A glance at the Inaugural Swap

A special thanks to Andy Chan (@andychanmedia), a Vancouver based foodie, tech, and car enthusiast. All the photos in this article providing you with an inside look at the event were captured by him on his Leica Q3.

We didn’t know who would show up or what they would bring, but that was part of the adventure. On a beautiful Saturday in North Vancouver, just steps away from the Vancouver Timepiece Show, people showed up with watches on their wrists and gear to be shared.

The community of enthusiasts and adventurers who joined us came from around the world and we were surprised to continue to receive RSVP's throughout the afternoon for our private location. A steady flow of gear lovers trickled in and out, but the conversation was warm and filled with laughs, fuelled by our friends at Revolver, right up until the last espresso shot was pulled in the final minutes of the swap.

What We Saw

Adventurers shared stories of their gear, decision making process for purchases, specifications, biggest trade come-ups, and how their carries have hanged over the years. The best trades weren’t about the highest monetary value, but the lives the items had lived before the swap and imagining where they'll go.

With a range of everyday carry items, there were pens, knives, wallets, pouches, flashlights and all the things you'd expect from a discerning group of adventurers.

As you'd expect on the weekend of a watch show, there were most certainly watches, and a few of them even found new homes. We were thrilled to see one of our Day One supporters even put an original REISE up for swap for the community.

The Vibe

The community really showed up and the Gear Swap delivered three hours packed with all the good vibes we'd hoped for. Buzzing with energy (and caffeine), the room was filled with gear and conversation, resulting in a variety of trades including: a disposable camera, knives, pens, and even a Walkman.

We were surprised to find the afternoon disappeared as quickly as it started, but the feeling of bringing a group of likeminded gear enthusiasts fuels us to answer the inevitable question...

What's Next?

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Inaugural Gear Swap, making it a huge success. In addition to having an opportunity to share our upcoming and latest releases with you, we were able to have conversations over coffee about other aspects of your life and how you actually use our gear.

Attendees will receive an e-mail over the next few days. Along with an update on the rest of the Vancouver Timepiece Show weekend, you can look forward to a request for a few details if you'd to log your Gear Swap trade in our master ledger.