10 of D.C.’s favourites from Windup New York 2023

D.C. Hannay

The New York Windup Watch Fair is in the books for 2023, and I was lucky enough to take a spin through on the first day of the show. If you’ve never attended, this is the Super Bowl for microbrand fans in the NYC area, and there were plenty of watches to see and experience in person, as well as offerings from bigger brands like Zodiac, Bulova, and G-Shock. It was great to see old friends and make some new ones, in a show that saw packed crowds throughout. There were tons of watches to be seen, but what follows are ten of my faves from the show, some of which have yet to be released. Naturally, my picks highlight my proclivity for vintage-inspired tool watches, but rest assured, this show had virtually something for everyone.

Baltic

French microbrand powerhouse Baltic had one of the busiest booths at the fair, and much of the excitement surrounded their new GADA offering, the Hermétique Tourer field watch. This 37 mm beauty offers a great wearing experience, with a trim 10.8 mm case height, colour-matched tropical FKM strap, and integrated crown, which makes it easy to wear on either wrist. The case profile and double-domed sapphire crystal give a proper vintage look, and a Miyota 9039 automatic no-date movement and 150 metres of water resistance round out the specs. There are some lovely dial colours on offer, with the beige emerging as the hottest ticket, but I’m partial to the matte brown, which has a great, warm look for fall. In fact, I feel like brown dials may be on the verge of a moment, given some of the trends I’m noticing. What’s even better, you can find all four colours in the Time+Tide Shop.

Bravur

Swedish independent brand Bravur had some fetching chronographs in their Grand Tour lineup, which pay homage to iconic cycling races. The one that struck a chord with me was their tribute to the Tour de France, the black and yellow La Grande Boucle III. A limited run of 50, the compact 38.2 mm case looks the business in black PVD, while the silvery white textured dial features well-thought out punches of racy yellow. Timing chores are handled by the Sellita 511B, an automatic winder that sports a 4Hz beat rate and a considerable power reserve of 62 hours. A matching yellow FKM rubber strap sets the black case off perfectly, with go-fast vibes for days.

Echo/neutra

Italian microbrand Echo/neutra has some of the most visually distinctive models out there, with dials and bezels that bring a minimalist, modern twist to tool watches, sporting a clean aesthetic and super-saturated colourways. I’m a degenerate font snob, and Echo/neutra has some serious game in that department. One of my highlights was the 40mm Cortina 1956 3H, which offers a vivid no-date dial and fixed bezel combo in black, khaki, ivory, blue, the blue-on-white “Tennis Club Padova” edition, and this one, the rich Burgundy Red variant. Everything is highly legible, with vintage lume on the dial and sapphire bezel, and the colour is more intense than photos can adequately convey. A Sellita SW200-1 elaboré movement and 100 metres of water resistance complete the package. I also got some wrist time with their just-released Cortina 1956 GMT, which features a similar look geared toward the jet set, a GADA contender if ever there was one.

H.G.P.

A pleasant surprise at the show was the appearance of the revitalised H.G.P. brand from France. Displayed along with their reborn sibling brand, Wolbrook, the H.G.P. name traces its origins to the 1970s, as they were a prominent Paris dealer of dive equipment. H.G.P. is using a modernised version of the historic Monnin case for their 42 mm Automatic and Mecaquartz divers, and at some pretty attractive prices. Both versions feature 200 metres of water resistance, a clean, easy-reading dial replete with seven layers of Super-LumiNova, Seiko movements, and vulcanised rubber straps (or beads-of-rice bracelets). To top things off, it appears there’s a GMT version in the works, based on the prototype I tried on. All in all, great retro looks, and impressive bang for the buck.

Lorca

One of the biggest impressions came from a microbrand with a quiet, refined design aesthetic, New York’s own Lorca. Their initial offering, the aptly named Model No.1 GMT, just oozes midcentury cool, with a trim 36 mm steel case and matching engraved fixed 24-hour bezel. It’s a beautiful timepiece in a tidy, travel-ready package, one that evokes the Mad Men era like a well-tailored suit. The brainchild of musician Jesse Marchant, the Model No.1 features a Swiss Soprod C125 R4 GMT movement, a subtle black or silver sunray dial, double domed sapphire crystal, 200 metres of water resistance, and an oh-so-supple beads-of-rice type bracelet. The Model No.1 GMT will be delivering in the spring of 2024.

Lorier

Lorier was back at Windup, offering their array of vintage-leaning models that hark back to the golden age of watch design, but something was different this year. 2023 sees the release of the blacked-out Hydra Zulu GMT, and I’m smitten. This one goes hard into the ‘70s aesthetic, with a look that recalls Heuer and Porsche Design, but with a look and profile all its own. The 41mm case gets the black DLC treatment, so the finish will be a good sight more durable than those vintage icons. A Miyota 9075 GMT movement, 200 metres of water resistance, gobs of C3 lume, an Italian vulcanised rubber strap, and one of my favourite details, a domed Hesalite crystal, are the highlights of an impressive spec list.

Marathon

Canadian brand Marathon is well-known for their tough tool watches, and their latest happens to have a great retro look as well. The 41mm Steel Navigator (SSNAV) is a direct descendent of Marathon’s ‘80s “Adanac” Navigator, with some modern updates added. The Parkerized stainless case offers a subdued finish, and features a screwdown crown for 100 metres of water resistance. You’ll also find an ETA F06.412 HeavyDrive-PreciDrive Quartz movement for accuracy and durability, as well as self-illuminating tritium gas tubes on the dial offering low light visibility. A sapphire crystal and bidirectional 12-hour bezel complete the no-nonsense spec sheet.

Sherpa

EPSA compressor dive models are highly sought vintage pieces, and the Sherpa Ultradive and blacked-out OPS versions are tributes to that innovative case design. In a nutshell, a true compressor utilises a spring-loaded caseback to ensure watertight operation, even when gaskets start to wear. Sherpa pays homage to the original Enicar Sherpa with their new models that also feature the throwback inner rotating bezel and Monoflex compressor crowns. I tried on the black DLC OPS version, and it wears extremely well on my average-sized wrist, while offering a stealthy countenance not found on the originals. The Mantramatic MM01 movement is Sellita-based, and you’ll also find an ISO-certified 200 metres of water resistance among the list of specifications.

Xeric

And now for something completely different…Xeric is the go-to indie brand for all things horologically unexpected, and their latest, the Vendetta X Automatic, is one of their most outré offerings to date. Founder Mitch Greenblatt says he took inspiration from the wild, wedgelike cars of the ‘70s like the Lotus Esprit (I’m also detecting a note of Alfa Romeo’s Carabo concept). The wandering hour display is visible through four separate “windows” resembling the passenger compartment of one of those seminal supercars, and it’s fascinating to watch. There are six different variants on offer, including a blacked-out model, one with carbon fibre detailing, and my sentimental pick, the station wagon-esque rosewood version. The Vendetta X has a unique, angular aesthetic that’s rarely seen from other brands, at least not since those days of earth-toned appliances and shag-carpeted conversation pits, and I couldn’t love it more.

Zodiac

Finally, Zodiac brought the horological heat with several new models on display, including the neon-soaked Laser Tag special editions, and the brand-new green-dialled Super Sea Wolf Skin Diver, a new variant on my favourite watch from their catalogue. It’s such a versatile piece, with great retro looks and a comfy 39 mm case, and it’s available in five different versions. They all feature an in-group STP 1-11 automatic movement, 200 metres of water resistance, and Swiss Super-LumiNova lighting up those distinctive sharktooth triangular markers. The SSW Skin Diver couldn’t be more in my stylistic wheelhouse, and it’s a great size for my wrist. The new green dial is especially lovely, but I’m still partial to the OG black version with those bright orange accents on the second hand and bezel. Time + Tide is the exclusive Australian retailer for Zodiac.