Happenings: The Timepiece World Awards Come To Toronto This September

Preparations for the inaugural Timepiece World Awards have officially kicked off in advance of the event's running alongside the Toronto Timepiece Show this coming September. Offering a new and ambitious stage for celebrating outstanding achievements in global watch design, the awards are open to brands worldwide and recognize excellence across eleven carefully defined categories, alongside a special People's Choice Award determined by public vote among the category finalists. The deadline for brand entries is July 20, 2025, with the gala ceremony scheduled to take place on September 20 at the Meridian Arts Centre in Toronto, Canada. The event will also be live-streamed from an impressive 530-seat auditorium.

Submissions are welcome from across the horological spectrum, from independent artisans to large-scale maisons. All entries will be reviewed and voted on by a distinguished jury and committee of 38 seasoned industry professionals (see the full list here), each bringing a wealth of knowledge and insight to the process. Among the notable jurors are Robert-Jan Broer (founder of Fratello Watches), journalist Elizabeth Doerr, Alexandre Beauregard (founder of Beauregard Watches), watchmaker Bradley Taylor, Kathleen McGivney (Global CEO of RedBar), Justin Mastine-Frost (Director of Digital Content at Sharp Magazine), and yours truly.

The categories for 2025 encompass a diverse range of horological expressions. These categories include Time Only, Chronograph, Sports, GMT/Worldtime, Tool Watches, Innovative Complications, Exceptional Materials, Jewellery and Artistic Craft, Foundation (under $2,500 USD), Exceptional (between $2,501 and $15,000 USD), and Pinnacle (over $15,000 USD). Each category has been designed to highlight specific design and mechanical achievements—from tool watches to high-jewelry masterpieces and everything in between.

The awards event takes place the same weekend as the Toronto Timepiece Show, a relatively new and enthusiast-driven public watch fair that debuted last September. Both the Timepiece Show and the Timepiece World Awards were founded by Jason Hutton, and previous events in both Toronto and Vancouver drew an exciting array of brands and a considerable audience. Now in its second year, the Toronto Timepiece Show will take place from September 19 to 21, 2025, at the Meridian Arts Centre in Toronto, and tickets are now available. Featuring over 80 independent and microbrand exhibitors from around the globe, it offers visitors the rare opportunity to meet brand founders, explore hundreds of watches up close, participate in panel discussions, and attend VIP previews and brand events around the city.

The synergy between the weekend-long show and the new awards creates a special and very horological moment for my home city of Toronto, and I had an absolute blast at last year's event. I am very excited for the new venue and the addition of the awards ceremony on the evening of the 20th. If you can make it, or want an excuse to come visit Toronto (while the weather should be great), I highly recommend it.

Stay tuned here for more details as we approach September. You can use these links to learn more about the 2025 Timepiece World Awards and the Toronto Timepiece Show.

Awards