EVENT: 6 standout, and frighteningly affordable, watches from the worn&wound Wind-Up Watch Fair 2016
Zach WeissEditor’s note: From where we stand, the Wind-Up Watch Fair 2016, run by the boys from worn&wound seemed to kick a lot of ass. Over 15,000 people attended, the socials were buzzing with wristshots of rarely seen watch brands and there were new conversations being had around value, quality and the thrilling proximity to provenance a Fair with smaller indie brands can offer. Frankly, we wished we were there. Amid an avalanche of stories, almost daily, of the plummeting sales of luxury timepieces , and with SIHH opening its doors to the public for the first time, while also inviting indie brands to display, it’s interesting to observe the lower price segment of the market in such a strong growth phase, thanks to excellent new events like the Wind-Up. Cheers to the co-founder of worn&wound Zach Weiss for filing this eyewitness report.
worn&wound’s Wind-Up Watch Fair 2016 was a tremendous success. The 3-day long event pulled in over 15,000 attendees ranging from seasoned watch collectors to people just passing by, many of who left with a new watch or strap on their wrist, or one in the mail.
This makes it the largest fair in the US and one of the largest globally, something we’re hugely proud of. The goal of Wind-Up is to put watch brands that we cover on worn&wound, brands with highvalue offerings but perhaps less commercial presence, in front of an audience of enthusiasts and customers new and returning. This allows people to engage one on one with the people behind the brands, often the founders and designers, to learn about their timepieces. It’s not stuffy, not pretentious, just people talking about and enjoying watches. There were 30 brands at this year’s Wind-Up and all are worthy of deeper attention, but here are a few to get you started
REC
Based in Denmark, REC has made quite the name for themselves in this last year with the release of their P-51 automatics, which utilize pieces of junked Mustangs in their dials. Wind-Up was their first time exhibiting in the US, but you wouldn’t know that from the line at their booth.
Klokers
Klokers is a young french brand with a unique take on the wrist watch. Both their Klok-01 and 02 models utilize innovative displays that are at once playful and fascinating and a modular strap system that is unlike any else out there.
Stevral (Benarus and Raven)
Stevral’s brands Benarus and Raven are well known in the cult tool watch community. Tough as nails, massive depth ratings, flawless construction and no-fuss designs make them ideal for the hard-wearing type and dive watch enthusiast.
Eza
A relative new-comer, Eza hails from the Netherlands, and their first watch, the Sealander, is a hit. Powered by an ETA 2824-2 that is regulated in-house, and featuring ceramic bezels and 300m water resistances, the vintage-inspired design is stylish and functional. At under $1,000, a great value too.
Farer
Based in the UK, Farer’s watches take the spirit of classic mid-century sport watches, the ones that were meant for gentleman adventurers, and brings them back into the 21st century. Featuring modest case sizes with excellent finishing and dials that aren’t afraid of color, they are stylish and ready for the office or the bar.
Martenero
The NYC based brand’s newest watch, the Edgemere, is creating quite the buzz and drew a nice crowd at Wind-Up. Inspired by nautical watches, the Edgemere takes the concept into newer and more fun territory, mixing color and texture into the often sedate format.