Our Favorite Groups: Complecto

“You know, it’s in ways that I could not have imagined that Complecto has really enriched my life personally. Because it’s given me an opportunity to connect with so many incredible people. Right? And, again, it’s kind of become a motto, you know, it’s like people first, watches second and a tagline of sorts for Complecto is come for the watches and stay for the community.” – Jason Gong, Complecto founder

Watch collecting has been, historically, a hobby relegated to obscure magazines and jewelry shows. It wasn’t something you talked about — it certainly wasn’t something that brought people together. But that all changed with the internet. The rise of forums gave watch enthusiasts a place to gather, talk, obsess and even start making meaningful connections.

Over the last decade or so, the community of watch enthusiasts has exploded. Meetups have become the way of the day and knowledge is more accessible than ever. Essentially, watch enthusiasm has become a communal hobby, one predicated on finding spaces and voices which speak to you.

It’s out of this culture of collective enthusiasm that Complecto was born. Founded by Jason Gong, a watch enthusiast with a professional history in diversity, equity, and inclusion, Complecto strives to create an open and welcoming community for watches collectors of all backgrounds.

“There are people that that didn’t know each other before Complecto that, in the last year, they’ve met and they’ve developed what I believe will be lifelong friendships,” says Complecto Founder Jason Gong. “People that didn’t know each other a year and a half ago that have gone to each other’s weddings, people that have text messaged me and said, thank you for what you are building.”

And none of this has gone without notice. Over the last year, Complecto has found a number of partners who share its vision for what a collector community can, and should, look like. Through their events, social media presence and editorial content, Complecto has been able to reach out to collectors and meet them where they are, regardless of how deep into their collecting journey they’ve gotten.

And people have started to take notice. Over the last year, Complecto has formed partnerships with Oris, Windup Watch Fair, Bremont, Citizen Watch America, Frederique Constant, Alpina, Accutron, Bulova and so many others. And that’s not even to mention the quality of collector that the group attracts.

“You know, what I think are the fundamentals of the group, the inclusiveness of it, the way that it’s just about people having a good time talking about watches, that’s how we are as a brand in general. And that’s really where it comes together,” says VJ Geronimo, CEO of the Americas for Oris, on the brand’s involvement with the collector group.

Complecto has, as I’ve said, focused heavily on creating a welcoming environment for collectors, something you can’t help but notice when you walk into a Complecto event. It’s a rare group where a new collector can feel equally as comfortable in a room as anyone else, and where there is as much excitement over an interesting Seiko as there is for a rare Patek. In fact, Gong bears this out, since you are as likely to find him wearing a Seiko dive watch as a Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse or Calatrava.

“Well, for one, I just moved to the city. So, you know, trying to find friends and just like-minded individuals,” says Arinze Akomas. “That was the main thing that brought me here, but I think what kept me here was definitely in the bond and just the people, the spirit, the kindred spirit, and energy they should get here. I just love that everyone is treated with love and respect.”

If you are looking to get involved with Complecto, regular meetups are held in New York City, with plans to offer more events around the country in the coming months. You can join their community at complecto.co or follow them on Instagram @complecto_. You can follow founder Jason Gong @wristshotnyc.