Time+Tide Turns Its Watch Launch Into a Music Festival: Seven Independent Brands, Seven Limited Editions

Let's start with the $800 watch. Beaucroft has swapped the dial on its Arc model for a sheet of pink-tinted sapphire crystal, calling it "The Punk" as a tribute to mid-70s British punk. The case is a 38mm steel shell coated in black PVD, running a Miyota 90S5 automatic movement, with the same sapphire treatment applied to the caseback to reveal the movement inside. That kind of all-in commitment — slapping on a full sheet of pink sapphire with no room to walk it back — actually sums up the whole event pretty well. Time+Tide didn't just rent out a venue for this one; they've turned their new release into a full-on music festival spanning three cities.

The event, dubbed FounderFest, is set for September 19 and 20, running simultaneously at Time+Tide's own Watch Discovery Studios in New York (460 Broome St), Melbourne (178 Collins St), and London (Portland House, 4 Great Portland Street). New York serves as event HQ, hosting founder interviews and live music. You don't need to be in any of these three cities to buy in, though — all seven watches go on sale together via thefounderfest.com on September 22, with the entire event livestreamed online. Afterward, the watches will become permanent fixtures at all three physical Studios.

From $800 Pink to $3,650 Lacquer

At the other end of the price spectrum sits Awake's "Ultraviolet." This brand, only seven years old, has built its name on Sơn Mài lacquer dials — natural lacquer applied layer by layer, sanded down, then reapplied, until the desired depth and texture is achieved. This time, they've added pure silver leaf gilding over the lacquer surface, paired with a natural purple-black pigment, so the silver subtly emerges depending on the angle of light. The 38mm stainless steel case measures 11.5mm thick with a 44.75mm lug-to-lug, housing a La Joux-Perret G101 automatic movement. The caseback is engraved with a line from founder Andrew McUtchen: "Do not dream your way through life. Stay awake enough to build it." Priced at $3,650.

Baltic's "Horizon Line" is a new take on the Heures du Monde world timer released earlier this year — the original launched in late March with three stone-dial variants, and this edition swaps in a forged carbon fiber dial that shows off its texture particularly well in natural light. The inner 24-hour ring is marked in orange, while the outer world-time city ring has been changed to sky blue, marking New York, Melbourne, and London — the three Discovery Studio locations. The movement is a Soprod C125, a caller-GMT setup, paired with a rotating world-time bezel to complete the function. It measures 37mm across with a 45mm lug-to-lug and 11mm thickness, water resistant to 100m, priced at $1,795.

echo/neutra's Rivanera Piccolo "Rosa d'Epoca" takes a different kind of contrast approach. On a 26mm x 33mm x 6.9mm grade 5 titanium case, a dark grey granular dial pairs with a black lacquered bezel, with only the hands, the "Rivanera" dial signature, and the "Swiss Made" text flanking the 6 o'clock date window rendered in rose pink. In person, that pink reads even softer than in photos, creating a striking contrast against the hard titanium and polished chamfers. It runs on a Sellita SW1000 movement, priced at $1,995.

Two British Watches, Two Different Stories

Dennison's second collaboration with Time+Tide, the "Carnaby Blue" ALD Dual Time, puts all its focus on the dial. It's a dual time zone watch with a mother-of-pearl dial split down the middle — the left side radiates outward in a Union Jack-inspired pattern, while the right side features pink, white, and blue concentric circles that echo the RAF roundel and evoke a certain iconic British rock album cover from the '60s. Two independent quartz movements each drive one half of the dial. The case measures 35.6mm wide with a 37mm lug-to-lug and just 6.1mm thick, paired with a denim blue strap, launching September 22 at $1,090.

Furlan Marri's "Songlines" blends the brand's own "Red Hunter" with the Outback Elegy Cornes de Vache from their first collaboration with Time+Tide. Measuring 39mm across with a 47mm lug-to-lug and 12mm thick, the tobacco-colored dial is easily the standout feature, paired with a solid three-link bracelet. Flip open the hunter-style caseback and you'll find a La Joux-Perret G100 movement with 68 hours of power reserve, priced at $2,750.

Closing things out is the Serica 7505 "Sunburst," the most vintage-flavored piece of the seven. It measures 35mm across with a 41.5mm lug-to-lug and 9.6mm thick, with just the right bezel width and hand proportions. The brown gradient dial pairs with a Bonklip bracelet, giving it the look of a perfectly proportioned vintage watch — except there's no specific original you can actually point to. The movement is a COSC-certified Soprod M100 automatic, priced at $1,625.