Roundup: The Panels of Windup Watch Fair San Francisco

One of the highlights of the Windup Watch Fair in San Francisco last month was the plethora of amazing programming that took place throughout all three days of the event. The Gateway Pavilion at Fort Mason had an ideal room dedicated to creating the kind of panel content that we’re fond of making here at Worn & Wound. Fortunately, we had a slew of incredible industry professionals on site to glean some great insights! Here’s a roundup of panels from the big show.

Time on Screen: Dunkirk with William Wood

In celebration of the release of their most ambitious watch to date, William Wood CEO Jonny Garrett joined Zach Kazan and Kyle Snarr on stage at the San Francisco Windup Watch Fair to talk about Nolan’s film and share the story of the Dunkirk Watch. The new limited edition watch was made in partnership with and in tribute to the Massey Shaw, a London Fire Brigade Fire Boat that played an important role in evacuating British forces from Dunkirk Beach in the early stages of World War II.

Introducing the Christopher Ward Twelve X

Zach Kazan sits down with Mike France, CEO of Christopher Ward, to chat about one of the absolute highlight watches of the show: The Twelve X. For the 10th anniversary of the SH21, new for 2024, Christopher Ward has debuted the Twelve X. Not their first skeletonized watch, they claim to have removed even more material than ever before, exposing parts of the movement that have previously been hidden. The Twelve X will be an open series watch, designed to be built in numbers, and showcases Christopher Ward’s belief that machine finishing is entirely appropriate for high-end watches. Now that the best machines can very nearly do the same as the human hand, it has become a tool to help deliver one of their key missions: making high-end watch-making accessible to all.

Exploring the Collecting Journey with Watch Gang

Worn & Wound’s cofounder James Helms takes the helm of the of this panel of industry legends. He was joined on stage by Chad Tsagris, Senior VP of Product at Watch Gang, Vishal Tolani, CEO at Solar Time Ltd., and Uwe Ruecker, CEO at Laco for a deep dive into the journey we take as collectors. From those first few fun and affordable watches, all the way to dipping toes into vintage grails—watch this panel to get some vast new perspectives on how the industry works and how that knowledge will make you a better collector over time!

Talking Typography and Watch Design with Paulin

Here at Worn & Wound, good design and great typography are discussed on a daily basis, so this panel was right up our alley. In conjunction with the launch of the Paulin x OH no Type Co. collab watches, Kyle Snarr, Worn & Wound’s Head of Partnerships, is joined by Katie Muir, Designer at Paulin and James Edmondson, Type Designer at OH no Type Co. for an exciting discussion. This panel centers not only on the concepting process around a new watch, but on the intricacies of developing a custom font specifically for a dial of a watch.

Collection Protection with HODINKEE Insurance

As our collections grow, both in number and value of watches, the question of how to best insure our little ticking friends becomes more and more relevant. Worn & Wound Managing Editor, Zach Kazan is joined by Marc Hajjar, Head of HODINKEE Insurance for a deep dive into best practices and the ins and outs of the mechanics of watch insurance. This eye-opening discussion was easily one of the most informative interviews of the Windup weekend!

The Art of the Wrist Shot with Citizen

Ah, the wrist shot… one the coolest ways to spot a watch for the first time and get the feels. However, when certain principles are not abided by, things can go horribly wrong resulting in the dreaded HMT (aka: Hairy Meat Tube). This panel is moderated by Worn & Wound’s Head of Partnerships, Kyle Snarr, and features photographers such as: Neall Brick, Director of Merchandising at Citizen Brand, Ben Carpenter, Marketing Manager at Camera West, and Kat Shoulders, Head of Content at Worn & Wound. These experts review exactly how to craft that perfect wrist shot!

Fears x Topper Happy Hour

To celebrate the release of the Fears Brunswick Silver Sector Topper Edition, we held a Happy Hour at Windup San Francisco with two great guests. Hosted by Kyle Snarr, Head of Partnerships at Worn & Wound, he was joined by Nicholas Bowman-Scargill, Managing Director of the Fears Watch Company Limited and Rob Caplan, owner at Topper Fine Jewelers. The discussed the new edition, what the collaborative process looked like, and so much more. Big thanks to our friends at Bruichladdich for the beverages.

Trend Forecast: Enthusiast Carry and Travel Gear

In 2023, Worn & Wound introduced a new aspect of the Windup Watch Fairs called EDC Alley. This year, in partnership with our pals at Carryology, we launched an expanded version of this concept called EDC Expo. Jedd Rose, Founder at Topo Designs, and Taylor Welden, Creative Director at Carryology join Kyle Snarr, Head of Partnerships at Worn & Wound for a detailed discussion around the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities facing everyday carry and travel gear brands.

If you love the content created at Windup, get ready for more. The Chicago edition of the Windup Watch Fair is just around the corner. On Friday, July 12th through Sunday, July 14th, join us at Venue West in the West Loop of Chicago and Experience Enthusiasm™. The team here at Worn & Wound will be joined by 50 amazing brands from around the world. So join us for Windup Watch Fair, July 14th through 12th at Venue West at 1639 W Walnut St in Chicago. See you there!