Before attending WatchTime New York, I assumed that the crème de la crème of watches always comes from brands like Rolex and Patek Philippe. Now, though, I know that watch collectors are more often drawn to the brands that speak to them.
Most booths seemed equally busy, with small crowds forming almost nonstop. At times, I had difficulty edging my way in to see watches up close.
The standout company seemed to be MB&F, or Maximilian Büsser & Friends. Though I’d never heard of the luxury Swiss brand before the event, it quickly moved to the top of my radar.
Reugger described the brand to me as the “superstar of independent watchmaking,” with Büsser himself being “a rockstar.” Almost everyone I met later said they were interested in visiting its booth.
So naturally, I took their cue and stopped by. Though its watches weren’t exactly my style, I realized one thing while browsing its timepieces: I had, indeed, been bitten by the watch bug.
I might not have bought a watch on Sunday, but that wasn’t really the point. Instead, I was turned into a potential buyer, or at the very least, a fan.
As one person told me, with no pun intended, it was about time.
