Last Sunday, microbrand watches and watch lovers descended upon Washington, DC for the second annual Microbrand Meetup. I’m pleased to say it went off without a hitch. We had beautiful weather, a perfect venue, a remarkable selection of watches, and a couple hundred hardcore watch nerds representing the DC metro region.
The Meetup provided a chance for watch lovers to try watches they might otherwise only see online. Watch vendors and reviewers try their best to describe them, but you can’t fully appreciate a watch until you have it on your wrist. Of course, once you do, it can be hard to put it down and many attendees left with one or more irresistible new watches. But the best part of all was the amazing vibe in the room. People were excited about the event, absolutely passionate about watches, and ready to indulge their favorite hobby. Of course, we were happy to oblige.
Meetup guests got to sample a fantastic selection including new releases, prototypes, and limited editions. The Szanto Hawaiian Lifeguard Association series and Maison Celadon Yue Fei diving watch both made their US debuts at the show.
Several brands showed prototypes or early production models, giving showgoers a glimpse of things to come. This year, we also expanded our circle beyond microbrands and smaller independents. The Little Treasury Jewellers brought an eclectic selection including Nomos, Meistersinger, Alexander Shorokhoff, Muhle Glashutte, Bremont, and Grand Seiko; while DC Vintage Watches offered some tasty timepieces from the 1960’s and 70’s.
Many thanks to all the vendors and brands represented at the event: ArmourLite, Aquadive, BOLDR, Borealis, Brew, Carpenter, Clockwork Synergy, Collins, Doxa, DC Vintage Watches, Elliott Brown, Gorilla, Gruppo Gamma, Hager, Heitis, Hemel, Isofrane, Jenny, Lew & Huey, Maison Celadon, Manchester Watch Works, McDowell Time, Melbourne Watch Company, Mercer, NTH, Ocean Crawler, Szanto, The Little Treasury Jewellers, Tsao Baltimore, Variant, Ventus, Vortic, Watch Gauge, and Zelos.
The Time Bum and McDowell Time are already planning for 2018, so stay tuned for more info. In the meantime, enjoy some pics from this year’s event. ⬩
Photos courtesy of DCGuy and McDowell Time
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