A New Milestone for Sunrex: Recognized Among the Best Microbrand Watches of 2026
We are excited to share some news with our community:
Sunrex has been featured in Teddy Baldassarre's “The 85 Best Microbrand Watches in 2026.”
For an independent watch brand like Sunrex, being recognized alongside some of the most interesting and respected names in the microbrand watch world is a meaningful milestone.
Teddy Baldassarre's comprehensive 2026 guide highlights Sunrex Banana Reef, recognizing the unusual combination of solar-powered chronograph technology, vintage-inspired design and microbrand watchmaking.
READ THE FULL TEDDY BALDASSARRE MICROBRAND WATCH GUIDE →
Why We're Proud to Be on the List
The microbrand watch world has become one of the most exciting parts of modern watchmaking.
Independent watch brands are giving enthusiasts something different: distinctive designs, limited production, strong personalities and watches created for people who care about more than simply seeing a familiar logo on the dial.
That's exactly the spirit behind Sunrex.
We believe a watch should have character.
It should have a story.
And it should be something you genuinely want to wear.
Our approach combines the character of vintage watches with the convenience of modern solar technology.
Vintage spirit. Modern technology.
That's the idea behind Sunrex.
Sunrex Banana Reef: The Watch That Made the List
At the center of Teddy Baldassarre's feature is the Sunrex Banana Reef, a solar-powered chronograph inspired by the golden age of underwater exploration.
Teddy specifically notes that while solar chronographs make practical sense, the combination remains surprisingly uncommon among microbrands. Sunrex's Banana Reef represents our answer to that opportunity.
The Banana Reef combines:
- Vintage-inspired 1930s styling
- Solar-powered chronograph functionality
- Sunrex Viluminus technology
- Epson VS75A solar movement
- Corrosion-resistant construction
- A distinctive retro diving aesthetic
The watch is designed to capture the character of early exploration watches while bringing the convenience of modern light-powered technology to everyday wear.
A Chronograph Powered by Light
The Banana Reef uses Sunrex's Viluminus solar-powered technology.
A solar cell beneath the dial converts light into electrical energy, storing excess energy in a secondary battery. The VS75A movement can provide up to five months of charge when fully powered.
No regular battery replacement.
No winding.
No charging cable.
Just light.
OLD TECH, MODERN TAKE.
What Makes a Microbrand Watch Special?
The appeal of microbrand watches isn't simply about being small.
It's about being different.
Microbrands often have the freedom to explore ideas that would be difficult for larger watch companies to pursue.
That can mean:
Distinctive designs.
Smaller production runs.
Direct relationships with collectors.
More adventurous concepts.
A stronger connection between the people making the watches and the people wearing them.
Teddy Baldassarre's 2026 guide reflects this diversity, bringing together 85 watches from microbrands across different styles, price points and watchmaking traditions.
For Sunrex, this independent spirit is central to who we are.
Decades of Watchmaking Experience Behind Sunrex
Although Sunrex is an independent microbrand, our story didn't begin yesterday.
Our roots are in watch manufacturing.
After decades of experience producing watches, we decided to take that knowledge and create something of our own.
Sunrex was created to give us the freedom to explore our own designs, our own ideas and our own approach to modern watchmaking.
The result is a collection of watches inspired by different chapters of history:
Underwater exploration.
Aviation.
Motorsport.
Vintage instruments.
But our philosophy remains consistent:
NOD TO THE PAST. MADE FOR THE PRESENT.
More Than Just a Solar Watch
Solar technology is an important part of Sunrex, but it isn't the entire story.
We don't simply take a modern solar movement and put it inside a vintage-looking case.
We start with the story.
Then the design.
Then the function.
Then the technology.
Our goal is to create a watch where all of those elements work together.
That's why Sunrex collections span solar chronographs, vintage-inspired watches, racing watches, diver-style watches and pilot-inspired timepieces.
Each collection explores a different piece of watchmaking history.
From the Banana Reef to the 611
The Banana Reef isn't the only Sunrex watch inspired by a historic era.
Our 611 Racer's Chronograph looks to the golden age of motorsport.
Racing watches began as practical instruments for drivers, but by the 1950s they had also become symbols of speed, precision and style.
The Sunrex 611 takes inspiration from this period, combining a vintage racing aesthetic with modern solar-powered chronograph technology.
Its Epson VS76A solar movement can store up to five months of power when fully charged.
The philosophy is the same as the Banana Reef:
Take inspiration from the past. Build it for modern life.
The 611 Targa Classica Edition
For those who love the golden age of motorsport, Sunrex created something even more special.
The 611 Targa Classica Edition was created in collaboration with Targa Classica and is inspired by the spirit of classic racing.
Classic racing was never just about speed.
It was about precision.
Mechanical sympathy.
Adventure.
Risk.
Style.
And the relationship between driver and machine.
The 611 Targa Classica Edition brings that spirit to the wrist while retaining Sunrex's modern solar-powered technology.
The watch uses the Epson VS76A solar movement, with the dial's solar cell converting light into energy and storing it for later use.
DISCOVER THE 611 TARGA CLASSICA EDITION →
Why Solar-Powered Chronographs?
A mechanical chronograph can be beautiful.
A quartz chronograph can be practical.
But a solar-powered chronograph brings an interesting combination of both worlds.
You get the functionality of a stopwatch without the regular battery replacement associated with conventional quartz watches.
And because the movement is powered by light, the watch is designed to be ready when you are.
This is one of the reasons Teddy Baldassarre's recognition of Sunrex is particularly meaningful to us.
The combination of microbrand + chronograph + solar technology is still relatively uncommon.
A Microbrand Built for People Who Wear Watches
We don't believe watches should be treated as untouchable objects.
They should be worn.
They should travel.
They should collect scratches.
They should become part of your story.
That's why Sunrex watches are designed around a simple idea:
A WATCH SHOULD GET BETTER AS YOUR STORY GROWS.
From the Banana Reef exploring the spirit of early underwater adventures to the 611 recalling the golden age of motorsport, every Sunrex watch is designed to carry a little history into the present.
Thank You for Being Part of the Sunrex Journey
Being included in The 85 Best Microbrand Watches in 2026 is a proud moment for our team.
But more importantly, it is encouragement to keep doing what we believe in.
To keep experimenting.
To keep exploring vintage watch culture.
To keep developing solar-powered chronographs.
And to keep making watches that are a little different from everything else.
To everyone who has purchased a Sunrex, followed our journey, shared our watches or simply stopped to take a closer look:
Thank you.
This is only the beginning.
Discover Sunrex
Explore our collection of vintage-inspired solar watches, solar chronographs, racing watches and microbrand timepieces.
EXPLORE THE 611 TARGA CLASSICA EDITION →
About Teddy Baldassarre's 2026 Microbrand Watch Guide
Teddy Baldassarre's “The 85 Best Microbrand Watches in 2026” is a comprehensive guide to independent and microbrand watches. The guide explores brands across a wide range of styles and highlights what makes each brand and watch distinctive.
Sunrex Banana Reef is featured among the guide's latest additions.