The pieces in “Animali Tarallo” portray animals from stingrays to elephants through portraits and interpretations of their patterns.
This Year, CoutureTime Is Waving in the Watch ‘Geeks’
Members of watch enthusiasts group RedBar are going to be allowed to attend the trade show.
![RedBar is a group for “watch geeks” with 2,500-3,000 members in 40 cities worldwide. The first rule of RedBar: “No [jerks],” said founder Adam Craniotes. Anyone is welcome to join, whether they have a Swatch or a Romain Gauthier. 2018_RedBar-logo.jpg](https://uploads.nationaljeweler.com/uploads/458a99dcc843749756f6947d5f82fdb9.jpg)
New York--There’s a groundswell of enthusiasm around so-called geek culture lately and among those riding the wave are watch collectors, a hobby that seems to be gaining steam in an era when many might say a watch is an obsolete artifact.
Watch website Hodinkee keeps growing; the website added a print magazine last year and brought veteran journalist Joe Thompson on board as editor-at-large.
Eleven James is a membership club for luxury watch rentals, while Watch Gang is a watch-of-the-month club that says it gives away a TAG Heuer every Tuesday and a Rolex every Friday.
And there’s RedBar, a watch enthusiasts group that numbers 2,500 to 3,000 members worldwide, some of whom will be attending CoutureTime this year.
RedBar got its start about a decade ago when a then-Macy’s Inc. copywriter named Adam Craniotes met fellow watch enthusiast Dr. Jeffrey Jacques at a lunch given by Michael Kobold in New York. Riding the subway together after the event, they realized they only worked a few blocks from each other.
So they decided to start meeting once a month in nearby Koreatown to talk about watches.
Over time, the group grew and adopted a formal name, though the origin of said name is a little surprising.
Is RedBar a reference to the color of the second hand, or some obscure fact from horological history?
No, it’s named after a bar, literally. Craniotes said RedBar, which is now closed, is where they first started meeting. He chose it because the group’s early members always would ask, “Are we doing RedBar this week?”
Today, RedBar is a limited liability corporation, officially RedBar Group LLC, with three full-time employees (including Craniotes) and chapters in 40 cities around the world.
Craniotes said the group began to expand rapidly and branch out into other cities after they started using Instagram as @RedBarCrew.
A post shared by RedBar Crew (@redbarcrew) on Feb 8, 2018 at 4:56am PST
While its various chapters meet weekly (in the case of New York), bi-monthly or monthly, the organization has never had all its branches together in the same place. But that will change come June.
Last week, CoutureTime announced that it will host RedBar’s first nationwide meet-up in conjunction with the 2018 edition of the show.
There will be education seminars for members hosted by the Horological Society of New York, and beginning Friday, June 1, the second day of CoutureTime, they will be allowed on the show floor.
The idea behind inviting consumers into what has traditionally been, and ultimately still
The partnership gives brands a chance to show new collections to people who are enthusiastic about their product, and connects retailers with potential buyers, buyers who, it should be noted, are connected to a much larger network of watch enthusiasts.
The exhibitors are not allowed to sell to RedBar members during the show, which is something Craniotes said he has been very specific about with his members.
“For our members, this is not an opportunity to buy watches. This is an opportunity to share in the energy of a trade show. It’s an opportunity to meet directly with watch brands,” he said. “It’s also an opportunity to meet with retailers.”
Craniotes said about 150 RedBar members will be able to attend the show for the nationwide meet-up. He said the response so far has been “overwhelming,” and he expects all the slots to be filled.
CoutureTime is scheduled to take place Thursday, May 31 to Sunday, June 3 at the Encore Las Vegas.
So far, a total of 24 brands have signed on to exhibit, names like Baume & Mercier, Hermes, Oris, TAG Heuer and Tudor.
Brousseau said they anticipate having more brands than they did last year, but adds that conversations are ongoing.
The Latest

Parent company Saks Global said the iconic location will be open through the holiday season as it decides what to do with the space.

Ronald Winston, son of Harry Winston, donated the diamonds to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.

Bench jewelers spend years honing their skills, Jewelers of America’s Certification validates their talents.

The virtual event will take place April 7 at 3 p.m.


The independent jeweler first opened its doors in 1888.

The layoffs come amid the TV shopping channel’s efforts to restructure and focus on live shopping through social media.

Natural diamonds mean more than lab-grown, but when every cut is ideal, they all look the same. Customers want more—Facets of Fire delivers.

The roundtable will take place May 17 ahead of the trade show’s welcome dinner.

The “Peanuts x Monica Rich Kosann” collection features the comic strip’s classic vocabulary across 10 bracelet designs.

Three industry experts dive into the complexities of the material often marketed as an “ethical” alternative for metal in jewelry.

Diamonds are not only one of the most prominent gemstones, but the birthstone for those born in April.

The Utah-based company known for making wedding bands has acquired Doubloon Golf.

The longtime luxury executive led one of LVMH’s watch brands, TAG Heuer, for 12 years before taking over Bulgari in 2013.

Authorities said the robbers fled with jewelry and 70 Rolex watches, later taking pictures of themselves posing with big stacks of cash.

Lotus Gemology founder Richard W. Hughes has translated Heinrich Fischer’s 1880 book “Nephrit und Jadeit” from its original German.

The ring's design features contrasting lines influenced by work from architecture-inspired photographer Nikola Olic.

The Conference Board’s index fell as consumers continued to worry about the impact of tariffs, the labor market, and the price of eggs.

However, two medieval jewels surpassed estimates at Noonans Mayfair’s recent jewelry auction in London.

The Oscar-nominated actor debuted in the campaign for the new “Top Time B31” collection, which introduced Breitling’s Caliber B31.

The Congress is scheduled to take place May 19-22 in Brasilia, Brazil.

The family-owned retailer is the new owner of Morrison Smith Jewelers in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The “150 Art Deco” collection features a Miss America timepiece and a pocket watch from the brand’s Archive Series.

Alex Wellen, formerly CEO and president of MotorTrend Group, has taken on the role.

The Impact Initiative is part of the nonprofit association’s new three-year strategic plan.

The ruby and the sapphire, which Christie’s calls a “once-in-a-generation masterpiece,” are part of the upcoming Hong Kong jewelry auction.

The two pairs of earrings, snatched from a Tiffany & Co. store in Orlando, Florida, are valued at a combined $769,500.