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After two fantastic Windup Watch Fairs in New York and San Francisco, it is almost time to return to Chicago! Whether you’re attending the third annual Windup Watch Fair in Chicago or you’ll be observing from afar (@wornandwound on Instagram), the event is free and open to the public thanks in large part to our lead sponsors: Christopher Ward, Citizen, Fortis, G-Shock, and Oris. These brands continue to walk the walk around building a strong enthusiast community. They also make great watches.
Venue West – 221 N Paulina St, Chicago, IL 60612
Friday, July 12: 12PM – 6PM
Saturday, July 13: 12PM – 6PM
Sunday, July 14: 12PM – 5PM
Free and open to the public
Head to the Product Showcase on the Windup Watch Fair site to see and shop even more of the great watches that will be on display this year in Chicago. With the Fair a little over a week away, we have another fantastic showcase of brands from around the globe and local to Chicago. Below, check out some highlight pieces our Lead Sponsors have been focusing on this year. Like any good preview, don’t be surprised if some of them have even more to offer when the fair arrives.
Christopher Ward
Christopher Ward is an Anglo-Swiss watchmaker with a simple aim: to put premium quality watches within the reach of everyone. Founded in 2004, the company prides itself on combining traditional Swiss watchmaking techniques with contemporary English design. Models like the Bel Canto, Trident, Sealander, and The Twelve are admired among watch lovers, while CW’s Calibre SH21 was the first in-house mechanical movement from an English brand in over 50 years. The release of the Twelve X (Ti) celebrates a decade of their in-house movement and 20 years of Christopher Ward history.
With a skeletonized reimagining of their popular integrated bracelet sports watch, The Twelve X measures 41 millimeters and sits 12.3 millimeters tall on the wrist. The self-winding COSC-certified movement delivers a whopping 120 hours of power reserve. The bezel is made of Grade 5 titanium and the case is made of Grade 2 titanium, allowing this well-sized watch to weigh in at just 51 grams. Beyond the Twelve X (Ti), attendees should be on the look out for Christopher Ward’s C63 Dune GMT, C63 Valous, C60 Pro 300 Bronze Blue, and the Bel Canto ‘The Red One’ as well as more surprises that might drop by the fair dates.
Citizen
Citizen, a pioneer in watchmaking and innovation since 1918, promotes excellence and creativity with a deep-rooted respect for craftsmanship. Citizen advocates “Better Starts Now,” searching for and accomplishing goals that cultivate positive change. Citizen was an early pioneer in advocating for the environment, launching the first light-powered watches with proprietary Eco-Drive technology in 1976, adding eco-mindfulness as a core company value. This year, Citizen is celebrating 100 years in business and 35 years of their powerful Promaster line, notably with the release of the 35th Anniversary Promaster Fujitsubo.
This new Promaster Dive Automatic balances classic Citizen dive aesthetics with the latest dive-ready technology. Featuring a lightweight and scratch-resistant Super Titanium™ 41 millimeter case, the Fujitsubo also features platinum DLC and a matching triple-link bracelet. The watch’s dial and uni-directional bezel feature marine blue color and green lume to channel a vintage feel. With an automatic movement with enhanced magnetic resistance and 42-hour power reserve, every Promaster Fujitsubo is water resistant up to 200 meters. The design and the name come from a classic in-house story: a 1977 Citizen Challenge Diver resurfaced on an Australian beach in 1983 covered in barnacles after literally years on the ocean current. The design of that watch inspired the Promaster Fujitsubo, whose name literally means “barnacle” in Japanese.
Fortis
Fortis has been guided by its mission build true luxury that is ready for your scratches. To do so, they’ve taken to redefining the Tool Watch. Established in 1912, Fortis is to this very day a family-owned Manufacturer. Well-known for robustness and high-quality, Fortis is the only watch brand that – in collaboration with the Swedish Space Corporation – truthfully tests their watches and movements in outer space. Perhaps no watch channels their interstellar aspirations better than the Stratoliner S-41 White Dust which has been making waves in the Windup circles and beyond.
This future-focused piece is designed for a nascent and growing audience: the Space Tourist. Inspired by the persistence of great visionaries, the Stratoliner is both tribute to and motivation for the inventors of tomorrow. The watch has a diameter of 41 millimeters, water resistance to 200 meters and a power reserve of 60 hours. At 14.5 millimeters tall and 98 grams, the watch blends durable design with off-planet design cues. The stardust dial shows off a grained finish. In darkness, space blue Super-LumiNova® X1 on the second hand and more Super-LumiNova® X1 around the dial and other hands will light your way. The in-house Fortis Werk 17 Automatic Manufacture Calibre features a column wheel chronograph for enhanced reliability (even off-planet).
G-SHOCK
The three essential components of G-SHOCK’s inaugural “Triple 10” concept are a 10-year battery life, 10-bar water resistance, and 10-meter dropping shock resistance. With these features as goals, the actual development of the renowned G-SHOCK didn’t come easy, and continues to delight enthusiasts around the world. The rugged shape and robust styling originated with an engineer’s brief calling for an “unbreakable watch.” Since its birth in 1983, G-SHOCK has continued its unrestrained evolution while retaining its unique basic structure. Today, G-SHOCK continues to take up challenges beyond the limits of time and realms of possibility.
Be sure to check out the GMB2100AD-2A in Chicago, a new iteration on the 2100-series case from G-SHOCK. Its dimensions are 44.4 x 49.8 x 12.8 mm, and its case and bracelet are both made of stainless steel. It features a striking navy blue dial that has both analog and digital time-telling functionality as well as a stopwatch, timer, alarm, LED Light, full calendar (to 2099), and bluetooth connectivity. This piece offers 200 meters of water resistance and is powered by a Solar Quartz movement. Protected by a stainless steel case, the 87,660 hour “power reserve” will keep you confident your watch is both useful and beautiful on your wrist.
Oris
For 120 years, Oris has been making purely mechanical watches in Hölstein, Switzerland. Oris watches are inventive, superbly crafted, high functioning, and aim to be the best possible watch for the money. Beyond useful complications and prices that make sense, Oris is on a mission to behave more responsibly and bring #ChangeForTheBetter, which means making choices that are ecologically, socially, and financially responsible. Certified climate neutral in 2021, Oris publishes a full sustainability report every year and organizes clean-up events globally. Staying true to its rich heritage, Oris is one of the few Swiss watch companies to remain independently owned and operated. Because of its independence, Oris has the freedom to follow its own path.
Among its many sought after pieces in the brand’s collection, Oris will be showing off their new Aquis collection with new colors, sizes and additional design updates. The flagship 43.5 millimeter Aquis powered by the Oris Calibre 400 movement comes in Green, Blue, and the new multi-colored Upcycle. The Upcycle dials are created from recycled ocean plastic, another example of the brand’s embedded sustainability practices. The update also includes the highly requested color-matched dials (although the Upcycle has a calming blue color). The Aquis also comes in 41.5 mm and a new 36.5 millimeter size—other sizes include more color and movement selections. The Aquis captured enthusiasts’ hearts in San Francisco, so be sure to stop by the Oris booth to see their latest releases.
With a hearty THANK YOU to each of our lead sponsors (and the 50+ additional sponsors of Windup Chicago), we are so excited to welcome everyone to the Windy City for the latest iteration of the Fair. Be sure to stop by each Lead Sponsor booth, sit in on one of our engaging panels (line up dropping next week!), and chat with other enthusiast attendees. There’s nothing quite like Windup.
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