Catching Up on Wind Up NYC 2019!
By: Kaz Mirza and Greg Bedrosian
Wind Up NYC 2019 is behind us! Now even though Michael and myself couldn’t make it out this year, our very own TBWS Senior Contributor Greg Bedrosian was on the floor.
Yep – there he is. Greg spent Saturday on the (frankly) overcrowded floor snapping photos, rubbing elbows, stomping on the unsuspecting, and basically being your eyes on the ground for Wind Up. What follows below is a grouping of Photos based on reference and brands.
Enjoy!
On The Floor!
As you can see, it’s just a metric shit-ton of people. For 2019 Wind Up NYC returned to the Chelsea Market. Brand owners of all shapes and sizes (from microbrand, to boutique, and the larger ones) have the opportunity to rent out booth space to showcase their projects and products. While the spread each year is always stellar, the ease of access within Chelsea marketing is a bit of a double-edged sword.
It’s very easy for you to find Wind Up NYC if you’re looking for it, but the nature of Chelsea market also means that you do tend to get a lot of serendipitous foot-traffic coming through. Going to Chelsea market for lunch – see a bunch of watch nerds gathering around – walk in. Go to Chelsea market to grab groceries – see some watch nerds breathing on bezels – walk in. Cutting through Chelsea market on your way to – well, ok you get it. This amount of non-watch related foot-traffic is great for brands, I’m sure (tough for Greg though – everyone say “thank you” to Greg for traversing the groveling masses).
Raven
Raven brought their new Solitude to the showroom floor. Reception within the online watch community for this piece has been hugely positive, and it’s not surprising to see why. I actually had the please of wearing this watch recently (not at Wind Up), and I can say that the wearing experience, design language, and price point, make it a heavy hitter this year.
Check out our write ups for the Venture and Endeavour. Plus check out Episode #69 of the TBWS Podcast for our interview with Raven Watches founder Steve Laughlin!
Brew Watches
Brew Watches was showing off the new Mastergraph at Wind Up this year. In our humble opinions, Brew has such a strong command of their personal design ethos, that they can really do no wrong. This model in particular is the Mastergraph – Steel – check out their site for more info.
Be sure to check out our write-ups on the Retrograph Timer as well as the HP-1 Automatic.
Lorier
Fresh off announcing their new Gemini Chronograph, the Lorier booth received great interest this year. They had the new Gemini Chrono pieces out, but these were only prototypes. So we’re reserving official judgement until production pieces start making their way out. Greg did spend time with the Lorier Falcon as well and captured some great photos.
Be sure to check out our review of the Lorier Hydra!
Baltic
Baltic had their super strong lineup on display this year as well. With the Aquascaphe diver, Bicompax Chrono, and Three-Hander HMS 001, we’re all keeping a close eye on the brand.
Check out our review of the Baltic Aquascaphe!
Yema
A new-comer this year, Yema had an impressive line-up. Most notable among other legacy watch brands, when Yema puts out a new version from their heritage lineup, they are a 1:1 version (as opposed to having “modern sizing” or something else that changes it from the original).
Check out our review on the Yema Yachtingraf!
Farer
One of the more surprising belles of the ball came to us from Farer. Their World Time Automatic was a big hit on the floor at this year’s Wind Up. Now while the price point is on the higher side at approx. $1500, it does represent something unique and certainly noteworthy in the world of microbrands.
Nodus
Nodus was able to drum up solid online outreach for their new Duality. So it’s not surprise they had a great turnout of folks to check the piece out in person. The Duality is the brand’s venture into a dual crown diver and it’s certainly earned it’s place among the brand’s extraordinary offerings.
Here is a press release we did for the Nodus Duality. Also check out our Trieste, Avalon, and Contrail reviews!
Zelos & Ventus
Singapore based Zelos and Ventus watches are known for their unique but accessible designs. They’ve garnered quite a cult following in the watch community and it’s not hard to see why. Most noteworthy (and pictured above) is Zelos’ ability to create Meteorite-style dials without the hefty price tag of owning something that actually came from space.
Official Zelos and Ventus sites
Collins
Collins watches had their new Sonar out on display this year as well. The Sonar represents Collins’ unique take on sound-engineering as a design ethos and super-imposes it onto a dive watch. This lead to the inspiration of submarine sonar informing Collins’ new diver.
Check out our write-up for the Collins Hyperion!
Monta
Always a crowd favorite, Monta was out in full force this year as well. Mike and I have recognized the design and build quality of their pieces is often a cut above the rest. While you do pay more for Monta pieces (in comparison to other brands), it’s one of the few microbrand instances where we truly believe the higher price point is justified.
Christopher Ward
Among some of the larger watch brands present this year, Christopher Ward made an appearance. Greg spent time with the interesting (and striking) C60 Apex Limited Edition. The overall wearing sentiments here weren’t very positive. The semi-skeletonization alongside the branding left a lot to be desired. Plus, frankly speaking, the price at approx. $4,000 is astronomically absurd.
Official Christopher Ward Site
Zodiac
Another first time comer for Wind Up NYC this year was Zodiac. While their booth was (unsurprisngly) swamped, Greg was able to spend some time with the new Limited Edition Astrographic, which he was able to picture alongside the original vintage version.
Check out our Zodiac GMT Aerospace Review and our write up on the Super Sea Wolf Andy Mann Edition!
Dryden
Dryden was what I’d call one of many roaming brands on the floor this year at Wind Up NYC. Greg caught up with them and was able to get a sneak peak of their new upcoming diver. Keep an eye out for more details!
Check out Dryden’s debut Chrono Diver from earlier this year.
Brodinkee!
Ha – Greg also crossed paths with the infamous Brodinkee. The two bonded over their Tudor GMTs. All hail.
Greg’s Top 5 Favs!
Of all the watches that TBWS saw on the showroom floor this year, these are the top 5 that stuck out!
#1: Farer World Timer Automatic
#2: Nodus Duality
#3: Autodromo Group B
#4: Lorier Falcon
#5: Bespoke Watch Projects Itaglio
Closing Thoughts
It’s clear that Wind Up is starting to become an industry standard. This is in regard to the fact that so many of the brands on the floor this year timed their new releases with the show. In addition, much larger brands are starting to make appearances. However, with that increased prevalence comes the tough question of how to scale.
The amount of space allotted for the event simply wasn’t enough for the amount of people that attended. And of those that were in attendance, the majority seemed to be other WIS Instagrammers as well as general, spur of the moment foot traffic. While both of these traffic segments are great, it makes it difficult for brands in attendance to be able to determine the traffic that’s there “just because” and the traffic that actually wants to make sales.
Were you in attendance at Wind Up NYC 2019? Sound off in the comments below and share your experiences and Top 5 Favorite Picks!
Co-Founder and Senior Editor
Kaz has been collecting watches since 2015, but he’s been fascinated by product design, the Collector’s psychology, and brand marketing his whole life. While sharing the same strong fondness for all things horologically-affordable as Mike (his TBWS partner in crime), Kaz’s collection niche is also focused on vintage Soviet watches as well as watches that feature a unique, but well-designed quirk or visual hook.