Windup Recap: The Biggest Watch Show in the World
Three days of horology, over a hundred brands, and I don't know how many thousands of people, in one of the best cities in the world.
One of the first things that struck me as I walked up to 415 Fifth Ave was the tagline up on the second floor of the building: “The Largest Watch Fair in the World”.
In terms of the sheer number of vendors exhibiting at the fair, that tagline seems to be legit. There were 110 watch vendors in attendance, plus another thirty or so related brands. Windup has been emphasizing the EDC (Every Day Carry) component of the fair and this year was its biggest, with bag and accessory maker Nomatic as the marquee sponsor. Nomatic was, in fact, the very first exhibitor on the left as you walked into the building and the entryway was basically all EDC.
The big shows in Europe - Watches and Wonders and Geneva Watch Days) draw between 50 and 60 watchmakers, so at 110, Windup NYC pretty-much blew all of them out of the water.
Moreover, even with three full days - plus an extra hour on Saturday and Sunday for the press before the doors opened - I STILL didn’t have enough time to see everything I wanted to. I missed a few good ones, too: the echo/neutra Rivanera, for one, and the Buci x Seconde/Seconde for another. Buci actually had two pieces of this limited edition for sale at Windup, which I’m bummed about missing.
This was easily the most intense Windup I’ve ever been to and a lot of great things came out of it for me.
Here are the key standouts.
Christopher Ward and the Bel Canto Classic
Now that the embargo is lifted, I can talk about this! The Chris Ward Bel Canto Classic is a really nice update to the original, featuring a machined guilloche platine, darkened handset, and roman numerals on the dial. It's available in four colors, including one that harkens back to the original Azzuro blue Bel Canto. I went hands-on with the green version on a bracelet at Windup and it was just stunning - and I am not a green dial kinda guy.
This is Act II for the Bel Canto and, given the demand there is for this piece, I can't say I'm surprised that CW are continuing to iterate on it. I hope they continue to do this; they've democratized high horology for the masses with this amazing piece and we need more of that.
I also spent some more time with the Trident GMT. The white dial version on a Consort bracelet is such a refined iteration of the Trident lineup that I'm having a hard time resisting its allure. In fact, I'm pretty sure that if Will Brackfield, one of CW's designers, had been at Windup, I'd have gone home with my wallet roughly $1500 lighter.
Formex goes big and bold
The Stratos UTC is one of those watches that you really need to sit with for a minute. At first glance, it's a beefy tool watch with more hands and buttons that it apparently needs. Its sharp angles, multiple facets, and overall construction evoked images of the F-117A Nighthawk aircraft and its name - Stratos - certainly has an aeronautical sound to it.
But then, when you sit with it, you start to see the refinements you'd associate with any Formex watch. The mixture of polished and brushed and sandblasted surfaces. The smart use of colors for maximum contrast. The handset's partial skeletonization. That clever little orange dot that goes black when it's nighttime. The subdial that implements the date complication. They all come together in a watch that is more than meets the eye (sorry Transformers™).
I borrowed two Stratos pieces overnight and spent a long time trying to shoot them in a way that did justice to them. I think I was able to.
Meeting the folks behind Trafford
I’m surprised I neglected to get a photo of Nathan from Trafford; I’ve been conversing with him for a year and own the Crossroads they put out last year. I got to shoot the Touring GMT in my hotel room mini-studio, which I enjoyed very much despite the fact that I had to crawl into my bed from the bottom because it was so cramped. Still, well worth it; I enjoyed the process and have some good ideas for what I need to take with me next time.
The Touring GMT is a beaut. Its use of color does remind me a bit of the flair Farer brings to their timepieces, but with a uniquely Trafford touch. There’s a particularly nice touch with the second and minute hands - they curve downward ever so slightly to make room for the double-domed sapphire crystal.
My favorite is the Saxon colorway and I’ll have a “Fast Look” piece up about that soon.
Also meeting Jon Mack from Traska
Another person I’ve conversed with over IG DMs is Jon Mack, founder and owner of Traska Watches. I'm an avid Traska owner (at last count, I have 6 of their watches) and I've been hoping to see Jon at one of these events for a while now. So it was great to catch up with him at Windup, where I got to pick his brain a bit and tease a few details on some upcoming projects (my lips are sealed... for now).
One of the items that caught my eye was the green colorway of the Freediver, a watch I own in black. The new bezel action on the latest iteration of the Freediver is absolutely fantastic, with firm, clean, clicks and bang-on accuracy. I'm not much of a green dial guy, but this one caught my attention so much, I borrowed it overnight for a quick shoot.
This… was not an easy shoot.
The French are coming
Sunday at Windup saw a panel dedicated to French horology, with principals from Baltic, Nivada Grenchen, and Awake on the panel. I've been a Baltic owner and fan for a while now and while I don't own any pieces for the other two, the Nivada Grenchen Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver is on my "want!" list.
But at this show, it was the BeauBleu Seconde Française that caught my eye. This thing is gorgeous; a limited-edition piece with a French movement and these whimsical yet somehow still precise circular minute, hour, and second hands. I fell in love immediately, going back every day to their table and finally buying it on the last day of the show. I cannot wait to take delivery in December.
Farer keeps the hits coming
I have a thing for pointer-date complications. So far, Oris has been the only one making any cool watches with that complication, but here comes Farer with the Field collection. Their use of color is probably one of the best in the industry and in the Field series, it's understated yet obvious. On the date track running around the outside of the dial, the 28, 29, 30, and 31 are a different color (ostensibly to remind you that those dates don't necessarily apply to all months). The end of the date pointer has a bright contrasting red or orange to stand out and the textured dials are easy to read.
I've been chatting with James Mulvale from Farer for the last couple of fairs and have appreciated the horological weight he's brought to the company. I think Farer are underrated and their watches deserve a better look than they have been getting.
I have a new favorite Oris
Oris introduced the Diver Date right before the show and had it in the metal at their table.
The first thing you should know is that my picture of it doesn't do it justice at all. The lighting at these events is not great.
The second thing you should know is that whether it's on the bracelet or the rubber strap, the Diver Date is absolutely gorgeous. I can't put my finger on it but this is my favorite Oris piece. No, I'm not running to go buy one just yet - it's a whopping $2700 - but I will keep an eye out at Topper's Pre-Owned page to see if one shows up.
It's such a simple piece and so freaking elegant, it's hard to actually put my finger on why I'm so enthralled with it. Oris is one of my favorite brands - my personal Upcycle is a gorgeous, gorgeous piece - and I cannot wait to get more hands-on with the Diver Date.
Fears is still knocking things out of the park
Fears owner Nicholas Bowman-Scargill and I have something in common - we both love the Redcliff in Pewter Gray as a daily wear watch. I kept bugging my local AD, Topper, for an ETA on the display caseback version and they, in turn, kept bugging Nicholas & Co. and in July, I finally got my display caseback.
I could not be happier with this piece and seeing Nicholas pull up his sleeve to show me that he was wearing his own well-worn Redcliff was confirmation that whatever hold this watch has on my imagination, it's justified.
There's a lot more than can be summed up in a single newsletter but this is a good roundup. Note one thing - I've spent as much time - if not more - talking about people as I have about watches. That's the beauty of the independent/microbrand world - you actually get to know the people and faces behind the brands you buy.
In a few days, I head out to Austin for a double-header; Minutes and Hours is happening this weekend, as is Intersect. I'm also attending a breakfast hosted by Bremont, a brand I've got a lot of interest in. I expect to catch up with friends there, eat some BBQ, and spend a lot of time soaking in horology.
It's 2103 Pacific, 0003 Eastern as I finish writing this. Signing off...