The Big Fat World Time UK Meetup Thread
It was amazing to see a bunch of fellow Crunchers today!
The World Time UK microbrand event was just amazing, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys chatting to brand owners and getting a sneak peek of watches not yet released. I think we spent an easy 4 hours wandering around in the end, and next time I will 100% come a bit later in the day and chat with the brand owners in the bar afterwards.
Biggest surprises of the day for me...
Circular.
I have to admit that I always thought their watches looked a little 'meh' online, but in person they were bloody lovely. No less than 3 of our group ordered a watch from them after today's event! I haven't quite pulled the trigger yet, but if I was, I think it would be for their compressor.
Zero West
On their website their watches look like big fat masculine war watches, but in person they are phenomenally wearable on my dinky wrist. This is definitely a case of photos not doing these guys justice. I completely fell in love with a number of their pieces, all of which they hand make themselves.
(My crappy pictures don't do these watches justice. They're lovely.)
SudioUnderd0g
Again, surprisingly wearable on a small wrist. I'm quite disappointed in myself with the fact that out of all of these wonderful colours to choose from, their goofy panda was my favourite.
(Yes, I tried on all colourways. Any ladies considering these, do not worry about the size. They fit beautifully.)
Watches which didn't disappoint...
Formex
We all know how awesome they are, so it wasn't surprising that I fell in love with the Essence on the wrist. What was surprising was that I actually think I loved the Mother of Pearl dial more than the plain white.
Escudo
I've seen these folks on WC occasionally, so it was lovely to meet the makers in person. Their strong connections to Portugal radiate through their watch designs in loads of wonderful little details which litter their designs. They have a wonderful selection of colourways and custom make all their straps, so small wristed folks like me can have something custom made at no extra cost.
Clemence
I already knew how lovely these looked online and they do not disappoint in person. They have a personality all of their own and Tom, the brands owner, has really taken time and effort to create something special. Although I initially went to see the orange/amber dial, it was the white dial that won my heart.
Tuseno
I had this firmly on my list of 'must sees' and was definitely as captivated by the Windseeker dial as I thought I would be. Blue would be the colourway I'd pick. But actually, I don't think I would pick the Windseeker at all out of their collection, as I was much more drawn to their new stainless steel bezel diver. Not in production yet, but due to be launched later this year. Look at that lume!
I have reached the limit for photos in a post so will pop more in the comments.
If anyone else has any photos to add, please pop them in below!
Was lovely seeing the UK Crunch Crew again!
@Chunghauphoto @GasWorks @Guvnor64 @Stricko @Scooby @hamishfrob @Clemence_Watches @Studio.Underd0g and Julian, who's handle I do not know!
Part-time 'writter' @ The Escapement Room, the NSFW watch enthusiasts blog. www.theescapementroom.com/
More from DeeperBlue
Vario
RZE (repurposed vintage movements and cases)
Farer
Isotope
Other delights and photos from the day...
I went for the compressor... very lovely. Stock photo because I'm hopeless..
I need to make more effort looking for UK events and try and get to them, looks like lots of great watches to see! Thanks for sharing!
I'm loving the lack of date complications and when included they're in the correct 6 o'clock position 👍
Hoping this trend sticks!
Well done! Lots of great new stuff to go look into. So, you know, thanks for that…I guess… 👍🏻😉
Thanks for the boat loads of photos. Next best thing to being there.
Amazing. Thanks for sharing all the photos Kaysia.
I have fomo now. 😭
Especially like seeing a Direnzo in the wild.
@DeeperRed you’re a trooper for getting all that posted same day! Not surprised you liked the Circula…once I got hands on the credit card came out 😁. Appreciate you being a small wrist model…I will show them all to @LBoogie
I’m digging this! @DeeperRed were y’all able to buy on the spot or everything was pre order?
Awesome thread, with tons to take in. Those Clemence pieces particularly appeal to me, especially the multi-color version. Very cool exploration - as it were - of the field watch idea.
awesome, thx for the photo. many of them are amazing, my favourite is vario and clemence 😍😍
Hi Kaysia, it was so nice to meet you yesterday! Thank you for stopping by to introduce yourself and check out the Munro's. Thrilled that they lived up to expectations and that the Spindrift colourway has won you over😀! Look forward to the next time we meet and talking your ear off about your time in Mountain Rescue!
Hi Kaysia, it was so nice to meet you yesterday! Thank you for stopping by to introduce yourself and check out the Munro's. Thrilled that they lived up to expectations and that the Spindrift colourway has won you over😀! Look forward to the next time we meet and talking your ear off about your time in Mountain Rescue!
As I mentioned, we never needed to worry about avalanches, just the mist descending.
Looking forward to next time! Will definitely hang around for drinks 👍
Great pics of the day! And a fabulous write up of the days events. I’ve been to the event for the past few years but this year was my favourite because I got to hang out with this great bunch of people too. I consider it a rare privilege to know/chat/laugh with the members of this group.
Right, enough of that (you don’t want to hear about some weirdos who are one rung on the social ladder below train spotters), you want to see and hear about some watches:-
Vario and RZE
They’re not the same company but they’re mates who were next to each other. I wanted to try on the Versa. I was unsure of the height but it was fine - well proportioned. If I had bought one, I think it might be returned after a month because I would have worn out the mechanism by constantly flipping it around (that’s not a knock on the quality of the watch btw!). RZE you see in the photos (forgive me for not knowing the exact model), has a vintage movement housed in a vintage case with a new custom dial and handset (have a closer look at the numerals).
Farer
The 36mm Resolute is a great looking watch for me. Those colours just lend the watch for a variety of strap options. In the dark, the lumed dial is amazing. I was never convinced about the Tonneau - I thought it’d be a difficult wear for me and the colours are just not my thing. I was half right - it wears fine (if a tad too high). I’m sure others will love it. Paul from Farer also mentioned that the World Timer will be re-launched in different colours.
Radcliffe
Got hands on with Le Dome. It’s impossible to photograph! Unusual design with a Seiko movement. It is a big watch (but only in terms of lug to lug - not too much on the dome height). We got a peak of some forthcoming colours - purple looks stunning). The guilloche pattern will have a slight sunburst on it on the production models. Some of the designs are really ‘out there’ - great to see.
Venizanico
The Redentore Ultrablack was another I had wanted to see. Never had an opportunity to see a vantablack or equivalent in person before. Unfortunately they only the 40mm model (but I tried on one their other 36mm versions - see above). It’s a stunning effect. What I hadn’t appreciated was how well the finishing the hands and dials elements have to be with these. The slightest imperfections will be very obvious. Under a loupe the hands and logo were immaculate. More than reasonable with their pricing imo.
Clemence
@Clemence_Watches have already posted on WC before. When he posted about this, it generated quite a lot of attention. On wrist it feels really well made and has that striking dial design to it. The applied indices add a lot dimensionality to the dial. I can see so many parallels between Clemence and Studio Underdog. Two super passionate young guys that went out of their way to create something fun and wearable. You may know that the brand is already part of the British Watchmakers Alliance but what you may not know (and I really hope he doesn’t mind me mentioning this), is that Tom works another job and Clemence Watches is all extra work for him! That can’t be easy….
Meeting ‘strangers’
I originally ‘met’ @fsohail on IG and we had a chatted on IG about smaller watches. We’d never before. But he knew I was interested in some of his watch collection and he was so gracious to bring them along to show a ‘stranger’ like me. Just goes to show how nice some members of them community are. His FM Nero Sabbia was just gorgeous. I don’t know if its AR coating or the type of printing they do but the dial was so crisp and clear. His Astor+Banks Fortitude was lovely too.
Circula
So here it is. The brand that stole the hearts (and a few £££s) of a few of our fellow WC attendees. It’s a little big for me personally but I can’t fault the watches. Super solid construction (actual super compressor in the picture), different case materials, different strap options too. Nothing was too difficult for them. I’ll let @Guvnor64 himself, tell you about it all….!
Aquastar
Now I’ve been to a few shows/exhibitions/events in the last couple of years. This is a brand I’ve not been able to see (normally due to the amount of people around the stand). Luckily, this time their was a tiny window of opportunity and I snuck in. Doubly lucky, they had the smaller sized Model 60 Re-Edition. I can only say, I would not want to be the door jam that gets hit by this watch….This thing is solid - the BOR bracelet adds a little finesse to the design.
Isotope
I’d only ever seen these previously on the internet. What struck me was the clear brand /design identity regardless of model. Whether it was a dive/tool/sports/3 hander there was definitely a clear ‘Isotope’ aesthetic running through all of them. Whether you like the watches or not, I think this is quite difficult thing to do and they should be commended for it.
Apologies to any brand I’ve not mentioned (I still love you but I do feel the need to see other people too - oops went on autopilot, there…). As always, I recommend you take the opportunity to meet your fellow WatchCrunchers in person. They’re probably nice people. It’s great seeing Youtube videos and reading about things online but getting an actual watch in your hand and speaking to the people who made them might change your opinion of things. They may have ‘made a generic design with a case/movement bought from China’ but even this is not a simple thing to do when it comes 100s/1000s of watches. Even if they put out a poor product, if their heart is in the right place the next one may be better (and so on). Speaking to them directly makes a world of difference.
Hey Chung! Loved chatting with you yesterday, thank you so much for stopping by to learn a little more about what we've been up to at Clemence Watches! Really appreciate the kind comments and for you letting me check out your beautiful Maen 😍
Look forward to catching up at another event one of these days 🍻
Richard did mention something (non chronograph) is coming very soon though…..
And no, he wouldn’t divulge any more than that….
It’s a field watch. That’s all Richard and team are letting folks know right now.
Sorry, I didn't ask. You would certainly hope they will stick some stock on the website after all this promotion!
Hope so! Thanks
Richard did mention something (non chronograph) is coming very soon though…..
And no, he wouldn’t divulge any more than that….
Thanks, hope he launches soon!
Can't believe I get treated to another Meetup in a couple of weeks with you guys too!! 🥳
Looking forward to👍
@Stricko seems to have a love hate relationship with the Blancpain Swatch. He started off being well up for picking one up, but he obviously isn't feeling the love in this pic 😆
I have a lot to learn from experienced collectors, next time I will try it in one of the ADs 😛😁
I made a point of taking as many pics as I could because I know I really appreciate them. 🍻
You have an exceptional talent for attention to detail, I can't imagine anyone more meaningful to take such great photos. Thanks for sharing 👌💚
You have an exceptional talent for attention to detail, I can't imagine anyone more meaningful to take such great photos. Thanks for sharing 👌💚
You are very kind! I shall continue to work on my photography game at the Stockholm meetup 🍻
What a day, a day full of the good stuff that the watch world can offer. And some surprises as well (a big one at that). It was so good to talk to the people behind the brands, they were so friendly and chatty and so nice to to discuss their products with them. I so wish now I'd taken some proper pictures, but it was a kid in a sweet shop, so much good stuff, I'd certainly mentally spent the annual GDP of a medium sized industrial nation in the left hand side of the first aisle alone. Personally this beast is what I'm going to ebay some well used body parts for
Ocean Crawler dive watch, it's got 'the look', is proper mental and if they reduce the lug to lug to slightly less than one of the runways outside oh hell yes I'm going for it (it's a prototype so hopefully it will be out in the future 🤞). There was great stuff on every stall, all genre's covered, some really interesting and unconventional watches on display. Really opened my eyes and got the old watch pulse racing, very well worth the trip down.
As for my one big suprise..
Well I'm now the proud owner of this, yes stricko now owns a field watch (@Scooby is so pleased ive now joined his club😄) and I didn't see that coming at all. Mind you I wasn't on my own, the Circula brand has now got its own watchcrunch fan base with @Guvnor64, @GasWorks and myself.
As for the Swatchpain, well you can take the photo anyvway you like, is it the blowing of a raspberry at the bioplastic money grab, or is it the tounge out of deep love and desire. In truth it was time running out and the belly so empty that the tongue was reaching for the glass to glean some much needed calories, its hungry work this watch shopping (and I've got form for this 👅🤣) no the mighty blancswatch will have to wait for another day, and after what I'd seen during the day maybe a day a long way away.
Many thanks to @Chunghauphoto for bring our guide for the day (and putting up with us tourists messing up numerous times on the simplist tasks on the transport network😖😄) and also to my fellow crunchers @DeeperRed, @GasWorks, @Guvnor64, @Scooby . A top day out, fantastic watches, fantastic company and one I thoroughly recommend.
Very nice & relieved to see you weren't stacking...lol.
@DeeperRed glad you enjoyed it! I was there 😎
https://www.watchcrunch.com/Porthole/posts/london-christmas-meetup-39754
8th December. 🥳
I've put myself down as 'Interested' because that day is actually my birthday although I'm hopefully doing my gathering the day after. See you guys there or maybe before.🤞🏽
Will we see you in New York next month? I could have sworn when we spoke about it in April you were considering making the trip.