Rich Park, Founder of Minutes+Hours, One of the Biggest Watch Shows in America

When and the way did you make the shift away from what you have been doing and dedicate your self to the watch trade?

Initially, for those who’ve ever labored retail, you understand that the hours aren’t pleasant, even brutal at occasions. After a couple of years, I simply knew that it wasn’t for me. I wouldn’t look again and say I hated that point, but it surely simply wasn’t what I noticed myself doing long run. It was positively scary leaping from a steady job to the unknown, however with persistence, I carved out a brand new profession doing what I like. In fact, there’s not a lot tangible revenue at the start as I attempted to determine myself, however I’m very lucky to have discovered a handful of nice model companions and put collectively a tremendous staff, and it rapidly expanded to a full-time profession. You already know the saying, “for those who love your work, you’re by no means working”

You’re first actual work within the trade was a YouTube channel, however you transitioned into commerce exhibits with LAmicroLUX in Los Angeles. This initially targeted on smaller unbiased manufacturers, however represented that huge shift in your profession.

Again in 2018, I had the thought to start out this sort of occasion and hosted a few small manufacturers in a restaurant hoping that it might generate some curiosity and other people would present up. I simply put out some flyers and all of us got here to a packed restaurant. It was surprisingly profitable, so I continued with extra manufacturers after which established LAmicroLUX in 2019 with sixteen manufacturers. All small unbiased manufacturers, or microbrands as they are saying, however I in the end wished to place unbiased manufacturers and main established manufacturers collectively underneath one roof. 

In fact, this wasn’t a straightforward promote at first as bigger manufacturers have been hesitant to share the ground with smaller gamers. They wished to be amongst manufacturers that have been thought of equals. Thankfully, our exhibits generated a whole lot of consideration and as we grew a much bigger viewers, a few massive manufacturers got here in and extra quickly adopted. Earlier than lengthy, we had a big mixture of unbiased and main manufacturers – Seiko, Hamilton, Rado, Maurice Lacroix and so forth. For instance, our current Chicago occasion hosted over 60 manufacturers with many well-established watchmakers combined with smaller unbiased ones. With this new dynamic, we modified our identify to Minutes and Hours as this higher represented our exhibits. LAmicroLUX was targeted on smaller manufacturers and initially in Los Angeles. Now we’re a lot larger and unfold throughout a number of states within the US.

How did you give you the Minutes+Hours identify?

Having drinks with my staff after an excellent microLUX occasion in Chicago, we knew it was time for a extra acceptable identify to characterize how we’ve expanded, particularly as extra main manufacturers have been approaching board. We stored going over completely different names and “Hours and Minutes” appeared like a great one, which naturally rolls off the tongue. Sadly, it was taken, and we didn’t wish to attempt to bid for it, so we tried “Minutes and Hours” and rapidly received used to it. And Minutes and Hours has nice initials, so we will name the present M&H as properly. If we are saying H&M… Effectively, that’s additionally a retailer. There’s no confusion with ours. All of it labored out properly.

How did you go about discovering manufacturers as a younger US-based firm when it appears to be such a European-focused trade?

One in all our early model companions was truly Czapek earlier than it actually blew up into the luxurious model it’s at this time. Many individuals don’t know this, however Czapek began with a crowdfunding marketing campaign in 2015, however is, after all, a really costly, high-end watchmaker at this time. I simply known as on some contacts I had and requested in the event that they wished to hitch us in a restaurant environment with an open bar and several other different manufacturers, and so they fortunately accepted. I used to be very lucky early on to have such a great reception. There have been already sufficient established commerce exhibits and total curiosity within the US for abroad manufacturers to point out curiosity.

As our viewers grew, larger manufacturers might now not ignore us, and we noticed Rado, Perrelet, Christopher Ward, Maurice Lacroix, Junghans, Tissot, Seiko, Citizen and plenty of others take part. In the present day, now we have a whole lot of established model companions from across the globe, and we hosted over 60 manufacturers from a dozen nations in Chicago on April 5^th and 6^th. We have been even featured on tv information stations, which is all the time nice. I’d say we’re shut in scale to the Windup Watch Honest at this level, which is an actual achievement. That mentioned, we wish to all the time persist with high quality over amount, so I don’t see us actually increasing past 70 or so manufacturers, which might get overwhelming for each spectators and the manufacturers themselves at a present.

Transferring ahead, our aim isn’t to attempt to compete with Watches and Wonders and convey on very costly manufacturers, however to remain within the accessible and mid-range tier as much as across the $5,000 vary. There are exceptions, after all, as a few of our manufacturers have gold items properly north of $10,000, like Junghans, and we additionally partnered with Breitling previously. If manufacturers like Omega or Grand Seiko wish to take part sooner or later, we will surely have an interest. That mentioned, we don’t wish to alienate our core viewers and model companions by introducing a number of very costly watchmakers. That once more is Watches and Wonders territory.

This yr, you’ve got three exhibits within the US – Chicago, Los Angeles and Austin. Do you see this increasing to both greater than three per yr and/or one thing outdoors the US?

Effectively, we do produce other initiatives within the works apart from exhibits, however so far as exhibits, Chicago and Austin are our two staple cities. We’re excited so as to add a 3rd metropolis this yr, Los Angeles, however we’ll have Minutes and Hours in a special metropolis in the summertime of 2026 and past, once more sustaining Chicago within the Spring and Austin within the Fall. In fact, we began in LA with LAmicroLUX, however haven’t been again in a few years. It’s a bit early proper now, however my staff and I’ve been discussing having a present outdoors of the US as properly.

You additionally launched a really cool workshop on the current Chicago present, The Watch Academy by Cimier.

Sure, we’re the primary and solely watch truthful within the US to offer a complete watch constructing workshop the place individuals get to find out about watchmaking and meeting, and likewise hold the watch they construct through the class. It’s arrange for adults of all ability ranges and actually offers a novel, hands-on expertise and a particular watch to take dwelling.

You promote watches by way of your on-line retailer as properly. Are you able to inform me extra about that?

We promote watches and equipment with manufacturers together with Duckworth, Cimier, Laco, Perrelet and extra. About ten manufacturers up to now. Costs are accessible, with the most costly items falling just below $5,000, such because the Perrelet Turbine Titanium 41 Blue.

We have been speaking earlier, and it struck me how we each bear in mind particular watches in films and tv. What are some that actually stand out for you?

Effectively, I like the present Succession, and the characters had cash and acquired spectacular items, however they have been extra energy statements than something, as they weren’t educated about horology. I bear in mind when Shiv’s husband Tom tried to impress her dad and patriarch of the household by presenting him with a Patek for his birthday. And he wasn’t all that impressed as he didn’t appear to actually find out about watches. I could be getting a few of the particulars mistaken, however that was the gist of it. I actually appreciated that present, and it was nice for watch fans like us.

My favourite watch scene was in Glengarry Glen Ross when Alec Baldwin places his gold Rolex Day-Date in entrance of Ed Harris’ character and says, “that watch prices greater than your automotive.”

We all the time appear to recollect watches in particular scenes. It’s all a part of the enjoyable.

Wealthy, it was nice speaking with you and congratulations on a really profitable Chicago present. I look ahead to seeing you on the Los Angeles present on July 26^th and 27^th.

Thanks, Erik, and I’m wanting ahead to the present and seeing you there!

Please go to Minutes and Hours at www.minutesandhours.com.