's even from the future.

So why don't we have the same vibe for watches? Look at the design, like vintage all the element visual language, but it's a modern thing. That's why we have to invent new dimension. And how to approach that is we keep the — let's say all the watches they have the round or curve, the thingy, right? It's still the main design, like the element outline, but let's do it like the Wedge Era, like all angular styling for our design.

And also we keep like we go to get the inspiration from Grand Seiko, right? Let's do the different faceting, you know, the surface cut, like it's angular but also looks sparkling on your wrist. So when you look at the dial — and I want to create the same experience like I think watch enthusiasts love to look at the open case back, the different thing, movement. We couldn't afford that.

So why we have the similar experience on the dial, so we have all the different cutting, the hands, the indexes. MB2 we have a micro-scale, and we have the bingo effect. I want you to look at the dial like everyday different periods. So indoor, outdoor, you can see different things like okay, let's play around that. We want to have the same thing. And in that way, we have that design and we could do like, let's say we could do MB1 is modern watches. MB2 is more like GADA style. MB3 would have a more dressy approach. It's totally a freedom we can expand our collection.

I mean to be honest, the dial was the first thing that drew me, and I mentioned when I saw your watch at The Watchdrobe. It really resonated with me, but first the look and then when I heard the story behind that dial and how it was actually not just an interesting pattern but it tied to the history of Hong Kong and this sort of vintage glass that is part of the history. I thought that was really interesting. And I think a lot of collectors are drawn to dials. You know, I definitely think, you know, yes, if there's a amazing, unique movement there, the case back is nice. But I think the first thing that most collectors look at when they look at a watch is probably the dial, right?

And I know you mentioned those three different collections, the MB1, MB2, and MB3, right? Maybe you can walk us through each one of those. Because I know there's the MB names, but also they have a collecting name as well. And like you said, it seems like there's a theme for each one of them. So maybe we can start with MB1 and then kind of go through MB2 and MB3 and talk about the sort of the meaning behind those. And I know you have some watches here, so if there are some from those collections, you can show us as well.

So I think for Monbrey every collection we try to have the very main thing is about the timing. So the Wedge, the first one MB1 we call the Wedge Era. So it's a time. It's a statement like we get the inspiration from the Wedge Era. So MB2 is called Kenkyū. So Kenkyū is samurai period. So we get all the Jewel Steel, we got the pattern, even all the kind is from that period. You know, even the micro-scale, the lighting or create the rainbow effect is get the inspiration like from the antique, the samurai armour, to have the similar thing. And MB3 is Trinova. It's not really saying the timing, but it's saying in the neo-vintage.

Yep.

So for 1, 2, 3 it's all about time because we believe that eventually the watch is about telling a story. Like even the spec thing, but it has to be the design element, design thing, telling some sort of story and time tells story. So every time we start a collection we'll talk about the time, which period or even the inspiration thing from when. So we can start for the discussion.

Like the MB1 actually is very simple. So we have the all the sharp thing, you know, we've referred to the angular styling in a car design. MB2 Kenkyū Mother of Pearl and even like the Jewel Steel. Jewel Steel actually is the material from the Naginata, right? The curved Naginata. It's not the same thing, but we want to have the same like the refraction effect and even the texture like that. So that's why we call it Jewel Steel.

And for the latest collection is the MB3 because when you talk about like the neo-vintage, the first thing actually I think about my grandfather. He was working like in a construction area like in Hong Kong. So at that time, what they love to do is find like gold watches, diamond watches, stone dial. So when I first look at the like people talking about the neo-vintage, like, shit, I have it, my grandfather has it. So I just need to do the similar thing, right?

And I think most of the branding they try to not having the indices on a stone dial because they want to show the stone. And actually this is also our challenge because we're old-fashioned guys. So we think we have to put the logo and indices. So this is our baseline. And but that's actually a challenge, right? Because we want to show the stone, everything. And once you go to a fancy stone, you cannot see the indices. And once you go small dial, then it will be a problem. But I think somehow we have a result here.

We have a very triangle shape indices. So it's slightly more jewelry, but it's not really disturbing the dial. But we still have the indices and also we change the logo to be curved. So it's still the matching the vibe and we are really happy with it.

Do you get a sense from when you go to shows, for instance, like Windup San Francisco, do you get a sense for which of those three collections, or maybe even models within those collections, resonate the most with collectors? And the reason I bring this up is I actually really like one of the models from the Kenkyū MB2, right? It's the green dial with that pattern.

Yeah.

I really love that one. That one is one that stood out to me. My wife really loves the Tiger Eye from the MB3. So and I saw at the show as well, which I think is a great thing that you guys do at shows. You have the watches, but you also have the stones with them. So do you find that maybe that newer collection with the stones is what's resonating with people, or is it kind of spread across all three collections, like my wife and myself liking, you know, models from two different?

You just remind me that we have the lab diamond, I forget that. So for the Tiger Eye, Onyx, we have the — I have one here. So we have the lab diamond. So I think we have probably the first — I'm not sure about mainstream but I think we are the first microbrand using the triangle lab diamond.

Yeah, nice.

Yeah, I think the ladies love it.

Yeah, yeah, for sure.

They may not like to wear that because it's very dressy. I think from the people they more like the MB2. But this one it really totally blows their mind because the lab diamond is not really fancy but also, you know, following our whole design languages is very subtle. I think so far is this one. I was actually quite worried about that, that we couldn't sell it. Like the Onyx this one and the Tiger Eye, but it's went out like crazy.

I mean I'm not surprised. I'm surprised that you thought it would be so hard to sell because for me this one actually sticks out a lot because of the clean dark dial and then those indices as you said. And then on the tiger's eye, I think it's interesting to your point. Like you would think that maybe putting indices on that stone might take away from the stone, but actually it blends really nicely, right? It creates almost like a contrast between this like really interesting stone and then these indices that have those sharp sort of edges. So yeah, it's really cool.

I've heard so many times like people complain that there's no indices.

Yeah.

So when we design, okay, no. Henry, don't be lazy, you know. Let's come over in the challenge, you know, having the indices but we have to modify the design that blend into everything.

What does your design process look like, right? So when let's say you're launching a new collection now, where do you start? Sort of where does the process start and how do you — and also I guess between the two of you, what roles do each of you play throughout it? Because I've talked to some co-founders of brands where one is design and the other one is marketing. And then I've talked to others where they're sort of they share responsibilities across both, right? They both do design and they both do marketing and it's sort of like a teamwork across that entire thing. So I guess, you starting, like what does your process look like and then how do you guys partner across that process?

Well since we both are designers, we do the design together mostly. But where when he starts the sketches and we discuss the design and see how to improve it, and what kind of materials we should use and to apply it on. Yes, it's — so we usually start with a debate. Actually, you know we work together for design for many years. So we know exactly like once we talk about it we have the thing in here. We don't have to really draw it out.

Yeah.

So we always start with debate. Does it make sense? How does it look? And like it look just a cloud you know. We have a cloud — imagine we have a cloud brain. So when we talk debate together that the design actually come out from the air. Then after that we start to sketch and actually that part actually take pretty long time. Pretty long, like the low curved logo we adjust it very many times.

But for the earlier idea actually it's easier. Like we debate, talk about it and actually we have it. And Henry the role actually the backbone of Monbrey. So he manage all the you know the manager operations and I'm the guy to mess up, you know. Yeah, go to a show or you know talk the bullshit.

Yeah, yeah. And then how about on the marketing side? Are you guys both doing the marketing or is that something that one of you leans more into?

No, I think the marketing we are really terrible on that. So I think I talk more often to the influencer. Like and we have a company to help us out for all the marketing. I think most of the microbrands have the same challenge how to sell it. We have also the same challenge when we start but now seems everything going well.

But also it's also related to our strategy because I think we think the microbrand problem is that people couldn't try it on. That's why our target is to have more distribution in retail. We don't do it for making money. We wanted people to try it.

Yeah.

You can try it in Hong Kong, we also have distribution in different places. We just want the people to try it. We don't mind even having less margin, but it's totally fine. The idea just try it and go ahead and talk about it.

Yeah, no, I can definitely see that. And as a collector myself, it's something that I've found in my own sort of buying journey is really wanting to see these watches in person, feel them. And a lot of the times, to be honest, I'm pleasantly surprised, right? Like watches that I was on the fence about when I hold them in person, they're amazing, right? They feel amazing and the dials come out even stronger than I thought they were and so on. So I can see that that's an important part.

On that front, so it sounds like getting in more retail stores, but also shows, right? Are a big part of your — what are some of the shows? I know we met at Windup, but what are some of the ones that you guys have on your radar or that you frequent that you found to be really valuable?

I think we're planning to the Singapore one. I couldn't pronounce. How to pronounce?

Spring Sprang Sprung.

Yeah, Spring Sprang Sprung. We're going.

Have you been before, or is this—

We met YK? YK yeah last year in Dubai. So we have a little bit chat, so okay, that's good, let's do this. So we're planning to be at the Singapore one and also there's one in Bangkok.

Okay, okay, I haven't heard of that one.

So I think it's — yeah, I think it's going to have potential because we think that the Bangkok collector at market everything is quite ready for the microbrand.

Interesting.

So I think it's interesting to explore. We also have the distribution in there.

Oh okay, interesting. In Thailand as well. Where do you find that your collectors are mostly? Are they all over the world or where — do you have, I know you go to the shows in the US, so there must be some awareness right now in the US. But it's obviously you're based here, but where do you find most of your collectors are based? Are they all over the place?

I think they're in the United States. Yeah. Then Hong Kong and Bangkok.

Okay. Yeah. Interesting. You know, I find that in the microbrand segment in general, Asia has a pretty strong presence, right? You know, if you think about traditional watch brands, obviously there's like the Seikos and so on. So Japan has always had a strong base and Hong Kong has always played a role in the watch industry, but it's less on the brand side, right?

Yes.

You know, when you think about watches, it's obviously Switzerland, and then you've got Germany, and you've got some, you know, maybe some French and then some older American brands and British brands. But Asia in general, beyond Japan, has never really had a strong presence from a brand perspective. Now, I think Singapore has shown a really strong presence, right? With brands like Feynman, you mentioned YK. But also Zelos and others, but Hong Kong as well, right? Like there's obviously you guys.

I was gonna ask, like, what do you think is happening? It seems like there's maybe this wave of new Hong Kong brands. What do you think is sparking that? Do you have a sense for it? And do you feel like there's a tight knit Hong Kong microbrand community — do you know a lot of the other Hong Kong microbrands? Do you know a lot of the founders? Do you guys share ideas and meet up every so often?

I think that Singapore is quite like — but even when we start out our own brand I talked to YK. I talked to Ivan. Ivan from Vario. Yeah yeah, like because I think the microbrand thingy like the Kickstarter I think it's all everything starting from Singapore right, and because we have observed that I think more than a decade they start to think and they have a very strong community.

They're sharing the resources everything and I don't know how it works but it worked well. Singapore like become like I think it's a major kind of a major force. Not only in Asia, it's international, right? So when we start on that we have also have a idea why at Hong Kong they don't have a — we have brands but it's not an international one. We want to go for more international. Why don't we give a try to do Monbrey even the first day? We target the international. Like even our first retailer. They think Monbrey actually is from Western. It's not a local brand.

Really?

Exactly. Yeah. So that's why I thought we have the Hong Kong Limited Edition and we also have like one of the very key things from the Hong Kong Edition is the leather strap. It's from the only and the last leather factory. They have all the everything, even the leather treatment. They don't buy like from the France or Italian leather. It's the leather from Sham Shui Po, they get the leather, do everything, treatment, everything, tanning, then manufacturing in Hong Kong. Yeah.

Interesting.

So because we wanna — okay we are a Hong Kong brand. That's why we have the Hong Kong Edition and tell the whole story thing. And we also know like WMT, Selten, we know each other. And I think it's very good because it's happy to have more branding going into the show means facing international, to tell maybe eventually we can have a power like a Singapore, great Hong Kong, strong Hong Kong branding that you in the Windup or the other show.

Yeah. I mean, I actually had YK on the podcast and I asked him that question, why do you think Singapore is having such a strong go at the microbrand segment? And he mentioned it was because they're working together, right? And they're sharing resources, sharing ideas, sharing lessons with one another. He's playing a big role in that, putting on the conference and you know he's doing distribution as well. So it's great to hear that that's happening in Hong Kong as well. You guys are starting to, you know.

Get the advice of YK.

Turning back to Monbrey, what's next for you guys? So you talked a little bit about you know, the three collections that you have, MB1, 2, and 3, where are you guys planning to go next? Is there anything down the pipe in the near future that we can expect to see from you?

The problem of Monbrey is we are more like a serious watches basically we are old-fashioned and we want to keep the very strong image of everything is Monbrey, so which also give us some limitation. So for the coming model we are going to do a collaboration branding like joint venture with the other guy. We'll have an announcement later for something like really really vintage but in a quartz movement. It's more like fashion one. So we'll stay with our design languages but more fun.

Very cool. So a new case shape it looks like.

Yeah and you know we're not applying quartz for Monbrey because it's mechanical, it's old-fashioned, but in a collaboration that we can do more different things. Not maybe only watches, we could do a pocket watch.

Coin watch.

Yeah could be something pocket watch. So yeah, we'll see. We'll see.

Very cool. Very cool. And if folks want to learn more about the brand, follow along as maybe you release some of these new things, and as you said, see the watches in person. Where's some of the places online and in person that they can go? I know you mentioned some of the shows, but also you mentioned you're in some retailers. So where else — obviously there's the website and the social media, but where are some of the best places for people to go to learn more, follow, engage?

I think for Hong Kong you have to go to Central to Crown Hour. That shop is really cool. Because they used to be on a street like — I forget. Wellington Street. Yeah it's cool but it's like a Swiss little house something like that. But now they move to a very old Hong Kong style shopping mall in Central. And they have all the decoration like the old Hong Kong.

Oh really?

Yeah yeah.

I'm planning to go on this trip. I haven't been yet, but I saw that you guys are there and some other brands so I wanted to check it out.

They have the window with something, the display, and from the ground, the floor, everything is ... Even the shopping mall is so old. So it's total matching.

Yeah, I think it's worth checking it out. And then how about online — so there's the website, which social media channels are you most active on if people want to follow along and see what's latest with Monbrey?

Instagram. Instagram is the most popular.

Okay. Cool. Cool. Well, this has been really fun. As I said, I've been a big fan since I first saw those watches at The Watchdrobe. It's really, really exciting as someone who grew up in Hong Kong around the watch industry to see brands come out of Hong Kong. And I think you guys are doing an amazing job representing Hong Kong. So keep doing what you're doing. I'll definitely be cheering along and excited to see you at the various different shows, but thanks for making the time today and chatting with me. It's been a real pleasure.

Thank you, Justin. Thank you.

Absolutely.