Stepping away from the opulent showrooms and elite world of Geneva’s haute horology, the Windup Watch Fair offers a refreshing escape from the traditional snobbery of the wristwatch industry. You won’t find dazzling tourbillon movements or exclusive white gold cases here. In this unique atmosphere, brands like Hublot are rarely mentioned, and the endless Rolex waiting lists are simply not a concern.
Instead, the Windup Watch Fair transforms into an annual celebration, a true ‘jamboree’ for passionate watch enthusiasts. These dedicated fans have not only embraced but actively championed the exciting emergence of microbrands—smaller, independent companies known for their innovative designs and refreshingly accessible prices.
Jonathan Ferrer, the visionary founder of Brew Watch Co., a thriving microbrand based in Hoboken, N.J., understands the vibe perfectly. He knows to leave his formal blazer at home, opting for a more relaxed and authentic approach.
“The genuine appeal of these shows lies in their authenticity and approachability,” Ferrer shared in a recent interview. “Your audience simply wants to feel that you’re connected with them, sharing their passion.”
This weekend marks the highly anticipated 10th edition of the Windup Watch Fair, taking over Center415, a sprawling 30,000-square-foot event space in the heart of Midtown Manhattan. Since its inception in 2015, the event has grown tremendously, with organizers anticipating around 150 brands and over 10,000 attendees this year.
“From the very first Windup event,” recalls Blake Malin, one of its visionary founders, “we kept thinking, ‘It can’t possibly get any busier.’ Yet, year after year, it consistently does. It has truly evolved into an essential gathering point, a touchstone that countless enthusiasts feel compelled to experience.”
Back in 2011, before the fair was even a dream, Malin was deep in the world of institutional fundraising for nonprofits. A desire to purchase a watch led him down a rabbit hole of online research, a journey he embarked on with his college friend, Zach Weiss.
“It quickly became apparent that no one was truly discussing affordable watches with the kind of passion and detail we felt they deserved,” Malin explained.
This realization sparked the creation of Worn & Wound, a blog dedicated to watch enthusiasts. As the platform gained a significant following and even branched out into online retail, Malin often found himself feeling like an outsider at traditional watch events. These gatherings predominantly served luxury brands, catering exclusively to the affluent 1 percent.
If he, as an industry insider, felt uncomfortable in these high-brow settings, Malin pondered, how must the average consumer feel?
Concurrently, Malin was a frequent visitor to the Pop-Up Flea, a temporary market in Lower Manhattan that, though now closed, was renowned for showcasing small and independent men’s wear brands. The atmosphere there was refreshingly unpretentious.
“In our eyes, it was the absolute best example of that kind of market,” Malin recounted, describing a pivotal discussion with his business partners after a visit to Pop-Up Flea. “That’s when we knew we had to create something similar for watches.”
By 2015, Jonathan Ferrer was just launching Brew Watch Co. when word spread among his friends: Worn & Wound was putting together a special event designed specifically for small brands to showcase their watches, and for enthusiasts eager to discover and purchase them.
That October, the very first Windup Watch Fair opened its doors in a modest SoHo storefront. Ferrer was among the representatives of 18 pioneering brands, and the sheer enthusiasm was evident in the queues that formed outside every day.
Malin saw it as the tangible embodiment of a burgeoning community of watch aficionados who, until that point, had largely connected only through online forums. “It was all the passionate, nerdy folks from the internet forums,” Ferrer remarked with a chuckle.
Malin characterized the fair as wonderfully “approachable and low-key,” serving as a stark contrast to the often stuffy and intimidating environments fostered by many of the industry’s giant luxury brands.
For smaller, direct-to-consumer brands, many of whom lack substantial marketing budgets or their own dedicated retail spaces, the visibility and interaction provided by the fair are incredibly precious.
“The established giants, like Omega, don’t need to participate in events like this,” Ferrer pointed out. “They already reach tens of millions of people daily through their expansive marketing efforts.”
Interestingly, Oris, a respected and well-established Swiss company, has been a lead sponsor since the fair’s beginning, making them a somewhat unique participant. V.J. Geronimo, CEO of Oris in the Americas, emphasized the immense value they find in directly engaging with consumers.
“You genuinely want to listen to what enthusiasts have to say,” Geronimo stated, “and unfortunately, not every brand makes that a priority.”
The Windup Watch Fair’s expansion mirrors the success of many microbrands themselves. Since first branching out to San Francisco in 2018, the fair has successfully launched additional events in vibrant cities like Chicago and Dallas.
When Ferrer first launched Brew, he was selling approximately 150 watches annually. Today, he proudly reports sales exceeding 15,000 units each year. Even though 99% of his company’s business is conducted online, the Windup Watch Fair remains an absolutely crucial fixture on his annual calendar.
Beyond sales, Ferrer sees the fair as a vital incubator—a dynamic space where like-minded startups can freely exchange ideas and foster innovation.
“One might assume it would be intensely competitive,” he reflected, “but I’ve actually had countless invaluable conversations here. It feels like an ongoing master class shared with my fellow independent watch brand owners.”
Moreover, the fair provides him an indispensable opportunity to connect with a broader community, Ferrer emphasized, noting that customers definitely take notice if his brand isn’t present.
“If you’re not there,” he explained, “people will start to question your authenticity as an independent watch brand and whether you’ve outgrown this foundational community. Your presence, however, clearly demonstrates that you remain an integral part of them.”