Horological Meandering

I prefer to post it on the main forum and not the 'independent' part cause if possible I would like to see many different answers ;-) Most of us like independents so what do you think about the AHCI ? If one is a member is it an important indication for y... 

I would say that the AHCI certainly has been material for the development of the independent watch makers. Without them the industry would look differently today. Having said that, I suppose today its role might not be the same anymore. So in essence, the... 

But I appreciate the work they’ve done and how easy they make it to find independents.

Which basically means I very much enjoy their efforts and so donate a bit of currency annually. Imho they desperately need to modernize their use of the internet and effectively communicate their goals, efforts, and accomplishments. Each member (watchmake... 

If you look at the present and past members, you'll see the names of the most reputable masters, but it takes time to become part of that "club", which means that being famous and promising today has nothing related to a likely future access. I would broa... 

For me, the most important thing is to see their creations at the annual fair. Even if many of the members do not do new things every year, you get a chance to talk to them and gain insight into how they have thought. They can also get me interested in fl... 

...it is also the perfect opportunity to livestream it, do interviews, showcase the latest creations, etc. Alas, in recent years they've not done that

And a pretty limited one at that. Membership has zero influence on purchase decisions. I’m not aware of the steps required to become a member and so can’t comment on your third question.

For me AHCI membership is a distinctive marker of excellence. I bought several watches because the maker is or was AHCI member, and of course because I like the watch. I have watches by Calabrese, Preziuso, Van der Klaauw and Nienaber amongst others. They... 

Nowadays with MSM and internet the can bild there own platform . I have bought many watches from AHCI members in the past because it was a nice indicator that they were serious watchmakers with respect from their colleagues.

…but it was very important some years ago. For those of us who developed an interest in the Independents but were unsure of the provenance or prospectivity for any given watchmaker, AHCI offered an implied seal of approval. Sure, not all Independents were...