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Türkiye's first festival dedicated to watchmaking and collecting brought together more than 20 watch brands, collectors, craftspeople and enthusiasts in Istanbul on Oct. 10-11, offering visitors a closer look at the craftsmanship, engineering and culture behind timepieces.
Organized by the Turkish Watch Club (Turk Saat Kulubu), the inaugural Istanbul Watch Festival took place at QNB Terminal Kadikoy, bringing industry professionals and newcomers together for two days of exhibitions, workshops and discussions.
The free event covered approximately 1,000 square meters, allowing visitors to explore new watch models, try on different timepieces and learn about the mechanical processes involved in watchmaking.
Turkish comedian Cem Yilmaz, actor Sevket Coruh and musician Ferit Odman were among the visitors who toured the exhibition stands and examined the watches on display.
The event opened on Oct. 10, a date associated with a longstanding watchmaking tradition in which timepieces displayed in advertisements and shop windows commonly show 10:10.
Beyond showcasing commercial brands, the festival explored watchmaking as a combination of craftsmanship, design, engineering and collecting.
Workshops introduced participants to the history of Japanese watchmaking, automatic mechanical movements and the relationship between watches and personal style. The program also featured Baume & Mercier Baumatic movement workshops sponsored by Konyali Saat.
Live demonstrations of watch maintenance, mechanical movements and miniature index painting highlighted the precision involved in producing and maintaining timepieces.
Hungarian artist Tamas Feher, known for his hyperrealistic watch illustrations, also carried out live drawing performances throughout the festival.
The festival's discussion program brought together collectors, designers and industry figures to examine the changing watch market and the personal stories behind watch collecting.
Chef Somer Sivrioglu joined Mert Kalafat for a conversation about his experiences as a collector, while another panel featuring Kalafat, Gamze Aybar and Duygu Ozbas explored the history of women's watches.
Other sessions covered the role of independent and boutique watch brands, the influence of digital media and developments in Türkiye's watch industry.
Speakers included Serdar Oal, Burak Bayram, Doruk Celebi and Mahmut Arikan, while an interactive watch trivia competition added another element to the program.
Speaking at the festival's opening press conference, Turkish Watch Club founder Korhan Kurt said the event had been established to bring together the knowledge, craftsmanship and personal experiences surrounding watch collecting in Türkiye.
Kurt explained that the festival was designed to give visitors opportunities to examine watch mechanisms, hear collectors' stories and discover different brands in a shared setting.
He described the country's first dedicated watch festival as an important starting point for the club and expressed hope that the event would help build connections among enthusiasts while introducing watch culture to wider audiences.
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