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I’m of the opinion that the past decade represents something of a renaissance for the proliferation of watches, a large portion of which is concentrated in the independent and microbrand sectors. We haven’t seen this much consumer choice via sheer force of numbers since before the quartz crisis, when the Swiss watch industry was almost 1,600 companies strong (a number that would shrink to 600 by the mid-eighties). You can label me all-in on industry democratization: in a world where big box brands are intensifying their exclusivity, the existence of smaller, healthy watchmakers is pivotal in ensuring consumers still have an affordable place to play.
Summer in Los Angeles this year continues to be kind in showing off said renaissance. June gave us the independent-focused Open House, courtesy of Gabe Reilly and the fine folks at Collective Horology. This weekend, SoCal watch lovers who made the trek to Long Beach were rewarded with the sights at Intersect Watch Show. Started and ran by Nodus co-founder Wesley Kwok since 2021 and supported currently by Peter Cho at Jack Mason and Markus Wälchli at Formex, Intersect is a collaborative watch event where enthusiasts can come see a myriad of wonderful homegrown brands (31 of them, to be exact) in person. Given most of these companies don’t have physical locations, Intersect’s existence allows watch enthusiasts to see and buy all sorts of watches that are typically online-only.
Intersect continues to grow each year, and although Los Angeles is ground zero, it isn’t the only location. Charlotte was actually the show’s first stop in February, and you can still catch Intersect in Austin this November. Despite the multi-city growth, I can personally attest that the environment remains as cheery and authentic as any group meetup in your local bar. Wes and team are clearly doing a stellar job of bringing the love of watches all over the United States.
As it stands, I was lucky enough to attend Intersect After Dark on Friday as well as the full show on Saturday alongside some other fine folks who comprise our arm of The Grey Nato (“TGN”) community here in SoCal. There was plenty of coffee, beer (not at the same time, of course), camaraderie and watches to go around. Scroll down to see the weekend as documented by a man who thankfully remembered to charge his camera batteries.
Some morning caffeine and watches at Rose Park Roasters with the TGN crew before Intersect on Saturday. Peep the tantalum(!) Seamaster chronograph.
To learn more about Intersect, check out their website here.
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