Slap on the Wrist

A quality watch, modestly priced.

That’s the dream.

Natty enough for the office, casual enough for everywhere else.

All that in a single timepiece: Martenero, designed and assembled in the USA and taking orders now.

Think of these NYC newcomers as this year’s Shinola: an upstart brand focused on quality, clean design and handsome ruggedness, all at an affordable price.

The two initial models: Ace, a new take on the classic pilot watch, and the Founder (inspired by “entrepreneurs who get sh– done”).

Both offer clean design with some nice flourishes: a mix of Arabic numerals and arrows on the former; a “warning track” to mark a change of the hour on the latter.

The specs: 100-meter water resistance, no batteries and customization. You can personalize the dial, hand and strap colors.

These are limited-edition timepieces, capped at 1,000 each and individually numbered. Each one comes with both a hand-cut and -sewn leather strap and a waterproof nylon strap.

Watch and learn.