There was a line outside before the doors opened. On Thursday, October 15, INDIES.NYC held its fourth salon at a secret venue in Manhattan's Flatiron District, bringing together 25 independent watchmakers from nine countries and 700 collectors, journalists and industry professionals for six hours dedicated to independent horology.
The setting was deliberately minimalist: a white studio space, black furniture and a large illustrated installation of New York City covered in watches, created by London-based artist Olivia Whitworth. From 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM, guests moved between tables, discovering watches and, more importantly, meeting the people who make them.
No traditional exhibition booths, no sales teams. Just the watchmakers, their creations and the conversations that followed. After all, there's no red carpet in a watchmaker's workshop, so why should there be one at INDIES.NYC? The atmosphere felt less like a conventional watch event and more like being invited to a big family gathering — informal, welcoming, and brought together by a shared passion for watchmaking.
Highlights
25 independent artisan-watchmakers from 9 countries
A carefully curated guest list of 700 collectors, each personally selected and vetted, alongside international journalists and industry professionals
6 hours of discovery
3 women watchmakers: Annelinde Dunselman (Dunselman Watchmaking), Marie Kallinich (Kallinich Claeys) and Jessica Pieters (Atelier Pieters)
2 AHCI members: Nicolas Delaloye and Tan Zehua, alongside 1 AHCI candidate Kallinich Claeys
Established independent voices including Marco Tedeschi, Stepan Sarpaneva, Nicolas Delaloye
A new generation represented by A.T. Création, Jean Khatchadourian, MANTEIO and Bradley Taylor
And one fully mechanical vinyl record player VonKa & Berna
A Closer Look at Six Participating Makers
With 25 independent watchmakers presenting their work, INDIES.NYC offered a wide range of perspectives on contemporary horology. The following six profiles provide a closer look at some of the people, ideas and creations represented at this edition — a small selection reflecting the diversity of approaches on display.
Kallinich Claeys — Glashütte, Germany
Founded in 2022 by independent master watchmaker Johannes Kallinich, formerly of A. Lange & Söhne, Kallinich Claeys is a family undertaking in which his twin sister Marie helps shape the finishing and aesthetic identity of each piece. Working from a small atelier in Glashütte, the siblings bring a personal approach to traditional German fine watchmaking, combining meticulous hand-finishing with creative freedom. Their EINSER reflects this philosophy, notably through an unconventional detail: the power-reserve indication is moved from the dial to the side of the case. Kallinich Claeys is currently a candidate for the Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants (AHCI).
LEGARE — La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
After decades documenting watchmaking as the founding editor of Revolution and The Rake, Wei Koh has stepped into the role of watch creator alongside Guillaume Têtu, former co-founder of Hautlence. Their brand, LEGARE, explores historically significant watchmaking ideas that never developed into established collections. Its debut creation, Chapter I — AGP Inverted, revisits Albert-Gustave Piguet's 1932 double-balance chronometer. Two independent balances are averaged through a planetary differential, with the mechanism displayed on the dial side.
Felipe Pikullik — Berlin, Germany
Felipe Pikullik belongs to a new generation of independent watchmakers. Born in Berlin, he fell in love with mechanics at an early age. After learning his craft alongside renowned watchmakers Stefan Kudoke and Rolf Lang, he set up his own workshop in Berlin, initially creating watches from his living room. Today, his creations reflect that same curiosity and determination, combining expressive skeletonized movements, beautiful hand-finishing, and a very personal approach to traditional watchmaking. For Felipe, it's not simply about making beautiful watches, but about learning to make as much as possible himself, one component at a time.
Atelier Pieters — Les Hauts-Geneveys, Switzerland
Atelier Pieters is the collaboration of Maarten and Jessica Pieters, two watchmakers with complementary expertise. Maarten previously spent fifteen years as Director of WOSTEP and led Omega's complications department. Jessica, a former WOSTEP instructor, specialises in finishing and decoration. Their first creation, the Atelier 1 Founders' Series, combines a one-minute tourbillon with a dual planetary power-reserve indication visible on both sides of the watch. Its hand-wound, in-house movement is entirely finished by the two founders.
Bradley Taylor — Vancouver, Canada
Canadian watchmaker Bradley Taylor studied his craft in Switzerland, earning certifications from Patek Philippe and Hublot before returning to Vancouver to develop his own movement. Four years of work resulted in the Ardea, powered by the hand-wound calibre 475RS. Inspired by the architecture of the vintage Omega calibre 30T2, the movement has been extensively reworked, with Taylor producing approximately 80% of its components himself. Its distinguishing feature is a retrograde seconds mechanism integrated into the baseplate. The movement incorporates 14k gold going-train wheels, while solid platinum numerals are applied to the sterling silver dial. The Ardea is housed in a 37.8 mm case, available in steel or platinum.
VonKa & Berna — Sainte-Croix, Switzerland
One of the more unexpected objects at INDIES.NYC was not a watch at all. Precision-mechanics specialists Corentin von Kaenel and Aaron Bernasconi, working with automaton master François Junod, presented the Vinylophone: a fully mechanical, acoustic record player designed for 45-rpm vinyl records. Operating without electronics, the Vinylophone contains 160 components, 104 of which are machined at the founders' CAP14 workshop in Sainte-Croix. A reminder that the skills and imagination associated with independent watchmaking can extend well beyond the wrist.
The Participating Watchmakers
The fourth edition of INDIES.NYC brought together 25 independent watchmaking names:
1776 Atelier · Artur Akmaev · Atelier Pieters · Bradley Taylor · Delaloye Genève · Dunselman Watchmaking · Felipe Pikullik · Garrick · Holthinrichs Watches · Jean Khatchadourian · Kallinich Claeys · LEGARE · MANTEIO · Marco Tedeschi · Marcu Genève · Mermont · Reima Koivukoski · Sarpaneva · Statera Atelier · Stéphane Pierre · Tan Zehua · TAOS · VonKa & Berna · Zeitwinkel
Together, the participating makers offered a view of contemporary independent horology, from traditional hand-finishing and classical complications to experimental designs and unconventional mechanical creations.
Supporting the Next Generation
Alongside the salon, INDIES.NYC continued its "1% for the Next Generation" initiative, through which participating watchmakers contribute directly to supporting watchmaking education. The initiative reflects a shared interest in ensuring that the skills, knowledge and creative freedom associated with independent watchmaking continue to develop among future generations.
In Their Words
Tony Traina — Unpolished
“As soon as I walked in, the vibe at INDIES.NYC felt different. It was loud, casual, and a drink somehow found my hand almost immediately. But the watchmaking was serious.”
“More than anything, the concentration of watchmaking that INDIES.NYC pulled together was exceptional. It's a testament to the team—all the exhibitors felt handpicked and thoughtfully chosen.”
Wei Koh — Co-founder, LEGARE, REVOLUTION Mag, The Rake
“INDIES.NYC is not just a fair and much more than a happening, it is a crucible of craft, horological innovation, and wonderfully unrestrained passion organised by the very best.”
Marko Koncina — Swiss Watch Gang
“The energy at INDIES.NYC is something I truly appreciate as a watch collector. The raw atmosphere of the space, the personal interactions with the makers, and the casual conversations with like-minded people. A truly authentic place where the passion for watches takes center stage.”
Emily Marsden — Secretdiaryofawatchgirl
“Effervescent. Electric. Energising. Independent watchmaking is often called niche, but INDIES.NYC proved otherwise. What made it special was how personal it felt: the crowd was much part of the show as the headliners. As a collector, it was a joy to finally meet Stéphane Pierre after his debut L’Impetrant, and Annelinde Dunselman, one of the most exciting women running her own atelier today. A true highlight was seing Wei Koh, who has spent two decades championing watchmakers, on the other side of the table with his own brand Legare, which showed just how far appreciation for the craft has come. INDIES.NYC brought the people shaping independent watchmaking, from accross the globe, into one place, which is no small feat. Bravo”
