Citizen’s Billions, Miami’s Watch/Car Connection, and Watch Week Aspen’s Avalanche: A Watch News Recap

Here are a few bits of insider timepiece news you may have missed.

The Citizen Group (or, more properly, Citizen Watch Company) encompasses watchmakers such as Swiss brands Frederique Constant, Alpina, Ateliers deMonaco, and Arnold & Son; the US-based Bulova and Accutron; and the Japanese-made Citizen and Q&Q watches. You can also include the Japanese mechanical and quartz movement-maker Miyota in that mix.

According to corporate financial reports and a post last week on the watch industry publication WatchPro, the organization has revised its sales projections behind a stronger-than-expected second quarter this year. After the revision, Citizen Group says it is now on track for $2.47 billion in sales for 2026/27, all told, representing a 9% increase over previously shared sales figures and a 17% jump in operating profit.
 

In terms of “finished” watch sales, Citizen’s watches alone showed increases of 32% in North America and 9% in Europe, with Asia and other regions growing by 10%, according to the figures. In the WatchPro article, the president of Citizen Watch America, Jeffrey Cohen, credits the organization’s strong management, innovative strategy, enthusiastic retailer network, and a broad brand portfolio for the good news.

Well done, you guys.

You may have to wait until November, but when is there a better time to escape the relative heat of Miami? The inaugural running of the Time to Drive Car & Watch Fest is slated for November 6-8, promising to raise the “Vice City’s” already soaring South Florida temperatures.

Founded by music executive and watch collector Lex Borrero and our media colleague, Wrist Check co-founder Perri Dash, this new show aims to become a Miami-flavored version of “Monterrey Car Week meets Watches & Wonders,” with a focus on car culture, fine watchmaking, elevated hospitality, and luxury all in one high-octane shebang.
 

So far, Jacob & Co., Chopard, Grand Seiko, and Zenith (among others) have confirmed they will be strapping on a seat belt for the event from the timepiece side of the formula. From the automotive side, expect participation from the likes of Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Mercedes-Benz, with some exclusive exhibits of particularly cinematic-worthy vehicles (think Kanye West music videos and the Miami-set action film Bad Boys, just to tease your accelerator toe).

Single-day tickets start at $45, with an incredibly exclusive but decidedly all-inclusive “Grail VVIP Pass” going for $1,390. Consider our calendar penciled in.

We previewed Watch Week Aspen in a recent news recap, but even so soon after its mid-August run, strong reports for this event’s junior-year run are already coming in.

“In just three years, we’ve gone from an ambitious idea to one of the United States’ most important annual collector events,” Elizabeth Smith Hrubala, co-founder of Watch Week Aspen, summarized. A record-setting attendance of over 300 watch enthusiasts interacted with 19 watch brands and other event sponsors over the decentralized, all-city four-day event.
 

And this year saw some surprising new product reveals, to boot: a new limited-edition Glashütte Original SeaQ Panorama Date called the “Northern Tide” with an attractive turquoise dial, a watch novelty from L. Leroy, and Norqain’s Independence Skeleton Titanium DLC timepiece all got their first public exposure over the week’s 40 distinct activations. This watch-centric snowball is apparently rolling – and growing.