hese “makeshift huts” were out in force at the recent Geneva Watch Days — but the favelas of Geneva are nothing like the favelas of Rio. They occupy the comfortable rooms (suites for the more prominent among them) of lakeside hotels booked out for the occasion. They pop up in temporary boutiques, take over galleries, squat the outdoor tables of a café or a courtyard somewhere in the Old Town.

For some, this can be an expensive outing but, they hope, worth every penny. Because independents have the wind in their sails.

The doors to the “favelas” are wide open. You can stick to a plan or simply wander, bypass the PR gatekeepers and go straight to the source, touch and feel as much as you wish. Here, you’ll find everything you’re looking for, everything you love. From the most expensive to the most affordable. From elemental to complex. Classic to avant-garde. Refined to robust.

Whatever level these independents are aiming for, or achieve, they have in common their remarkable inventiveness and, in many cases, impeccable execution. Decoration and finishing take pride of place. Guillochage, stonework, painting on glass, combinations of materials, playing with light... from the most labour-intensive crafts to semi-industrial processes, almost everywhere, decorated dials are de rigueur.

As mechanical extravagance subsides, interesting directions are taking shape. New lines in engineering – innovative solutions in chronometry, energy supply or winding efficiency – are being developed, aimed at practical more than complex outcomes.

In the wake of this new generation of watchmakers comes a new generation of retailers and collectors. An ecosystem is forming that weaves a line from one independent to another. Margins are slimmed down and alternative distributor relationships created. Efforts are made towards greater price transparency – right down to the end customer.

Granted, inside their glass and steel homes, the big brands don’t feel particularly under attack but they are keeping a close eye on what’s going on below, all the same. From a distance, for the time being. But beware! Should the favelas come nibbling the manicured lawns at the foot of their towers, they could well descend from their perch and step into the arena.