The growth to which the watchmaking world has been subjected has amazed many, even industry experts. Above all, it has surprised the large number of new brands coming to the forefront of the global watchmaking scene. The phenomenon of microbrands, which are taking the place of the old fashion watch brands, is a growing trend, and events dedicated to them are increasing across the globe. And the launch of the Chicago edition of the WindUp Watch Fair is part of this ongoing phenomenon.
What is WindUp Watch Fair?
It is an event aimed at the U.S. market, which has been active for several years and started in San Francisco, expanding to different locations within the vast U.S. territory. As of this year, it is also debuting in Chicago, in addition to the two editions in San Francisco and New York.
And the primary target audience for this event is precisely the horology produced by the brands that find space on our blog: those microbrands that have a lot to say and are hard to find on the market as they are seldom distributed traditionally.
The importance of a physical location
Although you can buy a watch online, the fact that you can try it on your wrist and see how it looks is important, especially for watches like those from microbrands, which are typically not distributed and attract great attention from the public.
Going to a “physical” venue also helps one to relate to other enthusiasts and expand one’s knowledge of the watch scene, specific to microbrands. A tour through the different pavilions and booths of a fair like WindUp Chicago can help reveal watches whose existence would have been challenging to postulate.
WindUp Watch Fair Chicago
The organization of WindUp has confirmed the historical main sponsor, Oris, joined by brands such as Christopher Ward, Collective, G-Shock, TGN, Norqain, TOPO Designs, and Zodiac with more than fifty companies participating.
The fair will take place in Chicago at Venue West, 221 N Paulina Street, for three days of the weekend, July 15-16-17, from 12 to 6, and is a shopping event: watches will not only be on display. Still, they can be purchased by watch enthusiasts and collectors who love timepieces. And visitors will have good reasons to attend, as the brands featured are absolutely top-notch and represent among the best contemporary expressions of the microbrand phenomenon.
Remember that the show offers free admittance: so if you are in the area, why not giving it a shot?
