With all consideration centered on Watches & Wonders Geneva 2025 final month (probably the most essential business occasions of the 12 months), it’s essential to do not forget that some very attention-grabbing occasions additionally happen in america, resembling Windup Watch Honest and WatchTime New York. You gained’t see the likes of Rolex or Audemars Piguet at these exhibits, however most spotlight a distinct section of the market with a concentrate on accessibility and selection. Suppose Oris, Baltic, Studio Underground and Christopher Ward (with some costlier manufacturers at WatchTime). Minutes+Hours is among the many largest of those occasions, with three scheduled for 2025 – a really profitable Chicago occasion simply ended with Los Angeles coming July twenty sixth – twenty seventh and Austin coming November fifteenth – sixteenth. I just lately had lunch with Wealthy Park in Studio Metropolis, California, to speak about his ardour for watches and the way forward for Minutes+Hours (and the way it all got here to be).
Erik Slaven, MONOCHROME – What’s your early historical past with watches? Did you get a present out of your dad and mom, maybe a commencement present? How did all of it begin?
Wealthy Park, Founding father of Minutes+Hours – A few years in the past, we had a household jewellery retailer in Chicago, and I’d instrument round as a child on the weekends, and I used to be all the time simply considering watches. My first severe watch was an Omega Constellation that was given to me by my dad and mom as a university commencement present. However I’ve all the time appreciated watches, type of beginning with the plastic Swatches with these rubber crystal guards again within the day.
I had a lot of these again within the day myself. There was nothing cooler than a Swatch Watch. So, how did this evolve from an curiosity and fervour right into a profession?
Properly, my second good watch was a Grand Seiko that I purchased myself, and I did an unboxing on YouTube. I wasn’t actually interested by beginning a everlasting YouTube channel, however it received a number of views, so I simply stored going. So, all of this principally began from that first video about my Grand Seiko. I received that first style of success.
What was your background earlier than watches and commerce exhibits? What did you research in faculty?
I’ve a communications diploma and was in retail administration for a couple of years previous to this, which is totally unrelated to what I do now. It was my profession on the time, however not a ardour.
When and the way did you make the shift away from what you had been doing and dedicate your self to the watch business?
To start with, for those who’ve ever labored retail, you recognize that the hours aren’t pleasant, even brutal at instances. After a couple of years, I simply knew that it wasn’t for me. I wouldn’t look again and say I hated that point, however it simply wasn’t what I noticed myself doing long run. It was undoubtedly scary leaping from a secure job to the unknown, however with persistence, I carved out a brand new profession doing what I like. After all, there’s not a lot tangible earnings at the start as I attempted to ascertain myself, however I’m very lucky to have discovered a handful of nice model companions and put collectively an incredible crew, and it rapidly expanded to a full-time profession. You already know the saying, “for those who love your work, you’re by no means working”
You’re first actual work within the business was a YouTube channel, however you transitioned into commerce exhibits with LAmicroLUX in Los Angeles. This initially centered on smaller unbiased manufacturers, however represented that large shift in your profession.
Again in 2018, I had the thought to start out this type of occasion and hosted a few small manufacturers in a restaurant hoping that it could generate some curiosity and folks would present up. I simply put out some flyers and all of us got here to a packed restaurant. It was surprisingly profitable, so I continued with extra manufacturers after which established LAmicroLUX in 2019 with sixteen manufacturers. All small unbiased manufacturers, or microbrands as they are saying, however I finally needed to place unbiased manufacturers and main established manufacturers collectively underneath one roof.
After all, this wasn’t a straightforward promote at first as bigger manufacturers had been hesitant to share the ground with smaller gamers. They needed to be amongst manufacturers that had been thought-about equals. Thankfully, our exhibits generated a number of consideration and as we grew a much bigger viewers, a few massive manufacturers got here in and extra quickly adopted. Earlier than lengthy, we had a big mixture of unbiased and main manufacturers – Seiko, Hamilton, Rado, Maurice Lacroix and so forth. For instance, our latest Chicago occasion hosted over 60 manufacturers with many well-established watchmakers blended with smaller unbiased ones. With this new dynamic, we modified our identify to Minutes and Hours as this higher represented our exhibits. LAmicroLUX was centered on smaller manufacturers and initially in Los Angeles. Now we’re a lot larger and unfold throughout a number of states within the US.
How did you give you the Minutes+Hours identify?
Having drinks with my crew after an excellent microLUX occasion in Chicago, we knew it was time for a extra applicable identify to characterize how we’ve expanded, particularly as extra main manufacturers had been approaching board. We stored going over completely different names and “Hours and Minutes” appeared like an excellent one, which naturally rolls off the tongue. Sadly, it was taken, and we didn’t wish to attempt to bid for it, so we tried “Minutes and Hours” and rapidly received used to it. And Minutes and Hours has nice initials, so we will name the present M&H as effectively. If we are saying H&M… Properly, that’s additionally a retailer. There’s no confusion with ours. All of it labored out effectively.
How did you go about discovering manufacturers as a younger US-based firm when it appears to be such a European-focused business?
One in all our early model companions was really Czapek earlier than it actually blew up into the luxurious model it’s at present. Many individuals don’t know this, however Czapek began with a crowdfunding marketing campaign in 2015, however is, in fact, a really costly, high-end watchmaker at present. I simply referred to as on some contacts I had and requested in the event that they needed to affix us in a restaurant ambiance with an open bar and a number of other different manufacturers, they usually fortunately accepted. I used to be very lucky early on to have such an excellent reception. There have been already sufficient established commerce exhibits and total curiosity within the US for abroad manufacturers to indicate curiosity.
As our viewers grew, larger manufacturers might now not ignore us, and we noticed Rado, Perrelet, Christopher Ward, Maurice Lacroix, Junghans, Tissot, Seiko, Citizen and plenty of others take part. Right now, we now have a number of established model companions from across the globe, and we hosted over 60 manufacturers from a dozen nations in Chicago on April fifth and sixth. We had been even featured on tv information stations, which is all the time nice. I’d say we’re shut in scale to the Windup Watch Honest at this level, which is an actual achievement. That mentioned, we wish to all the time stick to high quality over amount, so I don’t see us actually increasing past 70 or so manufacturers, which might get overwhelming for each spectators and the manufacturers themselves at a present.
Shifting ahead, our purpose isn’t to attempt to compete with Watches and Wonders and convey on very costly manufacturers, however to remain within the accessible and mid-range tier as much as across the $5,000 vary. There are exceptions, in fact, as a few of our manufacturers have gold items effectively north of $10,000, like Junghans, and we additionally partnered with Breitling previously. If manufacturers like Omega or Grand Seiko wish to take part sooner or later, we will surely have an interest. That mentioned, we don’t wish to alienate our core viewers and model companions by introducing a number of very costly watchmakers. That once more is Watches and Wonders territory.
This 12 months, you’ve got three exhibits within the US – Chicago, Los Angeles and Austin. Do you see this increasing to both greater than three per 12 months and/or one thing exterior the US?
Properly, we do produce other initiatives within the works aside from exhibits, however so far as exhibits, Chicago and Austin are our two staple cities. We’re excited so as to add a 3rd metropolis this 12 months, Los Angeles, however we’ll have Minutes and Hours in a distinct metropolis in the summertime of 2026 and past, once more sustaining Chicago within the Spring and Austin within the Fall. After all, we began in LA with LAmicroLUX, however haven’t been again in a few years. It’s a bit early proper now, however my crew and I’ve been discussing having a present exterior of the US as effectively.
You additionally launched a really cool workshop on the latest Chicago present, The Watch Academy by Cimier.
Sure, we’re the primary and solely watch truthful within the US to offer a complete watch constructing workshop the place members get to find out about watchmaking and meeting, and in addition maintain the watch they construct in the course of the class. It’s arrange for adults of all ability ranges and actually offers a novel, hands-on expertise and a particular watch to take residence.
You promote watches by way of your on-line retailer as effectively. Are you able to inform me extra about that?
We promote watches and equipment with manufacturers together with Duckworth, Cimier, Laco, Perrelet and extra. About ten manufacturers to this point. Costs are accessible, with the most costly items falling slightly below $5,000, such because the Perrelet Turbine Titanium 41 Blue.
We had been speaking earlier, and it struck me how we each bear in mind particular watches in films and tv. What are some that basically stand out for you?
Properly, I like the present Succession, and the characters had cash and purchased spectacular items, however they had been extra energy statements than something, as they weren’t educated about horology. I bear in mind when Shiv’s husband Tom tried to impress her dad and patriarch of the household by presenting him with a Patek for his birthday. And he wasn’t all that impressed as he didn’t appear to actually learn about watches. I may be getting a few of the particulars incorrect, however that was the gist of it. I actually appreciated that present, and it was nice for watch fans like us.
My favourite watch scene was in Glengarry Glen Ross when Alec Baldwin places his gold Rolex Day-Date in entrance of Ed Harris’ character and says, “that watch prices greater than your automobile.”
We all the time appear to recollect watches in particular scenes. It’s all a part of the enjoyable.
Wealthy, it was nice speaking with you and congratulations on a really profitable Chicago present. I sit up for seeing you on the Los Angeles present on July twenty sixth and twenty seventh.
Thanks, Erik, and I’m wanting ahead to the present and seeing you there!Please go to Minutes and Hours at www.minutesandhours.com.
