FAQ

The Origins of RedBar

Who founded RedBar, when and where?
RedBar was founded in 2007 by Adam Craniotes in New York, USA.
Kathleen McGivney, the current CEO of RedBar Group LLC., joined the crew in 2013.

Where does the name RedBar originate from?
The “Red Bar Café” was a now-closed bar in Midtown Manhattan.
It was there that Adam Craniotes and Dr. Jeffrey Jacques met to talk about their shared hobby.

About RedBar Frankfurt

Do I have to own a mechanical watch to become a member of RedBar?
Even if you do not currently own a watch at all but are interested in the subject, you are welcome to join.

Is there a membership fee?
Membership is free of charge.

Where do your meetings take place?
Our meetings usually take place in hotels or restaurants where we are given a separate area.
For safety reasons, each meeting takes place at a different location.
Events with brands usually take place in their boutiques or at an authorized dealer.

How often do RedBar Frankfurt meetings take place?
We usually meet once a month.
This is either a meeting focussing on the watches of our members or an event with a brand.

Do I have to attend each and every meeting and event as a member?
In addition to our shared hobby, each of us has a private and professional life.
Participation in meetings and events is therefore always entirely voluntary.

Is exclusively English spoken at the meetings?
Both German and English are spoken at our meetings.
This is due to the high number of expats among our members.

How many members has the chapter in Frankfurt am Main?
We currently have more than 130 members.

I am a woman who is interested in watches. Do you also have female members?
Yes, we also have female members and are happy to welcome more.

Are you LGBTQIA+ friendly?
Your sexual orientation and which pronouns you choose to use is entirely up to you.
As long as you are an open minded individual and interested in watches and/or horology, you are welcome to join us.

What is the average age of your members?
At around 35. Our youngest members are in their early 20s, our oldest in their 70s.

I do not live near Frankfurt am Main, can I still become a member?
Of course. Provided you are able to attend meetings and/or events, albeit irregularly.

About RedBar in General

Are there other RedBar chapters in Germany?
Apart from Frankfurt am Main, there is also a chapter in Munich.

How many RedBar chapters are there currently?
There are currently >90 chapters worldwide and new ones are added every month.

Is RedBar present on all continents?
There are chapters on all continents except Antarctica.
If you know someone there who is interested in watches, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Which chapter has the most members?
This would be our chapter in Shanghai, China, with >500 members.

Setting Up Your Own RedBar Chapter

I would like to set up a RedBar chapter in my region. How does that work?
Setting up your own chapter is easier than you might think.
You are welcome to contact us by email or send us a private message via our Instagram account.
We will be happy to assist you.

I don't know anyone else in my region who is enthusiastic about watches.
Does it even make sense to set up an own chapter?
You will be surprised how many people in your region share your enthusiasm for watches. Take us as an example.
Within just three weeks of founding RedBar Frankfurt, the original four enthusiasts had grown to just under 40, after less than six months there were 50 and after a year there were already 100 members.

There is already a watch club in my region. Unfortunately, I do not warm to the people there. What can I do?
If you do not really warm to the people there, it is quite likely that others will feel the same way as you.
Just form your own RedBar chapter and provide your region’s enthusiasts with an alternative.
We will be happy to assist you with the process.

Why RedBar?
At RedBar, you are part of the world's largest community of watch enthusiasts. RedBar is also well known within the watch industry, making it easy to get in touch with brands and retailers.

RedBar Group also has frequent collaborations. There have already been limited editions with brands such as Accutron, Bamford, Chopard, Frederique Constant, G-Shock, Maurice Lacroix, Meistersinger, Nivada, Oris, Tudor, Wolf 1834, Zodiac and many others.

In addition, there is usually an annual global get-together at which RedBar members from all over the world come together to talk watches. The last meetings of this kind took place in Edinburgh, Scotland in 2023 and in New York, USA in 2022.

There is a WhatsApp group especially for our chapter heads from all over the world, where we can exchange ideas and help each other.

Do you still have questions? Then please do not hesitate to contact us via email or Instagram.