Event Report: Toronto Timepiece Show 2026
Autumn is a special time here in Toronto, and we locals are very aware of this. On each of the three mornings of the Timepiece Show, one could see runners bypassing the city’s busiest street and parents pushing strollers with one hand, holding a seasonal warm beverage filled with cinnamon and pumpkin spices in the other. Autumnal mornings in Toronto are full of serenity, calm, and the confidence in knowing that we are ready for the winter ahead.
This year’s Toronto Timepiece Show was about refinement, focus, and higher-quality engagement for everyone involved. For the first time, attendees were required to buy tickets, and the awards ceremony was set aside to help the attending brands pace themselves as they interacted with a more engaged audience.
Toronto Timepiece Show 2026
Entering the naturally lit space of the Meridian Arts Centre, guests were immediately greeted by the Artisanal Room, which proved more positively consequential than intended. The world of horology and the watch industry do not operate in a vacuum. They, too, are facing the two major disruptive forces reshaping every field — the implementation and use of artificial intelligence and the impact of state-backed manufacturers and hyperscalers. Both are causing a widespread devaluation of all trades involved with the watch industry. This point unexpectedly hit home on the final morning of the show.
Sinziana Iordache’s illustration of the Grönefeld 1941 Quadrivium
After speaking with Mr. Pearson at Christopher Ward about the brilliant work of the hyperrealist artist Sinziana Iordache and her incredible drawings, a theme emerged. We briefly discussed how a child’s initial comments on her supposedly “AI-generated” drawings disappeared as soon as she saw the artist in person. From then on, I kept my lens and ears open to see if others shared such a sardonic view of the work on display. Sure enough, within the first hour on Sunday, I heard a child, no older than 10, say to his father, “This was made by hand?!”
J.N. Shapiro Resurgence
Handcraft on display
“Yes,” said the father before continuing, “I think everything in this room is made by the hands of the people here.” The look of astonishment on the child’s face never receded as I continued to pass them while making my rounds around the venue, getting solo vendors and members of the security team water and cookies, and fulfilling my duties as the show’s photographer.
Beauregard Ulysse Saint-Pétersbourg
This father and son were speaking about Beauregard’s Dahlia. Even though the Montreal- and Switzerland-based brand had fronted its gorgeous Ulysse Saint-Pétersbourg, over the weekend, I observed dozens of people simply come to a halt upon seeing the Dahlia. Beauregard showcased many of its works while also seeing how the audience would react to some potential offerings, such as necklaces, to which many could not help but smile.
J.N. Shapiro Infinity Series Radiant
For the first time, J.N. Shapiro attended the show, allowing many high-horology enthusiasts their first chance to see an Infinity and the staggeringly beautiful Resurgence in person. Though Mr. Shapiro himself could not make the trip, the immense knowledge and enthusiasm shown by Nicole Gazin, the brand’s director of sales and client relations, captivated everyone’s imagination as they tried to see themselves making such timepieces.
Bart and Lynn Grönefeld
Bart and Lynn Grönefeld
Two watchmakers, however, stole the entire show from this relatively small room — Grönefeld, represented by Bart and his daughter Lynn, and Canada’s leading high-horology watchmaker, Bradley Taylor. Both had unyielding lines of enthusiasts hoping to catch a glimpse of their handcrafted, painstakingly made masterpieces. Some even asked to take pictures with these watchmakers and have their programs signed.
Grönefeld 1941 Quadrivium
Besides being the very best in the world at what they do, Alexander Beauregard, Bart Grönefeld, and Bradley Taylor also have incredibly sharp minds and devastatingly poignant senses of humor. One could hear Mr. Grönefeld’s distinctive, coarse laughter sparking a response from the half-dozen people admiring his work as they viewed the 1941 Quadrivium from all angles.
Grönefeld 1941 Grönograaf
All thoughts of horology as an antiquated field vanished as observers lost themselves in the aforementioned timepiece’s movement or the deeply sculpted aventurine dial of the 1944 Tanfana. Lynn Grönefeld’s cool, collected guidance mirrored that of Mr. Taylor at the next booth, and as soon as she spoke, the many in attendance realized they were in the presence of generational greatness.
Bradley Taylor
Bradley Taylor
Mr. Taylor’s third model, the Ardea, wowed everyone as they saw the retrograde seconds hand snap back, a journey it makes 1,440 times a day. The dial’s delicate details and depletion-gilded surface dazzled as light caught the many textures across the Zapon-lacquer-shielded landscape.
Bradley Taylor Ardea
Everyone, including the staff working the show, displayed an overwhelming sense of pride toward Mr. Taylor. Smiles of anticipation remained resolute as they waited to shake his hand and learn about his handcrafted timepiece and his workshop in North Vancouver.
Charles Simon watch cases
Rounding out the artisan area was Charles Simon, a Montreal-based case and luggage maker focused on implementing aircraft engineering and seamless leatherwork. Satisfyingly, my Oscar 1 Watch Roll housing one of my watches showed no wear when compared to the new display models. We Canadians are more than capable of being at the forefront of whatever we set our minds to, and having Beauregard, Taylor, and Charles Simon at the show’s entrance filled every visitor with pride.
Happy attendees!
Over 90 exhibitors
Outside “the heavy hitters’ room,” there was certainly no lack of interesting watches to see. With over 90 exhibitors, it was easy for non-enthusiasts to become overwhelmed. One reason for the sheer number of brands, especially new ones, is the post-pandemic state-backed manufacturing boom. Globally, companies have been able to achieve feats that were impossible six years ago.
The downside is that many new brands use the same cases, clasps, and parts presented to them by their manufacturers. The same can be said with the explosion in stone dials flooding the market due to, once again, state-backed mining operations, with nations investing in and buying mines and infrastructure abroad. Consequently, I will focus on brands with tangibly different offereings and Canadian brands that have been around for a decade or more.
Tessé Michel GMT
The affordable standouts
The first brand that comes to mind is Tessé Watches with its Architect models and AndoAndoAndo collaboration. These watches are designed by the brand’s founder, Thomas Brissiaud, and in the case of the Architect, he hand-brushes all 23 individual pieces that make up the dial. The limited-edition collaboration was by far my favorite offering under $1,000. It took immense willpower not to buy one, but I have a strong feeling that once they’ve sold out, I will regret not having done so. A designer directing the brand has its benefits, as there is a clear familial language across Tessé’s offerings, and the attention to detail, even down to the straps, is impressive.
Worden Night Drift
One Canadian brand stood apart for doing things like no one else — Worden, based in Guelph, Ontario. The watches’ quirky rectangular cases stood out, especially with the newest release, the Night Drift. Late-night walks under a dark blue sky with leaves lit by streetlights inspired this design.
22Studio 4D Concrete Watch Automatic Duo Mist Grey
Another brand that drew my attention was Taiwan-based 22Studio, which uses concrete components in many of its timepieces, writing instruments, and other products.
Ferro & Company Race Master Corsa
More Canadian watch brands
Two other companies come to mind when thinking about mainstays among independent watch brands here in Canada. The first is Ferro & Company, now in its 12th year, which continues to offer affordable timepieces across most common genres, except dive watches.
The second is the family-owned-and-operated Redwood Watches, also founded in 2014. This brand focuses on bringing back vintage military designs from the previous century but with the ruggedness modern buyers expect, including quartz and solar movements, at prices under $1,000.
22Studio concrete pens
Conservative spenders
This brings us to how watch and trade shows vary across regions. According to the showrunner, Mr. Hutton, and others I have spoken to over the years, Canadians are much more conservative with their money and need to do more research before parting with their hard-earned income. This was on full display, as watches and pens under $500, such as this ballpoint I bought from 22Studio, sold rather easily. The idea that brands must break even or use such shows as points of sale, rather than treating them as marketing exercises that allow people to experience the products and meet the people behind them, can lead to disappointment in certain markets.
Grönefeld 1969 DeltaWorks
A better watch world
Overall, the biggest lesson I took away from this year’s show was how important the watch industry is in today’s climate. When made correctly and with the direct care of people who love this industry, these mechanical marvels connect us to our humanity and the efforts of others. As Gen Z grew up not knowing a world without the internet, the next generation is navigating a world where everything is either fake or requires a heavy hand of due diligence. This can be, and is, exhausting. When seeing, photographing, and speaking to the hundreds of people in attendance, they all marveled not only at the beauty of these watches but also at how inspiring and compelling the people behind them were.
Toronto Timepiece Show organizer James Hutton
I know this was not Mr. Hutton’s intention when he set out to host these shows in Canada. But as someone who has taken part and had the immense honor of vendors and attendees entrusting me to document their experiences, I left the show feeling better about the state of our world, as silly as that may sound. I saw in the eyes of hundreds of people what the hope and promise of connection through our timepieces can do. Thank you, Jason, for bringing so many of us together, and for highlighting the real power that these watches bring into our lives.
For more information on the Toronto Timepiece Show, click here.
