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Türkiye will host its first festival dedicated entirely to watch culture on Oct. 10-11, as Istanbul Watch Festival brings together more than 30 watch brands, collectors, craftspeople, industry professionals and enthusiasts at QNB Terminal Kadikoy.
Organized by Turk Saat Kulubu, or the Turkish Watch Club, the two-day event will take place across an approximately 1,000-square-meter venue and will be free to attend with a digital invitation obtained through the festival's website.
Rather than focusing only on commercial watch displays, the festival will approach horology through craftsmanship, design, engineering, collecting and community, while aiming to appeal both to experienced collectors and visitors who are only beginning to explore watch culture.
The program will be built around four main areas: workshops and education, panels and talks, entertainment and culture, and brand experience zones.
Visitors will be able to take part in sessions with craftspeople, learn about watch movements and attend introductory classes designed to open up the technical side of watchmaking.
Panels will bring together collectors, watchmakers, designers, brand founders and prominent figures from the international watch industry, while competitions, exhibitions, an award vote and a World Watch Day celebration will make up the wider cultural program.
Brand experience areas, meanwhile, will give visitors the chance to discover new models and try different watches on their wrists.
One of the festival's main features will be its live craftsmanship and cultural areas, which visitors will be able to access throughout the day.
Watch maintenance workshops and demonstrations of automatic movements and micro-index painting will showcase the precision and technical skill behind watchmaking.
Hungarian hyperrealist artist Tamas Feher, known for detailed watch drawings, will also stage live performances during both festival days, bringing together the technical, aesthetic and artistic sides of watchmaking.
The festival also aims to connect Türkiye's growing watch community with the wider international industry.
Representatives from global watch media, international content creators and industry opinion leaders are expected to attend, while a dedicated panel will bring together figures from international watch publishing to discuss new approaches to watch media, changing collector profiles and the development of watch culture around the world.
More than 30 brands positioned in the entry-level and mid-range segments will set up experience areas at the festival, presenting existing collections alongside new models and festival-period releases.
The event will be free of charge, with visitors required to create a digital invitation through the festival website before attending.
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