WatchTime NY event wraps on a high after 3 days of launches, panels, and celeb sightings

WatchTime New York wraps sixth event following three days of new watch reveals, expert panels, celeb sightings, and a joyful return to live, in-person events after a year’s hiatus

New watches launched live this year from WatchTime New York included the new Swizz Beatz x De Bethune Dream Watch 5 Tourbillon “Season 1,” the new A. Lange & Söhne anniversary model, and more

New York (October 27, 2021) – WatchTime New York wrapped this Sunday following three days of new wristwatch presentations, talks, and warm reunions as the global watch community gathered for the first live, in-person WatchTime New York event since 2019. The triumphant comeback also marked a notable expansion for the major event, widely regarded as America’s most important public watch event dedicated to collectors, this year offering a packed three-day lineup, held at Gotham Hall from Friday, October 22 to Sunday, October 24, 2021. The event, produced by WatchTime and presented in partnership with sponsors Tourneau | Bucherer and BMW, also marked one of the first large-scale luxury events in New York City to successfully reconvene post-quarantine.

WatchTime New York kicked off Friday, October 22 with a high-energy VIP cocktail event. Eager guests gathered in the Seiko lounge before surging into the show floor under Gotham Hall’s famed rotunda. Well-heeled private collectors and watch enthusiasts got the first chance to mingle with brand executives and influencers in attendance while marveling at the latest offerings from the 28 registered brand exhibitors, including Chopard, Breguet, Blancpain, Seiko, Norqain, Grand Seiko, MB&F, and more.

This year’s longer three-day event format doubled the popular slate of WatchTime New York panels on Saturday and Sunday, October 23 and 24, featuring leading experts and figures from the watch world. This year’s panels, moderated by Sara Orlando, WatchTime Publisher, WatchTime Editor-in-Chief Roger Ruegger, and renowned collector and consultant Jeff Kingston, explored hot topics in the watch world today, from how the watch landscape has changed since 2019 in the wake of global disruption to the state of women’s watch offerings in today’s marketplace and engaging new brand collaborations. The final panel of the weekend covered the ongoing surge in demand and shortage of stainless-steel sport-luxury watches, with featured celebrity panelist and watch lover Aldis Hodge of “One Night in Miami” and “City on a Hill.”

WatchTime New York once again served as a major stage for new product launches. On Saturday, October. 23, recording artist and producer Swizz Beatz arrived to personally launch his new collaboration with De Bethune: the new Dream Watch 5. The new A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Honeygold “Lumen” was announced live from the show floor on Sunday, October 24, coinciding with the brand’s anniversary.

Watch lovers who could not attend the show this year had the opportunity to tune in to a digital TimeOut session with WatchTime Editor-in-Chief Roger Ruegger and Senior Editor Mark Bernardo, who recapped some of the event highlights and notable new timepieces exhibited on-site, which included but were not limited to the latest Air Command chronograph from Blancpain and new pieces that included the Bremont Longitude, MB&F Legacy Machine Perpetual EVO titanium, Arnold & Son Luna Magna Platinum, MeisterSinger Unomat, the U.S.-Exclusive Seiko Prospex SLA053 and SLA059 “Seigaiha” Editions, and the Glashütte Original PanoMaticLunar Red Gold Green Dial. First-time exhibitors this year included Chopard, Massena LAB, Norqain, and others.

Sara Orlando, WatchTime Magazine Publisher: “The success of our show this year underlines the fact that the luxury and watch industries are booming right now, and collectors are eager for the kind of face-to-face, hands-on interactions that we have always facilitated at WatchTime New York.” Orlando moderated a thought-provoking all-female panel dedicated to women and watches on Saturday, October 23.

WatchTime Editor-in-Chief Roger Ruegger: “We are proud to have brought back WatchTime New York live and in-person, not just safely, but on a bigger scale than ever before: with an extended schedule, more engaging panels, and welcoming even more exciting new brands this year. Seeing so many important pieces and new introductions, we are thrilled that both the industry and visitors support the event format.”