A Night to Remember: Hampden Watch’s Relaunch Party in Chicago
When I joined my father two years ago to relaunch Hampden Watch, I knew there would come a time when our work needed to be shared—not quietly, but in a way people could feel. Alive. Joyful. Rooted in Chicago. This summer, that moment finally arrived.
From Legacy to Living Story
The paradox of Hampden is that we are both a legacy and a newcomer. We’re the oldest family-owned watch company in America, with 103 years of continuous operation here in Chicago. Yet for decades, our name has been absent from storefronts and unfamiliar to many in our own city.
That’s why this relaunch party mattered so much. It wasn’t just a gathering—it was our bridge. A chance to step out from behind the factory walls and reintroduce ourselves, not as a relic of the past, but as a living part of Chicago’s future.
Opening Our Doors to Chicago Again
The timing couldn’t have been better. Worn & Wound’s Windup Watch Fair was happening just three blocks from our longtime headquarters and factory. With hundreds of watch collectors and enthusiasts converging on the neighborhood, we knew it was the perfect moment to open our doors and reintroduce Hampden as Chicago’s heritage watch company.
Preparation began months in advance. My father, Joe carefully curated our family’s collection: dozens of watches from six different brands we’ve owned or operated — Hampden, Clinton, Benrus, Douglas, and Wolbrook — along with mid-century magazine ads, catalogs, and handwritten archives. His contribution to the night was a historical exhibition that showcased the story of our family watch company through gleaming display cases filled with more than a century of design.
Our West Loop headquarters, a beautiful three-story brick-and-timber building, became the stage. More than 300 guests poured through our front doors, rode the creaky old freight elevator to the second floor, and stepped into a spread of Chicago classics—deep dish pizza, hot dogs, and Garrett’s popcorn—before exploring my father’s exhibition.
For the first time, we opened the doors to our First Hand Watchmaking Workshop, which will soon host watchmaking classes and experiences for the public. Guests sipped Macallan whiskey while our longtime watchmaker demonstrated the art of assembly, bringing to life the craft behind our watches.
Upstairs, the rooftop deck came alive with music from DJ Nick Roy. KOVAL Distillery kept the bar flowing, and every hour we gave away personalized watches from our Centennial Collection during “Hampden Hour."
A Moment Four Generations in the Making
One of the most meaningful moments for me came when I stepped forward to address the crowd—friends, family, longtime employees, and members of Chicago’s collector community. I spoke about what it means to step in as the fourth generation of our family watch company, just as my father and grandfather once did.
But our relaunch is not only about honoring heritage. It’s about vision. Hampden today is dedicated to creating fine personalized watches that tell stories. With custom caseback engravings and our Design Concierge service, every customer can design a one-of-a-kind heirloom. From weddings to graduations to milestone anniversaries, Hampden is here to be more than a timekeeper—we want to be the Chicago watch brand that connects people not just to time, but to memory.
The People Behind Hampden
Hampden’s story has never been just about watches—it has always been about people. Over the years, our family watch company has employed hundreds, building a legacy of craft and care that stretches across generations.
Many of those people came back for the relaunch party. Some had retired years ago; others had spent decades alongside my father. Arthur Severin (second to right), who came to Chicago as an immigrant from the Caribbean in the 1980s, began as an entry-level employee in shipping before building a career in accounting. Jacob Chacko (far left) guided our IT for two decades. And Jean-Claude Roy (far right), our longtime production manager and a gifted watchmaker, stood proudly alongside us one last time before passing away just weeks later.
Seeing them together reminded me that Hampden has always been, and will always be, a family watch company in the broadest sense.
Looking Back—and Forward
As the music faded and the last guests drifted out, I wandered the quiet halls of our old factory. I thought of my great-grandfather Hyman, who founded Clinton Watch Company in Chicago in 1922. None of us alive today ever met him, but his decision to start a small Chicago watch company is why we are here today.
This relaunch party was more than a celebration. It was a promise—that Hampden Watch, rooted in Chicago and reimagined for a new generation, is ready to carry its heritage forward with personalized watches built to tell stories for another hundred years.
Pictured left to right: Shira Wein, Hampden Brand Director Daniel Wein, Marathon Watch CEO Mitchell Wein, Hampden CEO Joe Wein, Michele Wein, and Andy Sklar. All photos via Adapted Chicago.