WatchTime New York 2026 Begins with a Sold-Out Friday Night
A Manhattan photo report
Last night, WatchTime New York opened its 11th edition at Gotham Hall, bringing collectors, watchmakers, and industry leaders together for its sold-out Friday VIP reception. With more than 40 participating brands and a substantial lineup of new releases, the evening marked another major gathering for American watch collecting. Below, we revisit the opening night in photos.
Friday evening at the event has become a tradition of its own. Before the full weekend gets underway, collectors gather over cocktails, catch up with friends, and begin making their way through the watches. At Gotham Hall last night, there was plenty to discuss, both across the display tables and on the wrists of those visiting them.
MB&F founder Maximilian Büsser, watchmaker Kari Voutilainen, and actor and watch designer Aldis Hodge were among the familiar faces at Gotham Hall last night. Fellow Finnish watchmaker Stepan Sarpaneva was also in attendance, alongside Urwerk co-founder Martin Frei, whose designs have helped define the brand’s unconventional approach to displaying the time.
Massena LAB founder William Massena joined the gathering with the new Ming collaboration among this year’s releases, while RGM founder Roland Murphy represented American watchmaking. Armin Strom’s Claude Greisler and Serge Michel, Kudoke founder Stefan Kudoke, and Czapek CEO Xavier de Roquemaurel were also on hand to discuss their latest work with collectors.
Among the other brand leaders in attendance were Bell & Ross co-founder Carlos Rosillo, Parmigiani Fleurier CEO Guido Terreni, Oris CEO Rolf Studer, and Moritz Grossmann founder Christine Hutter, bringing perspectives from Swiss, German, and aviation-inspired watchmaking to the evening’s conversations.
This year also welcomes a substantial group of first-time exhibitors, including Artime, Daniel Roth, Ferdinand Berthoud, gérald genta, Jacob & Co., Kollokium, Kudoke, and Schwarz Etienne. They join longtime participants in a lineup spanning independent workshops and established manufactures, with watches ranging from straightforward daily wearers to some of the most ambitious complications in production.
The new releases alone offered plenty of reasons to spend time at the tables. Ressence’s Type 10 DN, MB&F’s LM1 EVO, and Urwerk’s UR-300 Time Quantum brought three very different approaches to displaying the time. Elsewhere, visitors could discover the Oris ProPilot Calibre 111, Ming × Massena LAB 57.09 Secret Honey, and Frederique Constant Classic Perpetual Calendar Manufacture Burgundy Limited Edition.
Further highlights included the Ulysse Nardin Freak [S] Howlite, Chopard L.U.C Full Strike “Día de los Muertos” Edition 13, and Armin Strom Tribute³ Au750. Together with the many other releases appearing at and around the show, they underscored how important New York has become as a place to introduce watches directly to collectors.
The evening continued beyond the cocktail reception with a three-course collector dinner on Gotham Hall’s mezzanine, sponsored by U.S. Bank Private Wealth Management. Overlooking the exhibition floor, the dinner gave guests more time to settle into the conversations begun downstairs.
The show continues today with a sold-out Saturday session, followed by one more chance to join us on Sunday, October 18. Sunday general admission runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with new watches to explore, wine and whiskey tastings, and time to meet the people behind the brands. Before the doors open, the separately ticketed “Neo-Vintage Is Hot. Why—and Where Is It Headed?” panel begins at 10 a.m., moderated by Jeffrey Kingston.
Friday and Saturday sold out. Sunday general admission tickets are still available for $50, with Sunday panel reservations available separately. Get your tickets here.
