Happenings: New York Watch Week (Less Than A Week Away!)

If you’re a watch nerd in New York, chances are, you’ve already blocked off next week on your calendar many months ago. And it’s for good reason. Next week will see the return of two of the largest watch events in the US, aimed squarely at enthusiasts, right here in the Big Apple.

For the big, crazy, and high-end stuff, WatchTime magazine is bringing WatchTime New York back to Gotham Hall right smack in the center of Midtown, from October 17-19th. While the Friday evening cocktail party is sold out, the main show is open to the public on Saturday and Sunday.

Impressively, this year marks the 10th anniversary of this gathering, and the big milestone calls for a big show with now 42 brands showing in the hall, with mainstays like MB&F, Breguet, Chopard, and more on display. At the same time, the show marks an opportunity for East Coast collectors to see names that aren’t as easy to find out in the wild. For me, stops at Voutilainen, RGM, Ming, and Konstantin Chaykin will be a must.

Complementing this show will be the absolutely huge Windup Watch Fair (from our friends over at Worn & Wound). Running from October 17th to 19th, a few blocks over from Gotham Hall at Center415, this year the show has managed to outdo itself yet again with a whopping 150 brands on display between four exhibit halls. While it would be impossible to list all the brands here, you’ll get to see everything from Arken, Oris, Brew, Studio Underd0g, MB&F’s M.A.D Editions, and so, so much more. We have to do the obligatory self-promotion here — Hodinkee Insurance will be at the fair as well. And given the sheer number of microbrands showing at Windup, I’ll have a hunch that a few at least will have some special show-only editions available for sale there as well. Prepare your wallet… You have been warned.

While both shows offer fantastic opportunities to get your hands on many of the amazing watches featured here on Hodinkee, to me, it’s all about the people. Many of the faces and names behind watches and brands will be in New York that week, with the chance to actually chat with folks behind the stuff we all love. I’ll be at both shows the whole weekend, so please come up and say “hi” if you spot me. I’d love to chat!

With the ever-growing attendance at both of these fairs every year, more and more organizations are trying to join in on the fun, and this year, the Fondation Haute Horlogerie is holding its first FHH NYC Watch Summit on Friday, October 17th. Running all day at Glasshouse Chelsea on 25th street, the FHH Forum runs all day from 11 am and consists of several industry panels, including one with us and some very fun industry guests at 3:30 PM, titled “Myths and Misconceptions in Watchmaking.” 

And I have to mention the second iteration of the Indies.NYC show, a small curated meetup in Hudson Yards of eight incredibly diverse independent brands happening the day before on Thursday, October 16th, with names like Hodinky Berkus and M.A.D Editions very much present. 

Attendance at the Windup Watch Fair, Indies.NYC, and the FHH Watch Summit is free, though registration is required for the FHH Forum on Friday. Weekend single-day admission for WatchTime is $50 per ticket for either Saturday or Sunday, and can be purchased on the event website. 

For more information, visit WatchTime New York, Windup Watch Fair, Indies.NYC, or the FHH New York Forum page. If you’re at Windup, make sure to stop by the Hodinkee Insurance booth!