WatchTime New York 2026: T-1 Preview — 10 Watches Worth Queuing For at Gotham Hall

WatchTime New York 2026 · T-1 Preview

The eleventh edition of WatchTime New York opens its doors at Gotham Hall in under 24 hours. Forty-six watchmakers will fill two floors of the Broadway landmark tomorrow evening for a three-day run that has become New York’s most concentrated watch weekend of the year. If the exhibitor list is anything to go by, 2026 may be the show’s strongest edition yet. Here is everything you need to know before the VIP bell rings at 5:30 PM tomorrow.

Tickets and schedule

The show runs across three sessions. Friday evening (16 Oct) is a ticketed VIP event — open to advance purchasers only. Saturday and Sunday are general admission, available at the door or cheaper online at watchtimeevents.com.

Day	Hours (EDT)	Format	Ticket (USD)
Friday 16 Oct	5:30–8:30 PM (cocktails) · to 10 PM with dinner	VIP reception, brand conversations	$225 VIP · $725 VIP + 3-course dinner
Saturday 17 Oct	11:00 AM – 5:00 PM	General admission	$35
Sunday 18 Oct	11:00 AM – 4:00 PM	General admission	$35

The venue is Gotham Hall, 1356 Broadway (at 36th Street). Nearest subway: B/D/F/M or N/Q/R/W to 34th St–Herald Square.

The floor: 46 brands across two levels

WatchTime New York has grown its brand count every edition, and 2026 hits 46 — a record for the show. The mix spans the full value chain: production giants (Zenith, Citizen, G-SHOCK), established Swiss independents (Voutilainen, MB&F, Urwerk, H. Moser & Cie., Ressence, Czapek, Hautlence), North American makers with genuine watchmaking credentials (RGM, Massena LAB), and handcraft-first names — L.Leroy, Laurent Ferrier, Arnold & Son, Ferdinand Berthoud — that rarely appear under one roof outside Geneva.

Full confirmed exhibitor list: Armin Strom, Arnold & Son, ArtyA, Artisans de Genève, Bell & Ross, Blancpain, Chopard, Chronoswiss, Citizen, Czapek, Fears, Ferdinand Berthoud, Fortis, Frédérique Constant, G-SHOCK, Gerald Charles, Glashütte Original, Hautlence, H. Moser & Cie., KUDOKE, Laurent Ferrier, L.Leroy, Massena LAB, MB&F, Ming, Moritz Grossmann, Norqain, Oris, Parmigiani Fleurier, Ressence, RGM Watch Company, Ulysse Nardin, Urwerk, Voutilainen, Zeitwinkel, Zenith, and ten more. The full 46-brand rundown with booth notes is in the complete event guide.

10 watches worth queuing for

Ming x J.N. Shapiro 37.06 Lightning — CHF 6,250

The collaboration between Malaysia’s Ming and New York’s J.N. Shapiro produced a 38mm steel case with a heat-coloured titanium dial — each torched individually to produce unique raspberry-and-bronze gradients. The manually wound Sellita SW210.M1 gives roughly 42 hours of reserve and 100 m water resistance. At CHF 6,250 (approximately $6,850 at press time, October 2026), it is one of the most accessible pieces with genuine collector energy at the show.

Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe 70th Anniversary — limited 300 pieces

Seventy years since the Fifty Fathoms changed dive-watch history, Blancpain marks the anniversary with a 37.4mm Bathyscaphe in steel powered by the in-house Calibre 1150 with silicon hairspring. Only 300 pieces — Blancpain has not announced a retail price, but comparable Bathyscaphe 37mm references have retailed in the $9,500–$11,000 range (pricing unconfirmed as of October 2026).

Ferdinand Berthoud Chronometre FB 3SPC.4-1 — price on request

Ferdinand Berthoud’s newest Chronometre adds the collection’s first crown guard — a subtle functional change — to the 42.3mm black ceramized titanium case. The manually wound, COSC-certified Calibre FB-SPC delivers 72 hours of power reserve. Prices are available on request and tend to sit well into six figures for this collection.

RGM Model 501-PC Perpetual Calendar — $39,900

Pennsylvania’s RGM is showing the 501-PC: a 39mm steel case, sapphire box crystal, white Grand Feu enamel dial with a moon phase and three calendar subdials. The ETA 2892-A2 base carries a Dubois Dépraz perpetual-calendar module refined in-house, with 52–56 hours of power reserve and 50 m water resistance. At $39,900 on an alligator strap, it sits well below most Swiss perpetual calendars from comparable independents (price confirmed as of October 2026).

Frederic Constant Classic Worldtimer Manufacture — $6,195

The Moneta Handwinding that debuted at Geneva Watch Days got most of the press, but the Classic Worldtimer Manufacture is the practical pick from the FC booth. A trimmer 40mm case (down from 42mm), the in-house FC-719 calibre with 72 hours of reserve (up from 38), and a blue dial on either a five-link bracelet or alligator strap — at $6,195 it remains one of the few manufacture-movement world-timers under $7,000 (price confirmed as of October 2026).

Chopard L.U.C Full Strike Dia de los Muertos — price on request

One-of-a-kind piece: a 42.5mm Fairmined white-gold case enclosing a green Grand Feu champlevé enamel calavera skull dial. The manually wound L.U.C Calibre 08.01-L carries a Geneva Seal and chimes the hours on sapphire gongs powered by a dedicated barrel — a full minute repeater that sounds as distinctive as it looks. Price available on request; comparable L.U.C Full Strike pieces have appeared at auction above $350,000.

KUDOKE 3 Raspberry — new permanent model

German independent Stefan Kudoke hand-finishes every movement himself, and the Kudoke 3 Raspberry joins the permanent line with a silver-and-raspberry palette and his Kaliber 1. Exact retail price is to be announced at the show; previous Kudoke 3 editions have retailed around CHF 12,500–14,000 (indicative; confirm at booth).

L.Leroy Vox Temporis — limited to 15 pieces

A minute repeater with flying tourbillon — two of watchmaking’s most demanding complications in a single movement — offered in three materials (red gold, platinum, Grade 5 titanium) with five pieces each. L.Leroy is one of the oldest active maison names in French watchmaking; pieces like the Vox Temporis rarely appear outside Geneva or Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie.

Oris Artelier Complication — moon phase and second time zone

Oris pairs a moon phase with a second time zone in the 39.5mm Artelier Complication, powered by the automatic Calibre 782 with 41 hours of reserve. If you have been tracking the Oris Aquis range as your next diver but want a dressier alternative from the same house, this is the booth to pause at. Price unconfirmed at time of writing — comparable Oris Artelier moon-phase references retail around $2,200–$2,800.

Arnold and Son Perpetual Moon 41.5 Colours of the Moon — 18 pieces per colourway

Three colourways (blue, golden, red), eighteen pieces each — 54 in total. The 41.5mm case houses the in-house HMX calibre tracking the moon phase with extraordinary precision (one day of error in 122 years). Arnold & Son is a case study in what genuine in-house manufacture looks like at a price point below the top-tier Swiss independents.

Practical tips for Saturday and Sunday

Gotham Hall’s main floor and mezzanine both host exhibitors. The mezzanine brands tend to draw fewer crowds — worth starting there. Saturday afternoons (2–4 PM) are the busiest window; arriving at 11 AM opening or returning Sunday morning gives noticeably more time at each table. Most exhibitors welcome detailed questions and allow hands-on handling. The independent booths in particular appreciate visitors who have done their homework.

If you have been weighing Grand Seiko versus Oris as your next watch, the Oris booth will let you time the Artelier Complication against the Aquis and calibrate the value proposition in person. The New York and Asia watch events guide has broader context on how WatchTime NY compares to the show’s previous editions and to other North American collector events.

Sources: WatchTime Magazine — official WatchTime New York 2026 announcement (Gotham Hall, October 16–18); WatchTime — First Look: 8 Watches to See at WatchTime New York 2026; WatchTime — 6 Must-See Watches at WatchTime New York 2026. All ticket prices dated 15 October 2026.