WatchTime New York on staging a uniquely American watch show: 'Less pretense and more fun'

WatchTime New York returns to Gotham Hall in Manhattan from Friday to Sunday with a record 48 exhibiting watch brands. For the event’s publisher Sara Orlando, what sets the event apart from its European counterparts is its American character: “less pretense and more fun.”

“Most of our American guests did not grow up going to watch shows with their fathers and grandfathers,” Orlando told FashionUnited. “By bringing this part of Swiss culture to America, we are creating a cultural shift with something very European in the United States.”

The show launched at a time when closed-door, trade-only fairs still dominated the international watch calendar. According to the organisers, it helped pioneer a collector-focused model that brings brands and enthusiasts together face to face. “It’s not about the size of the booths, or the champagne we serve,” WatchTime’s event director Minda Larsen said. “The collector audience is our priority.”

The eleventh edition features newly confirmed participants including Gérald Genta, Daniel Roth, Jacob & Co., Kollokium, Keris, Ferdinand Berthoud, Singer, Schwarz Etienne and Kudoke. The show will also host a number of world-premiere and first-look unveilings. Kudoke and Frederique Constant are both set to debut new timepieces, and further launches are expected to be announced. Other exhibitors include Blancpain, Chopard, Piaget, Zenith, H. Moser & Cie., MB&F and Urwerk.

“There are 11 new brands joining us this year, and we are bringing back the panels on the weekend with some very special guests,” Orlando said.

Independent watchmaking has become one of the show’s defining strengths. “I’m happily surprised regarding the number of independent watchmakers and brands who have joined WatchTime New York over the years,” Orlando said. “We have helped launch brands in the US market and offer accessibility to collectors who otherwise would not be able to see watches from these artisan watchmakers.”

Larsen said the show’s American character was the most important element for her when she created it. “Americans are curious! If we don’t know about something, a new watch brand for example, we aren’t scared to ask about it and we want to learn and be educated,” she said. “There is no snobbery or arrogance. I wanted the show to feel inclusive and welcoming.”

That curiosity is also shaping what American collectors want to buy, according to them. “Strolling around with the same watch as everyone else is not exciting,” Orlando said. “US collectors have an appetite for watches and a bigger appetite for brands that are offering them dials and movements that are less typical and more innovative.” She added that collectors are also “investing in the people behind the brands.”

Larsen pointed to a cultural difference. “Americans like to show off their watch! This is different from most European collectors,” she said.

The show has also become the anchor of New York City’s unofficial watch week, which draws brand activations across Manhattan each autumn. “All of the satellite events that pop-up throughout the week exist because of the foundation we laid,” Orlando said.

Larsen said collector feedback guides decisions ranging “from which brands to invite, ticket prices, panel discussions, and what appetizers we serve!” “We have worked very hard to keep this as a collector show and not an industry event,” she said.

Orlando sees the show as a complement to European fairs such as Watches and Wonders Geneva, not a rival. “Perhaps one day we can grow in scale to the size of Watches & Wonders, but for now we continue to complement it by offering a more consumer-centric watch show that is truly for collectors,” she said.

Friday-night ticket packages, including the VIP opening reception and collector dinner, have sold out. Single-day tickets for Saturday, October 17, and Sunday, October 18, remain available at watchtimeevents.com.