I am back with another installment of “Around the Bezel.” This new collection of articles is designed to be a recap of all things watch related from brands and blogs, think of it as my way of keeping a finger on the pulse of major announcements across the industry. My inaugural piece received great feedback so I hope to add some more value to this series moving forward. October has been an exciting month to say the least. The watch world has been abuzz with announcements from all corners of watch industry, let’s take a further look.
Watch Shows Take NYC
Watch enthusiasts the world over salute each other from time to time with the frequent glances, nods and comments that show our appreciation for horology. The latest trend to take the watch industry by storm are weekly social gatherings. From the Red Bar Crew to other informal events, I am happy to see our collective passion as enthusiasts take this new form. Hats off to the folks organizing these gatherings (expect some coverage of Red Bar events this year). In a similar vein, two prominent blogs have announced that they will hold monumental gatherings that deserve our attention.
The 2015 Hodinkee Collector’s Summit
It comes as no surprise that the best watch blog in the business is holding a summit for collectors across the globe. This summit includes the cream of the crop from collectors to industry experts. Taking place on December 11th and 12th in NYC, Hodinkee has already released the names of some of the participants. If you collect anything in the luxury market, this summit has your name written all over it. While I initially had sticker shock over the ticket price of $3,500 USD, this summit really isn’t catered to the small fish or the fledgling collector. Expect to see the biggest names in the industry here, I mean the top collectors and execs from the likes of Patek, AP and Rolex- that doesn't come cheap.
http://www.hodinkee.com/articles/2015-hodinkee-collectors-summit-speakers-list
Worn&Wound Wind-Up NYC
On the other side of the affordability spectrum, worn&wound is holding a watch fair from October 23rd-25th here in NYC. I couldn’t be happier to see worn&wound create a space for those of us that follow the entry-level market. The team at worn&wound has really struck gold with this idea. The “Wind-Up” will feature 19 brands including some of our friends- Martenero, Stowa, Dietrich and Christopher Ward. Did I mention that admission is FREE and that these brands will sell watches during the event. If you are in NYC during the event it would be a mistake not to come, expect to see me there.
http://wornandwound.com/2015/10/05/wornwound-presents-wind-up-new-york-city/
Tissot Becomes the Official Timekeeper of the NBA
When news first broke about Tissot becoming the official timekeeper of the NBA, the industry didn’t really respond. I attribute some of that to a lack of information and part of it to a general lack of interest. My goal is not to overhype the importance of this announcement but let’s actually break down what this means for the famed Swatch Group brand.
Tissot will now develop timing systems for the NBA, WNBA and the NBA D-League. In laymen’s terms, Tissot’s timekeeping technology will be implemented in all 29 NBA arenas beginning with the 2016-2017 NBA season. For Tissot this marks the first partnership with a North American sports league and it also marks the largest partnership in the brand’s 160 year history. Pretty impressive stuff. Expect to see the Tissot logo appear on the shot-clock for the first time next October. In the meantime, Tissot is gradually cementing its name as the premier partner of sporting events here in North America.