Three Must-See Watches At Windup New York

Windup Watch Fair is right around the corner, and if you're anything like me, you're already making note of the watches and brands you'd like to see. This is the beauty of Windup; smaller independents, most of whom don't have dedicated retail spaces, have a unique opportunity to showcase their watches for collectors and enthusiasts. While I'll likely pay every booth a visit, here are a few that I'm particularly excited to see. 

Baltic - Prismic Stone Dials

Image Source: Time & Tide Watches

A few days ago, Baltic released three stone dial variations of their time-only Prismic watch. Available in lapis lazuli, red agate, and green jade, these three natural stone dials look stunning in pictures, and I can’t wait to see them in person. When Baltic first released the Prismic in February, I wasn’t particularly infatuated with it. I found the complex metallic dials with their sharp, polished, varying indices to be a bit much in conjunction with the case design. These new stone dials feature consistent applied indices (very Calatrava-like), still sharp and polished, but clean and well-contrasted by the natural patterns of each stone. Because no two are the same, I’m excited to see the examples Baltic brings to Windup.

Lorca - Model No. 2 Chronograph

Image Sources: Lorca Watches

New York-based independent Lorca recently unveiled their second watch, the Model No. 2 Chronograph. This vintage-inspired manual-wound chrono arrives just 15 months after Lorca’s first watch–the Model No. 1 GMT. I got a chance to play with the GMT at last year’s Windup NY as well as a recent RedBar meetup; it’s beautifully proportioned at 36mm and tastefully incorporates vintage cues like a sector dial and beads-of-rice bracelet. The Model No. 2 appears to follow suit, coming in at 37mm and <12mm thin (not including the domed crystal) with all the vintage charm you’d expect from Lorca. It also features a rotating 12-hour bezel: an interesting addition that I was happy to see (and frankly would probably use more than the chronograph if I owned this watch).  

Christopher Ward - C60 Trident Lumiere

Image Sources: Christopher Ward

If you’re a sicko like myself and you’re all too up to date on watch releases, you’ve probably seen this one. Christopher Ward’s new Lumiere is a Grade-2 titanium deep-diver with big blocks of lume as dial furniture. The hour indices and CW logo are made of this Globolight XP© material, as are the lume “plots” on the skeletonized handset. To me, the sneaky star of the show is the textured degrade dial, available in black, blue, and orange. I get the feeling that this is a watch best seen in person; the three dimensionality of those lume blocks should be seen at all angles. Also, it's always a treat to see Mike Pearson.

Bonus: Ad Patina

Image Source: Ad Patina

Founded by Nick Federowicz, Ad Patina is a Chicagoland-based company that sources, curates, and professionally frames original vintage print advertisements. They focus primarily on watch and automotive ads, but also offer ads relating to cameras, fashion, design, and more. You can purchase ads on their own or have them professionally framed by Nick and his team. I have yet to purchase anything from Ad Patina myself, but I’ve been eyeing the website for more than a year now. When I saw them listed on the brand roster for Windup New York, I knew I’d be paying Nick a visit.  

Final Thoughts

As I mentioned at the top, I'm excited to see most every brand presenting at Windup; these are just a few standouts. Most of all, I'm excited to see some familiar faces from around the watch world and meet new ones. The fair goes from Friday, October 18th to Sunday, October 20th. Will you be attending Windup Watch Fair New York? Let us know in the comments below, and if you're looking to customize your Rolex or Tudor with an integrated rubber strap, check out our selection here.