FounderFest is almost here, meet the watches launching, alongside everything you need to know
Tom AustinYou probably know by now that Time+Tide’s Watch Discovery Studios have always been about more than simply displaying watches. Over the last few years, we’ve shown that they’re places where collectors meet, brands converge, and insights are shared that you would never hear elsewhere. Since opening our most recent New York Studio earlier this year, we’ve been thinking about how to bring that experience together on a global scale. This September, that idea becomes FounderFest: our first worldwide event, taking place simultaneously across Melbourne, London, and New York, bringing together independent watchmaking, music, and seven exclusive Studio Editions, creating a milestone event for us here at Time+Tide.
FounderFest is not a traditional watch fair, enthusiast get-together, or anything like what we’ve done before, for that matter. It starts with the founders themselves. To mark the event, every participating brand has created an exclusive Time+Tide Studio Edition inspired by the music and culture that helped shape them, with the stories behind those watches becoming the centrepiece of a weekend of live conversations, performances, and enthusiast gatherings. FounderFest was built from the ground up around seven exclusively designed watches, each pushing the brand’s boundaries in its own way.
Those seven collaborations come from Awake, Baltic, Beaucroft, Dennison, echo/neutra, Furlan Marri, and Serica. Each piece has been carefully designed and created between the brand’s founders and the Time+Tide team, capturing the essence of the music that inspired each founder at the beginning of their respective journeys.
Awake Sơn Mài – Frosted Leaf “Ultraviolet” Time+Tide Studio Edition
The Awake Sơn Mài – Frosted Leaf “Ultraviolet” Time+Tide Studio Edition explores the powerful connection between music, memory and craftsmanship through one of the most remarkable dials in the FounderFest collection. Created using the centuries-old Vietnamese art of Sơn Mài lacquer, each surface is built by hand over pure silver leaf, developing its own unique pattern as layers of translucent black and violet lacquer are applied and polished. Housed within Awake’s elegant 38mm case and powered by the Swiss-made La Joux-Perret G101 automatic movement, the Ultraviolet demonstrates how colour, texture, and traditional craftsmanship can create an emotional connection without relying on literal storytelling.
Baltic Heures du Monde “Horizon Line” Time+Tide Studio Edition
The Baltic Heures du Monde “Horizon Line” Time+Tide Studio Edition takes one of the French independent’s most admired watches into entirely new territory. Built around Baltic’s compact Heures du Monde worldtimer, it introduces the brand’s first-ever forged carbon dial, ensuring every watch carries a pattern unlike any other. Bright orange accents bring energy to the monochrome composition, alongside some carefully placed splashes of blue, while the automatic Soprod C125 movement, 37mm stainless steel case and practical worldtimer complication make it a genuinely capable travel companion. It’s a watch shaped by movement in every sense, combining distinctive, unique materials with the understated proportions that have made Baltic a modern independent favourite.
Beaucroft “The Punk” Time+Tide Studio Edition
The Beaucroft “The Punk” Time+Tide Studio Edition asks a simple question: what does punk look like on the wrist? The answer is one of the most rebellious watches in the FounderFest collection. A translucent pink sapphire dial reveals the Miyota 90S5 automatic movement beneath, while a matching sapphire caseback, black PVD-coated case, and matching black FKM rubber strap create a striking study in contrast. Beneath its rebellious appearance lies Beaucroft’s thoughtfully proportioned 38mm “The Arc” case, proving that bold design and everyday wearability can coexist. It’s a watch that celebrates individuality with extreme confidence.
Dennison ALD Dual Time “Carnaby Blue” Time+Tide Studio Edition
The Dennison ALD Dual Time “Carnaby Blue” Time+Tide Studio Edition celebrates one of Britain’s defining creative movements through colour, form, and material. Its mosaic blue mother-of-pearl dial reinterprets the geometry of the Union Jack, shifting between deep navy and vivid cobalt as the light moves across its surface. Housed inside the stainless steel ultra-slim ALD cushion case, the watch uses twin Swiss Ronda quartz movements to display two time zones without compromising its elegant proportions. Finished with a blue denim strap, the Carnaby Blue blends expressive design with everyday practicality in a distinctly modern take on British ’60s style.
echo/neutra Rivanera Piccolo “Rosa d’Epoca” Time+Tide Studio Edition
The echo/neutra Rivanera Piccolo “Rosa d’Epoca” Time+Tide Studio Edition proves that presence has nothing to do with size. Measuring just 26mm across, the grade 5 titanium case houses a compact Sellita SW1000 automatic movement, while a carefully judged palette of dark grey and antique rose gives the watch a quiet confidence all of its own. The grained dial, lacquered frame, and subtle rose-coloured accents reward close attention, revealing their character gradually rather than demanding it at first glance. Delicate, precise, and beautifully resolved, the Rosa d’Epoca is one of the most understated yet subtly devastating watches in the FounderFest collection.
Furlan Marri “Songlines” Editions — Time+Tide Studio Edition
The Furlan Marri “Songlines” Editions — Time+Tide Studio Edition builds on one of our most successful collaborations, evolving the much-loved Outback Elegy into a more versatile everyday sports watch. A richly lacquered chocolate dial reveals layers of grained finishing on the surface, shifting from deep earthy brown to warm bronze as the light changes. For the first time, the design is paired with a beautifully executed three-link stainless steel bracelet, while a hunter-style caseback conceals the Swiss-made La Joux-Perret G100 automatic movement. The result is a refined yet capable watch that rewards attention every time it’s worn.
Serica Ref. 7505 “Sunburst” Time+Tide Studio Edition
The Serica Ref. 7505 “Sunburst” Time+Tide Studio Edition brings a new warmth to one of the French independent’s most recent field watches. Its two-tone enamel dial transitions from rich tobacco brown at the centre to an almost black perimeter, revealing remarkable depth and constantly changing character as the light shifts. The expressive dial is paired with Serica’s nipple-dial layout, a chronometer-certified Soprod M100 automatic movement, and a patented Bonklip bracelet with Safe-Lock clasp. Compact, robust, and water-resistant to 200 metres, the Sunburst proves that thoughtful finishing can transform a familiar design without compromising the practical qualities that define the Ref. 7505.
Each watch will make its public debut during FounderFest before becoming available worldwide through a 24-hour online purchasing window on September 22. After that, they’ll remain permanently available exclusively through the Time+Tide Watch Discovery Studios in Melbourne, London, and New York. We’ll begin to roll out more detailed coverage on these releases this week here on the website and over on YouTube, so keep your eyes peeled.
The festival itself takes place across the weekend of September 19-20, with each of Time+Tide’s three Watch Discovery Studios putting its own spin on FounderFest. Across Melbourne, London, and New York, the programme brings together the new watch launches, conversations with the founders, live interviews, and live music, creating three parallel celebrations of independent watchmaking.
New York’s two-day schedule features Awake, Furlan Marri, Beaucroft and Baltic on Saturday, followed by echo/neutra, Serica and Dennison on Sunday.
London hosts its own FounderFest on Saturday, September 19, with dedicated sessions for Awake and Baltic before an evening of live music, while Melbourne celebrates throughout the same day with two launch sessions followed by an extended live music finale. Tickets are intentionally accessible, priced at US$20 in New York, £10 in London, and AU$10 in Melbourne.
FounderFest is designed to be experienced in person, and capacity at every Studio is limited. If you want to be there for the first unveiling of all seven Studio Editions, hear the stories behind them directly from the founders, and spend the weekend with collectors from around the world, head to thefounderfest.com now to secure your place.
FounderFest also extends well beyond the Studios themselves. Alongside the live events, Time+Tide has produced a limited-edition print magazine, a series of original video releases that will feature on our YouTube channel, editorial features, exclusive photography, and, of course, merchandise all created specifically for this inaugural festival. Whether you join us in person or follow along online, the aim is exactly the same: to celebrate the creativity of independent watchmaking through the people who build it and the music that inspired them.
FounderFest: How to get involved
If you want to be part of FounderFest, visit thefounderfest.com to register and see all the watches. You can even register for priority access for the global, 24-hour online launch on September 22nd. To attend FounderFest in person at the Time+Tide Studios, you’ll need a ticket, but you’ll need to be quick, as slots are running out fast. Tickets are available at the following links:
New York City – TICKETS
London – TICKETS
Melbourne – TICKETS
We can’t wait to host you at the Studios for an event packed with music, watches, founder conversations, and, as usual, an excellent opportunity for watch enthusiasts to get together unlike anywhere else.
See you there!