UBS, one of the world’s leaders in wealth management, has once again partnered with luxury watch media and retail platform Hodinkee, returning to New York for its latest UBS House of Craft, a global  initiative that digs deep into the world of heritage craftsmanship.

Past experiences explored vintage cars, wine, art, haute couture and, of course, luxury watches.  The latest iteration, Icons of Time, kicks off Wednesday with a UBS client-focused invite-only cocktail event, before opening to the public on Oct. 9-10. The event presents an immersive opportunity to connect with executives, collectors and watch enthusiasts, exploring the unique technical prowess of mechanical watches.

“For us at UBS, we believe craft is more than a skill — it’s a mindset defined by precision, excellence and enduring value,” said Sven Schaefer, UBS head group brand activation, sponsorship & events, brand & marketing Americas. “Watchmaking offers a powerful expression of this, where every detail reflects both heritage and innovation. Collaborating with Ben Clymer and Hodinkee, whose expertise and curatorial vision bring this world to life, allows UBS House of Craft to celebrate horology as a powerful connector of culture, community and legacy — principles that guide how we serve clients for generations to come.”

Founded in 2008 by Benjamin Clymer as a humble watch blog, Hodinkee has evolved into a digital authority on horology, fusing incisive editorial storytelling with curated commerce. The company was backed by LVMH Luxury Ventures in 2020 before ultimately being acquired by Watches of Switzerland in 2024.

Clymer’s deep ties to the industry primed him to curate his first exhibition.

”In many ways, we’ve been curating, for almost 20 years now, but I think this is the first time we’re doing it in such a public macro level way,“ he said, adding that the event caters to both diehard collectors, many of whom are Hodinkee readers, as well as the wider audience of people who are early and eager in their timepiece pursuits.

The Hodinkee founder explained that the goal of the curation of 12 watches — including a F.P. Journe Chronomètre à Résonance, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, Patek Philippe Calatrava, Cartier Crash and a G-Shock DW6900 — is “tell stories that are really interesting to people that may or may not know much about watches.”

His curation was created without brand support, underscoring that Icons of Time is not a brand-sponsored event, rather put on by Hodinkee and UBS, “in a way that really feels organic and special.”

The kick-off event invites includes talks by ESPN’s Gary Striewski, and Spike Lee, both furious luxury watch collections. On Thursday a second invite-only preview, after the public portion, includes a talk with Clymer and Tony Fadell, former senior Apple executive and founder and former chief executive officer of Nest Labs.

“I would say last year we had a lot of people that have been around watches for a long time,” Clymer said of the 2024 lineup. “But I think with Spike and Tony, they come from completely different worlds.”

Clymer added that a closely watched pastime at the Hodinkee office is checking what one-of-a-kind Rolex Lee will flex front row at one the games of his beloved New York Knicks.

“Tony helped create the iPhone and the Apple watch, he is one of the great minds in technology,” Clymer said. “He is somebody that has been uber successful in the very large format company, but still cares about mechanical watches. And then Spike Lee as a creative, a famed Rolex collector, he represents the cultural side of things.”

Public events are free, including on-site demonstrations curated to capture the energy and precision of horological craft, including activities with Jaeger-LeCoultre and Maison Alcée artisans, live podcasts and  several talks, including one with Hodinkee magazine’s Malaika Crawford and I-D magazine editor and chief Thom Bettridge, called The Medium Shapes the Message.

The event affirms the U.S. luxury watch market has proven remarkably resilient — holding steady despite a post-pandemic correction, softer resale prices, and the recent 39 percent tariff on Swiss imports — underscoring enduring demand for mechanical craftsmanship and established heritage brands.

“There’s a lot of interest in the category coming from people that weren’t in this category even five to 10 years [ago],” Clymer said, pointing to pop culture and social media’s influence, naming Mark Zuckerberg, who he says “seemingly breaks out a new 100k watch every week.” 

“We’re seeing a lot of the bigger brands really focus their attention away from Asia and Europe and into the U.S.,” he said. “I think there is a huge, huge potential for the U.S. market still. There’s no question that the U.S. market is still undersaturated and growing faster than any other market out there.”