May 4th, 2026 Edition — Wrap-Up
There was a time when the watch world revolved around a handful of major fairs centered in Switzerland — Baselworld, SIHH, and the broader industry orbit around them. For years, that model defined how collectors, brands, and watchmakers connected.
Today, the landscape feels more decentralized. Smaller collector-led gatherings, independent showcases, WhatsApp groups, and community-driven events have become increasingly important spaces for discovery and conversation within the watch world.
INDIES.NYC is part of that shift.
Held twice a year in Manhattan, the latest edition took place on May 4th, bringing together 10 independent high-end artisan watchmakers and a community of collectors in a more intimate setting. Rather than focusing on scale, the event emphasized direct interaction between makers and attendees.
Hosted in a private luxury game room in Hudson Yards, the atmosphere was intentionally relaxed. Watchmakers and collectors moved easily between conversations, presentations, drinks, and games throughout the evening. Music, food, and the venue itself gave the event a more social and informal feel than a traditional trade show. More than one watchmaker arrived with a display case and ended the night at the bowling lanes alongside collectors — talking watches one minute, comparing bowling scores the next.
The soundtrack leaned hip-hop, and at one point, James (“The Raphorologist”) delivered a spoken-word performance inspired by watchmaking and collecting culture. Catering was provided by Chef Jay of LORE, himself part of the collector community — another reminder that the line between hosts, makers, and attendees often felt blurred throughout the evening.
They Don’t Produce. They Create.
At the center of the event were the artisan watchmakers themselves — independent creators who, in many cases, work alone or with very small teams, remaining closely involved in every stage of the creation process. For several of them, watchmaking is still deeply hands-on: designing, assembling, and finishing largely by themselves, sometimes with the support of family members or spouses involved in parts of the work.
The opportunity for collectors to speak directly with the people behind the watches — not representatives or sales teams, but the makers themselves — remains one of the defining aspects of gatherings like INDIES.NYC.
The May 4th edition featured (by alphabetical order):
Andreas Strehler — Sirnach, Switzerland
Art of Arion by Eric Tillman — Sparks, Maryland, USA
Breva — Geneva, Switzerland
Dan Royter — New York City, USA
Frédéric Jouvenot — Geneva, Switzerland
Machiel Hulsman — Heerde, The Netherlands
Ondřej Berkus — Czech Republic
Samuel Gillioz — Geneva, Switzerland
Zavorine by Aleksey Pavlov — Washington, D.C., USA
Zeitwinkel — Saint-Imier, Switzerland
INDIES.NYC was founded by Jon Cruys, a Belgian collector and community builder who previously established the RedBar Shanghai chapter while living in China. For him, watches were never a profession but a constant passion alongside his career. Since 2023, he has been shaping something deliberately intimate in New York — but INDIES.NYC is far from a one-man effort. Alongside him are Niu-Niu, a New York–based Hungarian collector with Chinese roots; James Kong of Waitlisted; and Marie Ansel with 17 years in the watch industry. They are friends first, and that spirit carries through the entire event.
Next 2026 edition
Thursday, October 15th, 2026 (during New York Watch Week).
