Meet the Watchmakers and Industry Leaders Coming to WatchTime New York 2026
The people behind the watches, in person
With less than a week to go, WatchTime New York is preparing to welcome more than 40 watch brands and many of the people behind them to Gotham Hall. Returning this weekend fro October 16–18, the event gives collectors a chance to meet leading watchmakers, founders and executives while exploring their newest watches.
That access has long been one of the event’s biggest draws. A conversation at a brand’s table can reveal how a watch was developed, why a particular design took shape, or what its maker is working on next. This year’s expected guests include some of the most recognizable figures in contemporary independent watchmaking, alongside leaders of established Swiss, German, and Japanese brands.
Founders, Watchmakers and Familiar Faces
MB&F founder Maximilian Büsser will be among those attending. His company has spent more than two decades developing unconventional watches and mechanical objects through collaborations with watchmakers, designers, and other specialists. Büsser will also join actor and watch designer Aldis Hodge for Saturday morning’s “Why We Collect: The Many Paths of Watch Collecting” panel.
Watchmakers Kari Voutilainen and Stepan Sarpaneva are also expected, offering visitors a chance to meet two Finnish-born creators with distinctly different approaches to their craft. Voutilainen is known for his movements, hand finishing, and guilloché dials, while Sarpaneva’s distinctive case shapes and expressive moon faces have become signatures of his work.
Urwerk co-founder Martin Frei will bring another design perspective, having helped establish the brand’s satellite time displays and futuristic case shapes. At Armin Strom, co-founders Claude Greisler and Serge Michel will be on hand to discuss the manufacture’s work, including its resonance watches.
The lineup also includes RGM founder Roland Murphy, whose Pennsylvania workshop has become an important name in American mechanical watchmaking, and Massena LAB founder William Massena, known for collaborations with watchmakers including Habring², Unimatic and Atelier Wen. Kudoke founder Stefan Kudoke and Czapek CEO Xavier de Roquemaurel are also due to attend.
Among the executives expected at Gotham Hall are Bell & Ross co-founder and CEO Carlos Rosillo, Parmigiani Fleurier CEO Guido Terreni, Oris CEO Rolf Studer and Moritz Grossmann founder and CEO Christine Hutter. For collectors, it’s a chance to ask the people in charge about the watches on the table — and what might be coming next.
Partners Beyond the Watches
WatchTime New York 2026 is presented in partnership with Wempe, the watch and jewelry retailer with a flagship on Fifth Avenue, and Jean Rousseau, the Parisian specialist in handcrafted leather straps. Jefferson’s Bourbon will offer tastings during the weekend, while U.S. Bank Private Wealth Management is sponsoring Friday evening’s collector dinner.
WatchTime New York takes place October 16–18 at Gotham Hall, 1356 Broadway. Sunday general admission tickets remain available, with further event information and panel reservations on watchtimeevents.com.
