The Original Microbrand—
America’s Footprint in Modern Horology

Before "Microbrand" Had a Name

From Pforzheim to Maryland:
How Towson Built a Lasting Watchmaking Legacy

Read the full journal

Most restorations become routine.
Until one changes everything.

the HALF-SKELLY handbook

Limited. Mechanical. Distinctly American.

Collector's handbook: TALBOT

Towson's Collaboration with the World's Best:
Jochen Benzinger

read about our "collection of artists"

A Modern Classic, Forged the Traditional Way

We craft it. We ship it.
Full-service, old-school watchmaking.

OWN THE TRADITION

The CADET is Towson Watch Company’s modern American field watch—rooted in military tradition, finished with Maryland pride. It was born when Naval Academy midshipmen came to Towson seeking their first mechanical timepiece, and it carries the bold navy-and-gold livery of the Blue Angels with purpose. Honoring the core field-watch code—legibility, durability, restraint—the CADET adds a distinctly American confidence. Its 40 mm stainless-steel case houses a decorated, hand-regulated Swiss automatic movement, fully visible through a sapphire exhibition back. The navy dial features an engine-turned center, gold numerals for crisp daytime clarity, and Super-Luminova for low-light visibility. A twist-off bezel and fully serviceable build reinforce its mission-ready nature, while refined finishing elevates it beyond standard issue. This is utility with quiet prestige—and a patriotic story, strapped to your wrist.

NEW

A compact mechanical timepiece housed in a 37mm (tall) tonneau case, reflecting Towson’s design principles through balanced proportions and refined execution. The guilloché dial is galvanically plated in genuine 5N rose gold—a high-copper alloy that produces a warm, salmon-colored hue. It’s framed by a recessed silver chapter ring set with sharply faceted rhodium hour markers. Matching rhodium hands, filled with Super-LumiNova, ensure legibility while maintaining visual harmony. The Towson Watch Co. shield is engraved at 12 o’clock and filled with navy lacquer, while “Towson, MD” is stamped subtly in the top quadrants. A beveled date aperture at 6 o’clock preserves the dial’s symmetry and function. The case is crafted from 316L stainless steel, topped with scratch-resistant sapphire crystal and fitted with a screw-down exhibition back. Powered by a Swiss-made SW200-1 automatic movement, decorated and regulated in-house by Towson watchmakers.

HALF-SKELLY is a disciplined take on skeletonization, revealing only what a seasoned eye is meant to see. The hand-wound Unitas 6498 is selectively opened to showcase its architecture: deep-relief engraving at two o’clock, and a fully exposed small-seconds train framed by a frosted sterling-silver sub-dial at six—mirroring the outer chapter ring. The dial itself is the black, hand-guilloché base plate, cut on a traditional rose engine. Skeletonized cathedral hands, white-painted for contrast, sweep cleanly above. A single ruby jewel glows at seven, and at four o’clock, the “T W C” calligraphy is carved directly from the base plate, a maker’s mark integrated into the movement—not applied on top. Housed in a 42 mm polished stainless-steel case with a domed sapphire crystal and screw-down exhibition back, each watch reveals Benzinger’s rhodium-plated bridges, blued screws, and guilloché ratchet wheels. Regulated in five positions to ±10 s/day and backed by a 36-hour power reserve, every HALF-SKELLY is hand-finished between Pforzheim and Maryland and produced in quantities of approximately 25 pieces per year—delivering substance over spectacle for those who understand the difference.

View the Full Lineup

Small Batches. Big Tradition.

Towson Since 1998

Master watchmaker George Thomas of Towson Watch Company inspecting his work.

Kevin Plank's Purchase of Towson Watch Company

Under Plank’s ownership, Towson maintained its handcrafted, old-school approach, continuing to produce exceptional timepieces while expanding its narrative reach.

Master watchmaker George Thomas of Towson Watch Company inspecting his work.

The Original Microbrand—America’s Footprint in Modern Horology

In 2025, the term microbrand is everywhere. It suggests small scale, direct access to the maker—and all too often, outsourced production and catalog parts. Long before the label existed, Towson Watch Company quietly defined what the term could mean: designing, engineering, and building meaningful watch collections on American soil.

Master watchmaker George Thomas of Towson Watch Company inspecting his work.

The Collector's Handbook

TALBOT: A Smaller Take on the Choptank

Microbrands spark curiosity beyond the familiar, but the TALBOT makes it clear who stands behind it. Folding tradition into form with a confidence that feels both old-school and charged with new intent.

Master watchmaker George Thomas of Towson Watch Company inspecting his work.

The Collector's Handbook

HALF-SKELLY: A Collector's Handbook

The Skelly Series moves beyond the aesthetics of skeletonization—it becomes an exploration of what should be revealed and what should remain intact.

Benzinger Potomac

HALF-SKELLY

NORTH•er

VISIT TWC HQ & WATCHMAKERS

²^{205 York Rd. Suite 11, Timonium, MD 21093}

the first ever TWC Mission timepiece

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Since 1998, Towson Watch Company—founded in Maryland by master horologists Hartwig Balke and George Thomas—has handcrafted high-grade mechanical watches in limited runs. One of two iconic watch brands still thriving in the USA, we pioneered small-batch indie watchmaking, evolving timeless designs with highest-grade quality for collectors worldwide. Explore an American dream built by real watchmakers—secure your place in this American legacy now.

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1998 –
_{Founded by a German Engineer & a Master Watchmaker}

2000 -
A Towson chronograph boards NASA STS-99.

2005 –
Guilloché Dials with Benzinger Debut

2009 -
Smithsonian Taps TWC for Lincoln’s Watch Opening

2020 -
CHOPTANK & TALBOT Redefine the Microbrand

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