Breguet's Tradition watch
Watchmakers such as Blancpain and Ulysse Nardin are preparing for the WatchTime New York Oct. 23-24.
Considered the United States’ luxury watch event, WatchTime gathers premier watchmakers to New York’s Gotham Hall this year to tout innovative timepieces. In addition to the event, WatchTime boasts an audience of nearly 800,000 watch collectors who read its monthly magazine, offering a suitable platform for watchmakers aiming to make an impression among target consumers and collectors.
Watching New York
WatchTime New York is a two-day event that allows watch enthusiasts to meet with representatives of the industry’s leading brands.
This year’s event, held at Gotham Hall in New York’s Midtown, will open with an exclusive cocktail reception for more than 200 VIP guests that include manufacturers, collectors and industry experts. During the full-day event, attendees can sit in on branded presentations and discussions with WatchTime’s editorial staff, noted collector and WatchTime collaborator Jeff Kingston and luxury Instagram personality Anish “Watch Anish” Bhatt.
Participating brands include A. Lange & Sohne, Bell & Ross, Blancpain, Breguet, Carl F. Buchere. F.P. Journe, Porsche Design and Ulysse Nardin, among smaller watchmakers.
Tickets for WatchTime are affordable, being priced at $39 for entry, which will entice young consumers who are just beginning to forge an interest in horology to attend.
Many watch events maintain an air of exclusivity, with invitations being sent only to VIP clients and friends of the brand.
Industry event Salon International de la Haute (SIHH), for example, is trade- and invite-only, but social media has greatly improved visibility for participating watchmakers and for those that are not showing at SIHH but want to capitalize on industry attention (see story).