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GPHG 2026: A Strong Night for Independent Watchmaking

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GPHG 2026: A Strong Night for Independent Watchmaking

PARALLÈLE | WATCHMAKING

GPHG 2026

GPHG 2026: A Strong Night for Independent Watchmaking

As Rexhep Rexhepi claimed watchmaking’s highest honor, Geneva celebrated an industry where independence, creativity and technical ambition are increasingly difficult to separate.

AWARDS · GENEVA · NOVEMBER 2026

GPHG 2026, Geneva. The 26th edition celebrated excellence across contemporary watchmaking.

There is something particularly satisfying about an evening that celebrates the established names of watchmaking while making room for those who have chosen to do things differently. The 26th Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, held on November 7 at the Bâtiment des Forces Motrices, offered precisely that.

Twenty prizes were awarded, recognizing achievements that ranged from traditional craftsmanship and mechanical complications to unconventional design and artistic experimentation. But one of the most compelling stories of the evening was the prominence of independent watchmaking.

Rexhep Rexhepi received the prestigious Aiguille d’Or for his Chronograph Flyback, while several other independent creators and specialist watchmakers took home important distinctions. It was an encouraging result for an industry whose most interesting developments increasingly emerge from very different kinds of workshops.

THE AIGUILLE D’OR

The highest honor, an independent vision

Rexhep Rexhepi’s victory was the defining moment of the evening. The Chronograph Flyback, with its integrated manually wound movement, sophisticated finishing and carefully considered proportions, represents a particularly demanding expression of contemporary mechanical watchmaking.

Yet its significance extends beyond the technical achievement. Rexhepi belongs to a generation of independent watchmakers who have built their reputations around a recognizable personal vision, combining traditional techniques with an approach that feels unmistakably their own.

Winning the Aiguille d’Or places that vision at the center of the industry’s most prominent annual celebration. And it raises an interesting question: are independent watchmakers still challenging the established order, or have they become an essential part of defining what contemporary haute horlogerie looks like?

Chronograph Flyback by Rexhep Rexhepi, winner of the 2026 Aiguille d’Or.

THE INDEPENDENT SPIRIT

Independence was not a single story

The other independent winners made the evening even more interesting. Konstantin Chaykin’s ThinKing Mystery received the Audacity Prize, recognizing a willingness to challenge conventional ideas about watch construction and design. Cleguer’s Inspiration One earned the Complication Watch Prize, while Dominique Renaud’s Pulse60 Titanium Black received the Horological Revelation Prize.

Japan’s Otsuka Lotec won the Petite Aiguille Prize with the No.8, bringing another distinctive approach to mechanical watchmaking into the spotlight. And in the Challenge category, the SpaceOne × Baltic Seconde Majeure demonstrated how collaboration and imaginative design can find recognition beyond traditional luxury positioning.

These watches do not share a single aesthetic or philosophy. Some pursue technical innovation. Others reinterpret familiar mechanical principles or challenge expectations about what a watch should look like. What connects them is a willingness to explore ideas that might be more difficult to accommodate within the established codes of a large collection.

That diversity is perhaps the most encouraging aspect of the results. Independent watchmaking is not a style. It is a space for different ideas to develop.

Otsuka Lotec · No.8 | Konstantin Chaykin · ThinKing Mystery

A CHANGING INDUSTRY

A broader definition of excellence

Of course, the evening was not exclusively an independent triumph. Audemars Piguet, Chopard, Blancpain, Louis Vuitton and other established maisons also received important distinctions, demonstrating that technical and creative ambition is hardly confined to smaller workshops.

Nor should independence automatically be considered a guarantee of originality. A watch deserves recognition for the quality of its ideas and execution, regardless of the size or ownership structure of the company behind it.

What made this year’s results particularly interesting was the coexistence of very different approaches. A highly accomplished traditional chronograph could share the spotlight with an unconventional Japanese creation, a technically ambitious independent project and an elaborate mechanical achievement from an established Manufacture.

The revised GPHG categories also reflected a shift toward evaluating watches by their characteristics rather than by traditional gender-based classifications. That change feels appropriate for an industry whose creativity increasingly resists simple labels.

The challenge for the GPHG will be to continue providing a platform where different expressions of excellence can be considered on their own merits.

Independent watchmaking is not a style. It is a space for different ideas to develop.

SPARKLING PR | GPHG 2026

Three brands, different paths through the GPHG

The 2026 edition also offered an opportunity to revisit three creations from brands represented by Sparkling PR.

Their participation took different forms, from official nominations to entries in the initial competition, but together they illustrate the breadth of approaches present in contemporary watchmaking.

FREDERIQUE CONSTANT · TWO OFFICIAL NOMINATIONS

Two nominations, two philosophies

Classic Worldtimer Manufacture · Petite Aiguille | Classics Moneta Handwinding · Challenge

Frederique Constant reached the final nominations with two watches in different categories. The Classic Worldtimer Manufacture was nominated for the Petite Aiguille Prize, while the Classics Moneta Handwinding competed in the Challenge category.

The distinction between the two models is revealing. One emphasizes the technical capabilities of a Manufacture through a world-time complication. The other returns to the appeal of traditional manual winding and restrained design. Both reflect the brand’s longstanding ambition to make Swiss mechanical watchmaking accessible to a wider audience.

Neither won its category, but two nominations in the same edition represent meaningful recognition for two complementary expressions of that philosophy.

* Sparkling PR represents Frederique Constant exclusively in the Portuguese market.

SCHWARZ ETIENNE · ESSENTIAL CATEGORY ENTRY

The value of collaboration

1902 Synergy by Peter Speake · Schwarz Etienne

Schwarz Etienne entered the 1902 Synergy by Peter Speake in the Essential category, although the watch did not advance to the final nominations. The creation brings together the Manufacture’s mechanical expertise and the distinctive creative approach of independent watchmaker Peter Speake.

It is an interesting example of how collaboration can enrich contemporary watchmaking. Rather than treating independence as isolation, the project explores what happens when different forms of expertise meet around a shared idea.

In an edition that celebrated individual creative visions, it offers another perspective on the value of exchanging knowledge and experience.

MINASE · ARTISTIC CRAFTS CATEGORY ENTRY

Where craftsmanship meets art

Otherwise Than Being · Minase

Minase’s Otherwise Than Being, entered in the Artistic Crafts category, also participated in the initial selection without reaching the final nominations.

Based on the Japanese watchmaker’s distinctive DIVIDO architecture, the creation combines Minase’s expertise in precision finishing with the artistic vision of Towa Takaya. Its Yusai dial explores light, color and movement, introducing a contemporary artistic dimension to the brand’s unconventional case construction.

It is a reminder that the boundaries between watchmaking, decorative craftsmanship and artistic expression are often more fluid than traditional categories suggest. For an independent Japanese manufacturer, this dialogue between technical discipline and creative exploration is particularly compelling.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Beyond the awards

An awards ceremony inevitably produces winners and disappointed nominees. That is part of its purpose. But a prize list can also tell us something about the direction of an industry, particularly when the recognized creations represent such different approaches to watchmaking.

This year’s GPHG suggested that there is considerable room for individual voices. It also reminded us that the independent landscape is far from homogeneous. There are highly specialized mechanical innovators, artistic collaborators, small ateliers and brands working to make distinctive watchmaking accessible to different audiences.

Not every interesting creation receives a nomination. Not every nomination becomes a prize. And no single jury can define the full extent of creativity in an industry as varied as this one. Still, seeing independent watchmakers receive some of the evening’s most important distinctions is a welcome indication that individual vision continues to matter.

Perhaps that is the most encouraging conclusion from Geneva. Watchmaking’s future does not need to follow one path. And judging by this year’s GPHG, it certainly isn’t trying to.

PARALLÈLE | FURTHER READING

Explore the GPHG 2026

Discover the complete list of winners and the creations recognized at the 26th Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève.

Official GPHG website

New York Watch Week

New York Watch Week: Beyond the Watches

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New York Watch Week: Beyond the Watches

PARALLÈLE | NEW YORK WATCH 2026

NYC NOTES · FINAL

New York Watch Week: Beyond the Watches

Two fairs, two different journeys and the encounters that made New York worth the trip.

NEW YORK WATCH WEEK · OCTOBER 2026

New York Watch Week 2026, from Windup to WatchTime.

We arrived in New York with two brands, two fairs and a calendar that already seemed too full. We left with the feeling that the most important moments had not necessarily been the ones we had planned.

There were watches that surprised us, familiar faces we were happy to see again, people discovering a brand for the first time and others arriving with a particular watch already in mind. Some conversations were about movements and finishing. Others moved into history, family memories and personal connections.

And somewhere between Windup Watch Fair and WatchTime New York, two very different experiences began to tell a similar story.

TWO FAIRS | TWO DIFFERENT JOURNEYS

Two brands. Two starting points.

At Windup, Col&McArthur was introducing itself to a watch fair audience for the first time. The Belgian brand arrived with a distinctive proposition: watches that incorporate physical fragments of history, accompanied by the stories and research behind them. The challenge was to turn curiosity into genuine interest.

At WatchTime, Schwarz Etienne was in a different position. The independent Swiss Manufacture was already familiar to many within New York’s watch community. Visitors recognized the name, knew the watches and, in several cases, came specifically to see the collection.

For Schwarz Etienne, the weekend became an opportunity to strengthen relationships already taking shape and demonstrate, once again, what makes its approach to watchmaking distinctive. The response was exceptionally positive. WatchTime was an undeniable success for the brand, with recognition, enthusiasm and sustained interest confirming the strength of its connection with the local audience.

For Col&McArthur, the reward came through discovery. For Schwarz Etienne, through recognition. Both mattered.

COL&MCARTHUR | WINDUP WATCH FAIR

At Windup, curiosity became connection

A first watch fair appearance for Col&McArthur.

One of the most interesting things about Col&McArthur’s experience was watching the conversations evolve. Visitors initially stopped because something caught their attention. Perhaps a historical artifact on the table, a familiar date or the unusual materials incorporated into a dial.

Then came the questions. Founder Sébastien Colen explained the stories behind the collections, often revealing details that were not immediately apparent. Patriot 1776 naturally resonated with an American audience during the country’s 250th anniversary year. Normandy 1944 prompted conversations about military history, remembrance and family connections.

And the watches themselves held up to the attention. Their finishing, construction and considered use of historical materials gave visitors reasons to look beyond the concept. The pieces felt like carefully developed watches rather than objects relying solely on the appeal of their stories.

But it was the human response that stayed with us most. We saw visitors recognize something personal in a historical reference. We watched conversations move beyond the watches into memories and experiences. And we witnessed a visitor return to try on a Napoleon watch, visibly moved by the experience.

We may never know exactly what that watch represented to him. We do know that, in that moment, it represented much more than an object.

SCHWARZ ETIENNE | WATCHTIME NEW YORK

At WatchTime, familiarity became enthusiasm

Familiar faces and a warm reception for Schwarz Etienne in New York.

Schwarz Etienne offered a different kind of satisfaction. There is something particularly rewarding about seeing a brand become familiar within a community.

At WatchTime New York, we were no longer introducing the Manufacture from the beginning of its story. Many visitors already had their own points of reference. They knew its mechanical expertise, recognized its aesthetic language or remembered watches they had encountered previously. That familiarity created a different atmosphere around the presentation.

The 1902 collection, particularly the Petite Seconde Heure Dorée, offered plenty to explore. Its interplay of black and gold, the dial’s textured surfaces and the movement visible through the caseback invited the kind of close examination that makes an in-person presentation worthwhile.

The reactions confirmed what earlier encounters had suggested: Schwarz Etienne has earned a meaningful place in the New York watch conversation. The success of the weekend was not simply about the attention the watches received. It was also about seeing relationships develop over time, with familiar faces returning, new connections being made and enthusiasm extending beyond a first introduction.

For an independent Manufacture, that kind of recognition is significant. And for those of us working alongside the brand, it was especially satisfying to witness.

For Col&McArthur, the reward came through discovery. For Schwarz Etienne, through recognition.

BEYOND THE WATCHES

The value of being there

The contrast between the two fairs was part of what made the week so interesting. Windup’s open, energetic atmosphere encouraged spontaneous discoveries. Visitors could encounter a brand they had never heard of, ask a question and find themselves immersed in a story they had not expected. WatchTime offered a different rhythm, with collectors and enthusiasts arriving to explore particular watches and Manufactures in greater depth.

Neither experience was more valuable than the other. They simply demonstrated how many different ways a relationship with watchmaking can begin.

A photograph can attract attention. An article can explain a collection. Social media can introduce a brand to an entirely new audience. But there is still something irreplaceable about holding a watch, seeing how it responds to light, understanding its proportions and speaking to the person who knows its story.

Sometimes that encounter confirms an impression. Sometimes it changes it. And sometimes it creates a connection that would never have happened through a screen.

NEW YORK WATCH WEEK | THE BIGGER PICTURE

What New York reminded us

Earlier in the week, we found ourselves wondering whether New York Watch Week had outgrown its name. The number of fairs, launches, gatherings and appointments made it almost impossible to see everything. We still think a little more breathing room would be welcome.

But looking back, the intensity also says something encouraging about the place New York now occupies in the watchmaking world. Brands are making the effort to be there. Collectors are showing up. Journalists, creators and enthusiasts are moving between different expressions of watchmaking with genuine curiosity. And independent brands, whether emerging or already established, have opportunities to meet people who might otherwise know them only through a screen.

For Sparkling PR, the week was a reminder of why we value these encounters. Not every meaningful result can be measured by how busy a stand looks or how many photographs are taken. Sometimes the important moment is a journalist discovering an unexpected detail. A collector returning for another look. A familiar face arriving specifically to see what a Manufacture has brought to New York. Or a conversation that continues long after the fair has closed.

FINAL NOTES | NEW YORK 2026

Until next time, New York

We came to New York with two clients at very different stages of their relationship with the American watch community. Col&McArthur gave people new stories to discover. Schwarz Etienne showed us what happens when a brand’s story is already finding its audience. Both left us with reasons to be optimistic.

And while we will remember the watches, the details and the energy of the fairs, it is the people who will remain most vivid. The questions they asked. The enthusiasm they shared. The moments when curiosity became something more personal.

Those are the things that stayed with us. And those are the reasons we will be looking forward to coming back.

Until next time, New York.

PARALLÈLE IN NEW YORK

New York Watch Week 2026

From first impressions to closer looks, explore the stories and encounters that shaped our New York coverage.

PREVIOUSLY
IN FOCUS | Schwarz Etienne

Beyond the Dial

A closer look at Swiss independent watchmaking at WatchTime New York.

ALSO IN THESE SERIES
NYC NOTES 01

First Impressions

Our opening day at Windup and WatchTime New York.

OPINION
A personal perspective

New York Watch Week

Marina Coelho’s reflections on a week growing into something much bigger.

Events, New York Watch Week

Schwarz Etienne at WatchTime New York 2026

By
Schwarz Etienne at WatchTime New York 2026

PARALLÈLE | NEW YORK WATCH 2026

IN FOCUS

A familiar name.
A fresh encounter.

Schwarz Etienne at WatchTime New York: watches people came to see, details worth discovering, and a growing connection with the American watch community.

WATCHTIME NEW YORK 2026 · SCHWARZ ETIENNE

There is a particular pleasure in welcoming someone to a watch presentation and realizing the introduction has already happened.

They know the name. They have seen the watch. Sometimes, they are wearing one.

For Schwarz Etienne at WatchTime New York 2026, those moments became a memorable part of the weekend. From October 16 to 18 at Gotham Hall, editors, content creators and collectors arrived with a genuine familiarity with the Manufacture, and a clear idea of what they wanted to see.

The 1902 Synergy by Peter Speake. The 1902 Petite Seconde Heure Dorée. A closer look at Geometry. Often, all three.

As the agency supporting Schwarz Etienne’s international communications, we were there to help make those encounters happen. What made them particularly rewarding was seeing how much curiosity had arrived ahead of us.

A GROWING PRESENCE

They already knew the name.

For an independent watch brand, visibility becomes especially meaningful when it brings someone through the door.

Throughout WatchTime, visitors came specifically to see Schwarz Etienne. Some had followed its recent releases online. Others had encountered the brand through editorial coverage or earlier events. Several were already owners, including collectors of its collaborations with Kari Voutilainen.

That last detail stayed with us. These were conversations with people who already had a relationship with the watches, and were curious about where the Manufacture was going next.

The United States is a priority market for Schwarz Etienne. Its presence in Atlanta and Nashville, alongside its commercial activities and sustained press outreach, has helped create more opportunities for American collectors to encounter the brand.

After roughly a year and a half of our communications work together, WatchTime offered something particularly valuable: direct feedback on how that growing presence was being received. The familiarity across the table was an encouraging sign of the combined work taking shape.

FROM LA CHAUX-DE-FONDS TO NEW YORK

A Manufacture with plenty to show.

Founded in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1902, Schwarz Etienne has movement making at the heart of its identity. Its ability to develop and produce its own calibers gives the collections a mechanical character that is as important as their appearance.

At WatchTime, the breadth of the presentation made that clear. The 1902 Petite Seconde, Réserve de Marche and GMT offered different expressions of the collection, alongside the Synergy by Peter Speake and the Petite Seconde Heure Dorée. Geometry brought another perspective, with its distinctive arrangement of hand-decorated dial surfaces.

There was a recognizable identity across the table, and enough variety to keep the conversation moving.

1902 SYNERGY BY PETER SPEAKE

Better in person? There was a case for it.

Introduced during Watches and Wonders 2026, the 1902 Synergy by Peter Speake was already familiar to many visitors through photographs. Handling it prompted a new appreciation of its construction.

The layered sapphire dial was a particular talking point. Ice white, Prussian blue and Cayenne orange create a fresh composition, while the arrangement of its different levels gives the display a subtle sense of depth. In the hand, visitors could better appreciate how the elements appear to float, and how much detail sits within an apparently light design.

Turning the watch over continued the discovery. The hand-wound movement has six bridges inspired by historic pocket-watch architecture, with polished bevels, Geneva stripes and sunburst decoration on the ratchet wheels. Twin barrels provide a 120-hour power reserve.

Limited to 88 pieces, the collaboration also entered the 2026 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève competition, although it did not reach the final selection.

In New York, the response was immediate and personal: people who knew the images were discovering the watch.

1902 PETITE SECONDE HEURE DORÉE

A little golden hour, on the wrist.

First presented at Geneva Watch Days 2026, the Petite Seconde Heure Dorée arrived in New York with an audience already eager to see it.

Its appeal becomes clearer as the light changes. Deep black gives the dial its depth, while 4N gold-toned details bring warmth to the hands and applied markers. The contrast feels considered, with small shifts in angle revealing differences between the dial’s textures.

Through the caseback, the dialogue continues. Anthracite tones and ruthenium-treated surfaces meet a 4N gold-toned micro-rotor. Six slender bridges, concentric circular Geneva stripes and polished bevels give visitors plenty to examine. The micro-rotor’s sandblasted and satin-finished surfaces, including Schwarz Etienne’s chevron motif, reward a particularly close look.

The automatic movement offers an 86-hour power reserve, within a 39 mm titanium case with a multilayer black DLC treatment. The edition is limited to eight pieces.

For us, its charm lies in that continuity: a golden-hour idea carried from the dial into the movement. Visitors spent time exploring both.

GEOMETRY

The details invite another look.

Geometry had its own way of slowing the conversation.

Its 18-karat gold dial brings together hand-guilloché decoration within a deliberately deconstructed composition. Different zones, including fluted, azuré and clous de Paris patterns, give the surface a changing rhythm as the watch moves.

The precision is striking, but so is the human work behind it. Explaining how the decoration is executed by hand gives collectors another way to understand what they are seeing.

The patterns are carefully defined; their manual execution gives each dial its own subtle character.

Here too, the view through the back matters. An automatic micro-rotor movement leaves room to appreciate the finishing, adding another layer to a watch whose dial already offers plenty to discuss.

They knew the watches.
Now they could spend time with them.

BEYOND THE SCREEN

Meeting the people behind the posts.

For the Sparkling PR team, New York also brought the pleasure of meeting collectors and content creators we had previously known through Instagram.

A familiar account became a face. An exchange in the comments became a conversation across the table. We could hear what had caught someone’s attention, show them a detail they had missed, and learn more about the watches they already owned.

Those encounters are part of what makes shows like WatchTime valuable. A photograph can start an interest. Holding the watch, asking a question and taking the time to look can develop it into something more lasting.

We were happy to see that happen throughout the weekend, and look forward to continuing those conversations as Schwarz Etienne’s collections develop.

WHAT COMES NEXT

Recognition worth building on.

WatchTime was a success for Schwarz Etienne because it brought together the right watches with an audience ready to discover more about them.

The growing familiarity with the brand, the presence of existing owners and the response to its recent releases all gave us reasons to leave New York encouraged. They also gave us a clear direction for the work ahead: continue building visibility, deepen relationships and give the American watch community more opportunities to experience the Manufacture in person.

For now, we are taking home the pleasure of those encounters. And the memory of a few watches being turned over, then turned over again.

Continue reading: our opening New York Watch Week editorial. Explore the collections at Schwarz Etienne.

PREVIOUSLY
NYC NOTES 01

Col&McArthur: When history becomes personal

Deconstructing the storytelling behind the Belgium brand’s unique DNA.

OPINION
A personal perspective

Has New York Watch Week Outgrown a Week?

Marina Coelho’s reflections on a week growing into something much bigger.

COMING NEXT
NYC NOTES | FINAL

New York Watch Week: Beyond the Watches

Our personal view and conclusion from a week with watches in New York City.

New York Watch Week

Col&McArthur: When History Becomes Personal

By
Col&McArthur: When History Becomes Personal

PARALLÈLE | NEW YORK WATCH 2026

IN FOCUS

Col&McArthur: When History Becomes Personal

At Windup Watch Fair New York, the Belgian brand brought more than watches to the table. It brought fragments of history and discovered how personal those stories could become.

WIND UP NEW YORK · OCTOBER 2026

Col&McArthur at Windup Watch Fair New York.

There is a difference between knowing the story behind a watch and seeing how that story has been translated into the object itself.

Col&McArthur has built its identity around historical events, remarkable places, and cultural figures. Its watches incorporate materials connected to the subjects they commemorate, from fragments of military artifacts to pieces of the lunar landscape.

On paper, it is a compelling concept. But one question remains until the watches are examined in person: can the execution live up to the story? At Windup Watch Fair New York, where the Belgian brand was exhibiting at a watch fair for the first time, there was an opportunity to find out. And the answer was in the details.

Col&McArthur | Windup Watch Fair

More than watches on a table

Among the many exhibitors at Windup New York, Col&McArthur approached its presentation differently. Rather than relying exclusively on watches displayed across a table, the brand had created a space around the stories of its collections. Individual presentation panels introduced their historical references, while artifacts and examples of the materials incorporated into the watches helped visitors understand where those stories began.

A military helmet associated with the Normandy collection. A musket ball connected to Patriot 1776. A piece of lunar meteorite. These objects were not simply decorative elements. They helped explain the relationship between the historical subject and the finished watch.

The stand was positioned away from the fair’s central circulation areas, and the first day was relatively quiet. But as the event progressed, curiosity grew. Visitors stopped to examine the watches, asked about the materials, and listened to the stories behind them. Some had already encountered Col&McArthur online and wanted to see the collections for themselves. Others discovered the brand for the first time.

For a watchmaker whose identity depends so strongly on storytelling, those encounters became an important part of the presentation.

Historical artifacts displayed alongside the watches.

THE WATCHES | A CLOSER LOOK

The difference is in the details

Commemorative watches can be difficult to get right.

When a design carries a historical narrative, multiple symbols, and unusual materials, there is always a risk that the concept will become more prominent than the watch itself. That concern largely disappeared when handling Col&McArthur’s pieces. The cases and bracelets felt carefully finished. The dials remained legible despite their historical references, and the integration of the materials appeared considered rather than excessive.

The designs varied according to their subjects, moving between classical restraint and a more contemporary, sometimes sportier aesthetic. Yet the underlying approach remained consistent. The watches did not feel like souvenirs built around a commemorative theme. They felt like watches first, with their stories incorporated into the construction.

The Normandy 1944 was particularly revealing.

Normandy 1944, with historical materials integrated into its design.

Its dial incorporates material from an American M1 military helmet, creating a textured surface that invites closer examination. Sand associated with the Normandy landing beaches introduces another physical connection to the events being remembered.

There is something almost contradictory about this idea. Watchmaking usually goes to considerable lengths to protect a timepiece from sand, dust, and moisture. Here, sand becomes an intentional part of the object.

And yet the result does not feel theatrical. The historical materials are present, but they do not overwhelm the design. The watch remains balanced, wearable, and surprisingly contemporary.

That balance is perhaps one of Col&McArthur’s most interesting achievements.

The stories opened the conversation. The watches gave people reasons to stay.

THE PEOPLE | PERSONAL CONNECTIONS

When the story belongs to someone else

The watches attracted attention for their materials, but the most memorable moments at the stand were not necessarily about watchmaking. They were about people.

Many visitors, particularly older generations, brought their own connections to the historical events represented in the collections. Some shared family memories. Others recognized references that carried a significance beyond the watches themselves. There were also children fascinated by the unusual materials and the stories attached to them.

One encounter stood out. A visitor showed particular interest in a watch dedicated to Napoleon. He returned to the stand the following day and, after some encouragement, tried it on. The experience moved him to tears. The exact reason for his emotional connection remained private. But the moment illustrated something that is easy to overlook when discussing commemorative watches.

History is not experienced in the same way by everyone. A date, a place, or a historical figure may be a familiar reference to one person and something deeply personal to another.

Col&McArthur’s watches create an unusual starting point for those conversations. They do not simply invite questions about calibers, case dimensions, or finishing. They encourage visitors to talk about memory, family, and the events that have shaped their understanding of the world.

At Windup New York, those conversations became as interesting as the watches themselves.

Conversations and closer looks at Windup New York.

WHAT STAYED WITH US

History, a little closer

Col&McArthur did not leave New York having changed our understanding of the brand. It reinforced it. The watches confirmed that the historical concept is supported by thoughtful execution, carefully integrated materials, and a level of finishing that deserves attention in its own right.

But the fair also revealed another dimension. Seeing a visitor become emotional while trying on a watch, listening to people share family connections to historical events, or watching children discover the stories behind the objects reminded us that the meaning of a commemorative piece is never entirely determined by its creator.

Part of that meaning comes from the person encountering it. And perhaps that is what makes Col&McArthur worth watching.

In a market where differentiation is often expressed through a new dial color, a case variation, or another limited edition, the Belgian brand is developing its identity through something less conventional. Not simply watches inspired by history. Watches that carry a small part of it. And, sometimes, make someone else’s history feel a little closer.

PREVIOUSLY
NYC NOTES 01

First Impressions

Our opening day at Windup and WatchTime New York.

OPINION
A personal perspective

New York Watch Week

Marina Coelho’s reflections on a week growing into something much bigger.

COMING NEXT
IN FOCUS | Schwarz Etienne

Beyond the Dial

A closer look at Swiss independent watchmaking at WatchTime New York.

New York Watch Week, Perspectives

Has New York Watch Week Outgrown a Week?

By
Has New York Watch Week Outgrown a Week?

NEW YORK WATCH WEEK 2026 · A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE

Has New York Watch Week
Outgrown a Week?

The energy is wonderful. The calendar is overwhelming. Somewhere between the two, New York has become a watchmaking destination in its own right.

We arrived in New York on Wednesday. By the time WatchTime and Windup opened on Friday, it already felt as though watch week had been underway for days.

The invitations, the gatherings, the launches, the conversations about who was showing where. Before the weekend had even begun, there was already more happening than one person could reasonably cover.

And my first reaction was how wonderful that is.

New York Watch Week 2026 feels like a moment in which the city has fully grown into its role. There are so many brands here, across such different approaches to watchmaking, all making the effort to meet collectors and press in person. The enthusiasm is tangible.

My second reaction was that we might need a month.

A CITY COMES TOGETHER

There is room for many kinds of watchmaking.

One of the things I find most encouraging is the range.

Established luxury names, independent watchmakers, emerging brands and more accessible collections are all part of the conversation. WatchTime, Windup Watch Fair, INDIES.NYC and The HYPE each bring their own atmosphere, audiences and ways of presenting watches.

Collectors can move between different price points, design languages and levels of mechanical complexity within the same trip. Someone might arrive with one particular interest and leave curious about something entirely unexpected.

That openness is healthy. It gives the industry space to welcome different kinds of enthusiasm, including people whose first serious watch purchase may still be ahead of them.

There is something very positive about seeing so many different expressions of watchmaking find an audience in the same city.

THE EFFORT BEHIND THE ENCOUNTER

Showing up matters.

For an industry that spends so much time discussing its challenges, seeing this level of commitment is encouraging.

Traveling to New York, bringing a team, creating a presentation and making time for collectors is a considerable effort. Smaller independent brands feel that investment particularly closely.

Yet here they are, putting watches into people’s hands and answering questions directly.

I see the value of that every day in our work at Sparkling PR. A collector can spend months following a brand online and still discover something entirely different when trying on the watch. A conversation with a founder can give meaning to a detail that a photograph barely registers.

For independent brands, which are at the heart of our work, these opportunities are especially valuable. Many sell primarily online. Being here gives collectors, journalists and potential customers the chance to discover the watch in person and meet the people behind it.

In a crowded market, that can do a great deal for a brand’s visibility and credibility. A name someone has seen on a screen becomes a watch they have tried, a founder they have spoken to and, hopefully, a story they remember.

A busy room is encouraging. The exchange that happens within it is what interests me most.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ENERGY

There is only so much of an evening.

Which brings me to the part I find more complicated.

Alongside the fairs are the gatherings around RedBar, Time andTide and Cellini, as well as individual brand events from names such as Ulysse Nardin. And that is already an incomplete picture.

Each invitation makes sense on its own. Put them together, and the calendar becomes a series of choices about who you will have time to see, who you will have to miss and how quickly you need to leave one conversation to reach the next.

As someone working between brands, journalists and collectors, I feel that tension quite strongly. You want to support the people who have made the effort to come. You want to discover the watch properly. You also know there is another appointment waiting across town.

The enthusiasm is real. So is the feeling of being pulled in several directions.

There is a little irony in celebrating objects that ask us to appreciate time while having so little of it to spare.

A QUESTION OF PACE

Perhaps we need New York Watch Month.

I keep coming back to that thought, partly as a joke and partly because it captures something real.

What I would love is a little more breathing room. Enough time to stay when a conversation becomes interesting. Enough time to visit a smaller brand without having to sacrifice an appointment elsewhere. Enough time to leave a fair feeling that I have actually seen it.

Bringing everyone together within a few days has obvious advantages. It makes the trip worthwhile and creates the energy we are all enjoying. Stretching everything over a month would bring its own practical problems.

Still, as the week grows, I think its pace deserves attention too. A little more time could help protect the very thing brands are coming here to create: meaningful time with people.

From a communications perspective, I would always value a conversation someone remembers over another appearance squeezed into an already crowded evening.

A GOOD PROBLEM, WORTH CONSIDERING

I am excited to see where this goes.

What I feel most, being here, is excitement.

New York has become a place where a remarkable cross-section of the watch world wants to gather. There is ambition, curiosity and a willingness to bring watchmaking closer to the people who care about it.

I want that energy to keep growing. I would also love us to give it enough space for the encounters to be as rewarding as the calendar is impressive.

Perhaps the ultimate luxury at a watch event is time itself. Time to try something unexpected, ask one more question or let a conversation wander a little. Those are often the moments that turn a brief introduction into a lasting connection.

For now, I will keep moving between appointments, enjoying the conversations and wishing I could stay a little longer.

And quietly campaigning for New York Watch Month.

MARINA COELHO
FOUNDER & CEO, SPARKLING PR

PARALLÈLE IN NEW YORK

New York Watch Week 2026

Follow PARALLÈLE for field notes, closer looks at the watches and conversations from the week.

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OPENING EDITORIAL

First Impressions

Our first day with both of our clients.

ALSO IN THIS SERIES
FIRST IMPRESSIONS

New York, Here We Come

Where we are, and why this week matters.

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IN FOCUS

The Windup Watch Fair

Close-up at Col&McArthur’s new collections.