On a recent flight, I made a friendly bet with the befriended passenger beside me. I pulled out my in-flight magazine and had a guess at the brands I expected to see in the advertisements. Confident, I was willing to gamble big that prominent brands like Tag Heuer and Omega would make an appearance. After all, they target customers like the high-flying businessmen scattered around me. I also expected to see the usual suspects. Brands like Longines, Raymond Weil, or Tudor for example. Even Patek Philippe, who I’ve noticed have expanded their marketing in recent months and frequently now feature prominently in national newspapers and business magazines.  But compared to Tag and Omega? Get ready to hand over your money…

Well, maybe half of it.

Right away, nestled between the full-page adverts for Porsche and Maserati, I stumble upon Jenson Button striking a pose with his Tag Heuer Calibre 16. Flicking through the pages I find other ads for Breitling, Jaeger-LeCoultre and even Rado. But whilst I was slightly miffed there was no representation from Omega, I did find a wonderful surprise on page 99.

A full-page advertisement for a national watch retailer provided an introduction and background to a sample of the industry’s niche Swiss and German brands. The advert, reading more like an article, highlighted to readers the attraction of uncommon and tailor-made timepieces. It featured several examples from brands like Armin Strom, Sinn and MeisterSinger. These companies specialize in surprisingly affordable high-end, hand crafted watches.

Personally, I find “out of the ordinary” brands particularly appealing.  The message of uniqueness and ability to stand out from the crowd is something I expect in a watch. And that in-flight magazine was the last place I expected to see such brands advertize. This monthly airline rag – designed to grab attention from captive, unassuming buyer stuck in a tube at 30,000 feet for hours – presented numerous examples of beautiful, high quality, hand crafted watches. Unique watches you don’t find in your average local store.

Is the world catching up to me? Are more people and companies beginning to see the allure of affordable yet personalized approach to watchmaking?

There are few companies around who can offer tailor-made luxury at competitive prices. Rolex, the world’s largest singly luxury watch brand, might earn you some status around the office (BusinessWeek magazine ranked Rolex at number 71 on its 2007 annual list of the 100 most valuable global brands), but you would have to spend top dollar to expect any kind of attentive, personalized customer care from the mother ship.

Yet here, in my in-flight magazine, it’s clear somebody has targeted a market niche for affordable, tailored luxury. Beautiful, limited edition timepieces that won’t set you back a year’s salary. Other companies have recognized it too; Marvin’s ‘New Time, New Codes’ campaign is the backbone of their ambition to blend creativity, Swiss quality, and red-carpet customer service at reasonable prices. And their unique approach to social media and VIP Customer Program resonates with buyers seeking exclusive first-class treatment from a watch company.

I find it refreshing to see the growing market demand and supply for affordable, custom timepieces. Today’s market of young buyers recognizes and appreciates the quality of workmanship gone into the creation of their watches. And with this growing demand, I pray this triggers even more creative ways by which companies reach out to fulfill individual tastes and whims. I know I’m already a sucker for a beautiful timepiece, but mix in some tailored TLC and I’ll be putty in your hands.