Podcast Summary: Openwork: Inside the Watch Industry Episode 53 – Inside New York Watch Week with Nicholas Bowman-Scargill (Fears) October 20, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the evolution, business mechanics, and cultural influence of New York Watch Week—a sprawling series of events that’s transformed into the epicenter of watch culture in the United States. Hosts Asher Rapkin and Gabe Reilly (Collective Horology) sit down on-site at Gotham Hall with Nicholas Bowman-Scargill, Managing Director of the historic British watchmaker Fears, to discuss:

• The explosive growth of New York Watch Week and its shows (Wind Up, WatchTime, and more)
• The business case, costs, and strategic implications of attending such events for independent brands
• The economic and cultural impact of consumer-facing watch events in the modern collector landscape
• The debate over access, gatekeeping, and qualifying audiences at large hobbyist events

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Expansion and Impact of New York Watch Week

• Multiple Events, National & International Pull: Wind Up (10th anniversary, run by Worn & Wound), WatchTime (run by WatchTime Magazine), Haute Time, Red Bar meetups, and many more have created a convergence of nearly 200 brands and thousands of attendees in NYC. The events draw not only locals but many international visitors.
  (01:46–03:00)
• Comparison to Geneva Watch Business Events: Nicholas likens the current NY scene to Geneva’s gatherings, noting that Wind Up alone now “has 140 brands... WatchTime here probably has 30 something brands... Near 200 brands showing here in some official capacity.” (02:25–02:56)
• From Enthusiast Niche to Mainstream Attraction: Wind Up and similar events have evolved from small, enthusiast gatherings (40–50 brands in Chelsea Market in 2019) to massive, mainstream events drawing general consumers and hobbyists. (04:48–06:09)

2. The Shifting Demographics and Vibes of Watch Shows

• Broader Audience: Today’s attendees range from hard-core collectors to casual newcomers, and even those who just see it as a fun NYC activity, broadening the cross-section of the watch-wearing public. (08:58–10:02)
• Watch Brands on Display: The price spectrum covers everything, “from just under a hundred dollars” to “millions... there's probably something... over a million dollars” on the floor. (07:05–07:42)
• Accessibility and Appeal: The inclusivity has transformed shows like Wind Up: “It really isn’t an enthusiast event anymore... it is really in many ways a broad appeal mass appeal watch event.” –Asher (08:16)

3. The Business Behind the Booth

• Costs and Logistics: Nicholas provides a transparent account of what it costs for an independent like Fears to participate:
  • Booth rental and setup
  • Transporting display materials internationally
  • Insurance (notably £12,000 for a carnet to legally and securely move watches)
  • Building non-sale inventory
  • Flights, hotels (sometimes as humble as “Pod” with shared bathrooms), and sustenance for staff
  • In 2024, Fears exhibited at 37 events across 29 cities, most internationally, each costing “tens and tens of thousands of pounds” (16:14–17:29)
• Events as Major Line Item: “Are events your single largest marketing line item?” (18:22)
  Nicholas: “Yes. Yes... we’ll spend six figures a year on events.” (18:26–18:29)
• Strategic Shifts: Fears is experimenting with fewer, larger, more expensive events vs. many small ones: “Do we need to be in as many places as possible or do we need to be in fewer but higher quality places?” (19:13)

4. The Marketing vs. Sales Dilemma

• Investment vs. ROI: Both brands and retailers grapple with whether to measure event success via sales or brand-building metrics, especially as events command greater investment. (19:13–20:03)
• Opportunity Costs: The time and focus spent away from HQ and core operations; the need to serve both attendees and daily customers simultaneously. (20:42–22:26)

5. Changing Nature of Watch Media and Events

• Industry Transformation: Where events were previously trade/B2B (Baselworld, SIHH), today’s shows thrive on consumer and enthusiast access. “This idea of the kind of consumer event is very new...” –Nicholas (25:59–26:28)
• Events as Core Business: For some media (e.g. Worn & Wound), event revenue is “probably their largest revenue generator,” inverting the traditional publishing model. (24:42–25:25)

6. Gatekeeping, Accessibility, and the Value of Paid vs. Free Events

• The Free/Pay Debate: WatchTime is a paid-admission event; Wind Up has always been free. There’s tension over crowding and exclusivity from both brands and consumers.
  • “If someone’s potentially coming to buy from you… you wouldn’t charge someone to come into your boutique... Remove the roadblocks.” –Nicholas (30:52)
  • But also: “…if there’s no barrier to entry... then the question becomes for the watch brand… if somebody walks in off the street... I just start chatting up the guy for 20 or 30 minutes about how beautiful this vehicle is... Meanwhile, a guy behind me actually is interested in the car.” –Asher (34:06–34:28)
• Discovery vs. Qualification: Brands want both quality interactions and new exposure; higher-priced brands see less issue with ticketed entry, but value discovery for lower-priced brands. (32:40)

7. The Inside Scoop: What Brands Are Discussing This Year

• Brand Maneuvering: British brands are noticing Fears’ move from Wind Up to WatchTime and Bremont’s move the other way—seen by some as an “upgrade.” (38:25)
• Event Saturation: There’s now an over-abundance of events and after-parties: “Thursday evening this week, Fears with Studio Underdog hosted a cocktail party… there were eight other watch events on the Thursday evening alone.” (38:25–40:34)
• Competition for Attention: With so much on offer, even enthusiasts struggle to see everything: “There is so much going on and that’s brilliant... But say you’re a watch enthusiast … you might be able to take Friday off work…” (40:34–41:55)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “A trip like this can run to tens and tens of thousands of pounds. And that's not doing it luxuriously.” – Nicholas (16:57)
• "The insurance on that carnet costs us £12,000. So that is not a cheap piece of paper..." – Nicholas (15:48)
• “It's a technical school for weird artists like me.” – Asher, joking about Oberlin College (07:25)
• “I would go so far as to say [Wind Up] really isn’t an enthusiast event anymore... it is really in many ways a broad appeal mass appeal watch event.” – Asher (08:16)
• *“Are events your single largest marketing line item?” – Gabe. “Yes. Yes.” – Nicholas (18:26–18:29)
• “But there's no such thing as a cheap event…” – Nicholas (17:29)
• “Events have gone from being this curiosity... to now being the core business of a company like Worn and Wound.” – Gabe (25:25)
• “You want those 10 engaged people… but there might be that 11th person. You never heard of the brand… and you want them to be able to discover it for the first time…” – Nicholas (30:52)
• “This is a cost that no one really thinks about... all of the other operations of the business have to happen as well.” – Nicholas & Gabe on opportunity costs (20:42–22:26)
• “There are so many different layers of commerce that are happening... B2B, B2C. Partnerships between individual organizations...” – Asher (37:31)
• On the proliferation of events:
  “There is so much going on and that's brilliant. But say you're a watch enthusiast and... you've got a limited number of days holiday, you've got a partner, maybe a kid…” – Nicholas (40:34)
• On the essence of NY Watch Week:
  “If you are into watches, this really has become, I would say, yeah, bigger than Geneva, but more important than Geneva.” – Nicholas (41:55)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:24–02:25 – Setting the scene: Welcome, evolution & scope of New York Watch Week
• 03:41–06:09 – The 2019 vs. 2025 transformation & the early days of Wind Up
• 07:05–10:02 – Diversity of brands, price points, and audience
• 12:56–17:29 – The costs and logistics of exhibiting as a brand
• 19:13–20:03 – Marketing vs. sales ROI for events
• 22:31–26:28 – Media, events, and changing industry landscape
• 27:25–33:33 – Discussion on gatekeeping, ticketing, and qualifying event audiences
• 37:56–40:34 – What brands are really talking about behind the scenes at NY Watch Week
• 41:55–42:26 – Final thoughts on growth and the future of NY Watch Week

Takeaways

• New York Watch Week is now on par—if not surpassing—major European events in size and cultural impact.
• Events are now core to both marketing and the business models of independent brands and new-age watch media.
• Brand participation is a massive, calculated investment—not just a fun outing.
• The debate over accessibility vs. exclusivity is ongoing, with strong arguments for both open doors and qualified audiences.
• The collector’s world is both bigger and noisier than ever—perhaps for the better, but not without tradeoffs for brands and enthusiasts alike.