Have you ever wished you could indulge in some serious watch talk with somebody who actually understands watches…and not just brands? Are you a self-confessed watch geek or maybe even someone newly caught by the watch collecting bug? Someone who prefers spending their free time indulging in horological endeavours once in a while? If that’s a YES, then we strongly suggest you read on.
The Red Bar Melbourne Crew are a group of watch collectors and enthusiasts that meet regularly in Melbourne. The idea – ‘To spread the love of all things horology’.
A few weeks ago, Chapter Officer and collector himself, Ernie Tang and long time member Tom Le, extended an invitation to us to attend one of the crew’s get togethers or ‘GTG’s in Melbourne. When you receive an invite to witness a meeting of one of the most coveted, but exclusive societies, it’s an offer you can’t refuse. From Patek’s to A.Lange and Soehne’s to Rolex’s to AP’s, members had em all. You could practically sense the purity, authenticity and passion in each collector, the story behind each of their purchases and ultimately the significance each of their purchases had in their lives. Some loved the aesthetic value of a watch while others were more for the engineering and the history behind the brand. Of course, apart from incredible vintage and modern watches, what keeps members coming back each and every week are the people. In the words of one of Red Bar’s founders, Dr. Jeffrey Jacques, “the spirit of sharing and the love of fine mechanical timepieces creates a great environment for relationships to flourish”.
It was about a decade back, in New York, that two ardent watch enthusiasts, Dr. Jeffrey Jacques and Adam Craniotes, started meeting on a regular basis for some serious horological discussions. With watches, it’s quite simple, collectors and aficionados find each other. The group burgeoned. It spread world over, with Melbourne today being one of its hot spots and recent additions.
Basic Premise
Membership to this revered society promises unrivalled access to Knowledge, Events and Timepieces. This pretty much sums up how the group is setting out to accomplish its mission- one member at a time. The mission and the vision of the group is to advance the appreciation of horology through events, watch talk and in-depth sessions on the world of mechanical watchmaking. The strength of the group lies in it’s ability to effectively attract a range of individuals with the intent of contributing to, expanding on and supporting the growth of the watch industry.
Red Bar partners with manufacturers and retailers to generate experiences that grow interest and engagement with the watch industry.
Image Credit: Red Bar Melbourne (Instagram: redbar_melbourne)
Members
A Red Bar member is obviously very passionate about watches, to the extent that he or she looks at experiences to enhance their knowledge which then can be used to make informed purchase decisions. Needless to say, they have a budding or seasoned collection of watches. (let’s say about an average of 8 high-end time pieces per member)
The Red Bar Effect
- 82% Learn something new about the watch sector every meeting
- 35% consider a new purchase after a Red Bar Platinum Event
- 100% are referred by another member and screened for similar values and interests
- 86% confess to spending the bulk of their disposable income on watches
- 95% interact with and proactively enquire about the brands at Red Bar Platinum Events
A Social Purpose
Red Bar Melbourne has always striven to share its profits for social causes; for example, by supporting the Royal Children’s hospital. Based in Melbourne, Victoria, The Royal Children’s Hospital improves the health and well being of children and adolescents through leadership in healthcare, research and education.
This highly engaged and well-resourced group has watches at the centre of their universe and if you’re ever invited to a #GTG, they’ll make sure you’re ‘wound’ for life.
Instagram Handle – wristflex, tom.le_, redbar_melbourne