Windup Watch Fair Recap

It's done. And I'm kinda bummed.

The last day of Windup always leaves me in a bit of a funk. I feel like I haven't taken enough photos, talked to enough people, made enough contacts, and so forth. It's really been this way since I decided to give I&M a real go, so it's not surprising that the #1 fair that showcases the independent and microbrand world would be a big deal for me. 

This year, the San Francisco fair was twice as large, taking up both floors of the Terra Gallery. The second floor of this space is really nice, with large windows and a lot more floor space for exhibitors. I still think that the lighting in there is kinda terrible for us photographers/videographers, but there are ways to work around it. I felt self-conscious enough walking around the floor slinging two cameras so I might as well have gone for broke and kept a small diffuser and LED light handy. 

Oh well, next time. 

The things that got me excited

Pretty-much everything. The indie/microbrand world is super exciting right now and there are so many amazing watches being released that I almost never have time for a break. 

Brew

I saw this black Brew Metric released online a little while back and nearly pulled the trigger then. I paused because I wasn't sure a 36mm diameter watch would work on my wrist. 

I tried it on at the fair and it was a very easy "YES" at that point. Picked one up the next day from Jonathan Ferrer, the founder of Brew, who had brought three for sale with him. 

echo/neutra

I went in expecting to be interested in the Averau "Big Moon", but ended up interested in their Cortina 1956 Chrono instead. It has all the things I like about Nivada's Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver Orange Boy, down to the movement, but for a lower price.

In fact, it was even cheaper during the fair with a 20% off discount. I’m not sure why I didn’t pull the trigger. Call it a moment of instinct. I find it best to heed those.

Baltic's chronos

I intentionally skipped the Tricompax when it was announced (a bit outside my budget). Seeing it on my wrist, though, I asked when it would be restocked. I was told it would be later this year sometime and, well, that's a good amount of time to save up...

The Bicompax series, though, is much more affordable (it comes with a Seagull ST1901 movement, which is MUCH cheaper (they usually go around for around $139 USD, not counting bulk discounts, etc., vs roughly three times that for the Manual Sellita SW510-M). It also has that really nice, warm, hesalite crystal, which I've become something of a fan of - when done right.

Depancel

This brand kinda came out of nowhere for me. They were showing off a chrono at their table that wasn't even on sale yet: the Depancel Jürgen Clauss. 

This is a chunky chrono and apart from the fact that it's got a swiss automatic movement, I don't know anything about it. If the folks at Depancel told me what was in it, I wasn't paying attention. I was kinda just mesmerized by the fantastic finish on this - which the horrible lighting does no favors for. There's a blue and green component to the bezel and the dial has a sunburst effect that's gorgeous in person. This is going on the list.

Bravur

This got a good chuckle out of me: "Swedish Soul, Swiss Heart" is inscribed on the dial where you'd expect to see "Swiss Made" for most watches made in Switzerland. 

The Grand Tour chrono is on the pricier side of things at $2550 USD, but it's one fine-looking timepiece with a bit of a playfulness to it. Also, Bravur gets major points for the exhibition caseback, which a lot of chronos just don't have. I’m going to reach out to this brand to see if I can get a review unit of that chrono.

Christopher Ward

I don't think I've ever been as conflicted about a watch as I am about the XII (Twelve). CW's newest addition is a somewhat late entry to the integrated bracelet game and it's one that I'd dismissed as "not for me" right off the bat. 

Then I saw them in person.

There's the Nordic Blue on a steel bracelet.

The Basalt Gray on a steel bracelet.

And my favorite, the Basalt Gray on a rubber strap. 

This is NOT a dressed-up Tissot PRX or anything else. I haven't liked an integrated bracelet watch this much since my Direnzo DRZ 04 Mondial. 

Damnit, Will Brackfield.

Yeah, I'll likely use up a small portion of my bonus this year on that Basalt Gray on the bracelet and get the rubber strap too. 

Lorier

I love Lorier’s pieces. They’re one of the few brands out there who try and replicate vintage pieces using as many true-to-the-period parts as possible (hence the pervasive use of hesalite in their watches). This time, it was the Astra that caught my eye.

This is one gorgeous timepiece and one of the few 36mm watches that absolutely work for me. The sector dial, the sword handset, the perfectly framed date window, they all just work. This will be a no-brainer pickup when they release it.

Roundup

Kid in a candy store. That's about what I felt like here. I curse and thank Worn and Wound at the same time for what they've accomplished with these fairs. This is my third overall and second in SF and they just keep getting better. The indie/microbrands are in that really steep part of the hockeystick curve when it comes to growth, quality, and marketing. Folks like Nodus Watches, Brew, Formex, Baltic, and others have figured out how to nail that effective combo so well, they are rapidly becoming household names in the watch world. 

I cannot wait for the next Windup. Chicago makes it easier for some midwestern brands to make it over to Windup - so maybe we'll see DuFrane and some others there? I hope so; this is becoming, in so many ways, the Watches and Wonders for independent and microbrand watch makers - only less formal, more collaborative, and definitely more impactful for me.