Jason Hutton founded ZENEA Watches, a Canadian-designed, Swiss-made brand established in 2020. Their inaugural release, the Ula Diver, is a 300-meter dive watch available in multiple colorways; it includes a special edition featuring a dial crafted from the Muonionalusta meteorite.
Jason’s passion for watches began in childhood, inspired by his father’s Seiko timepiece. Over the years, he has built an eclectic collection of approximately 80 watches, ranging from vintage finds to more elaborate pieces. His science, business, and visual arts background has significantly influenced his approach to watching design and brand development.
In addition to founding ZENEA Watches, Jason organizes the Toronto Timepiece Show, bringing watch enthusiasts, collectors, and industry professionals together. The Toronto Timepiece Show, founded by Jason Hutton in 2023, is a premier event that unites watch enthusiasts, collectors, and industry professionals. The inaugural show took place in September 2024. The event showcases a diverse range of timepieces, emphasizing independent and microbrands, and offers attendees the opportunity to discover new favorites and revisit established ones.
Following its success, the Timepiece Show brand is expanding. The next event is scheduled for Vancouver, British Columbia, from April 25 to 27, 2025, at the Pipe Shop Venue at the Shipyards.
📍Vancouver Timepiece Show April 25–27, 2025 | The Pipe Shop, Shipyards
📍Toronto returns: September 19–21, 2025
1. What inspired you to create the Toronto Timepiece Show, and how did you bring this vision to life?
Having exhibited at a number of shows as a brand owner and also attending as an enthusiast, I felt that Canada and the Toronto market would be a fantastic location for a large-scale timepiece event. I love bringing people together and creating memorable experiences for others, and this is my primary driver in creating an amazing experience for all involved in the show, whether you are an exhibiting brand, an industry professional, or a watch enthusiast attending the show.
The inaugural show was over a year in length for planning and promoting the show to the community as well as exhibiting brands. I am grateful that so many watch enthusiasts attended the show along with having 60 exhibitors from over 17 different countries take part in the inaugural event. The support of many people in the watch community was definitely an important element in building out the first event in Toronto.
2. How does the show support and highlight independent and microbrands within the watch industry?
I design all of my shows to create a welcoming atmosphere for all participants in the show. This extends to not only show attendees but also to brands. One of the unique elements of all Timepiece Shows events is that each event is launched with a special creators/media/VIP night on the Friday evening of the show weekend. This provides a very enjoyable way to not only launch the show but also provides creators and media with unfettered access to brands and the ability to create amazing content before the large crowds show up on the public show days on Saturday and Sunday.
3. Can you share the journey that led to your passion for watches and how it has developed over time?
I've always been a watch enthusiast since I was a young boy. Once I started working, I was able to purchase a few nice pieces for myself, which I wore for many years. About 20 years ago, with the rise of social media platforms, I was able to start learning about many brands that I had never heard of before. That definitely opened my eyes to the many incredible creations that brands were putting out and certainly was instrumental in me establishing my own brand, ZENEA, and getting more involved in the timepiece industry itself. What has been the most significant development as I have gotten more involved in the industry is the many friendships and connections I have made with people all over the world. This is, for me, the most rewarding aspect of what I do. With the shows, I am also interfacing with so many people in both the industry and the enthusiast community, and I absolutely love every minute of my day when I am doing this.
4. What challenges did you encounter when launching the show, and how did you address them?
Putting together the shows is a large challenge on many levels. A lot of time and expense goes into ensuring everything will work smoothly over the entire show weekend as well as the lead-up period to the show. For me, keeping focused on my vision of how I wanted the show to be experienced by both exhibiting brands and attendees was a core value I always kept my focus on as I planned and put together the Toronto Timepiece Show. Choosing to be an entrepreneur can be challenging, and it requires a lot of one's time. Because the brands that are taking part in the shows are located around the globe, there are also a lot of unusual hours for meetings and calls, etc., both late at night and also very early in the morning. I always look for ways to grow the shows and to make them an exceptional experience for all involved.
5. In your opinion, what sets the Toronto Timepiece Show apart from other watch events?
There are many watch shows around the world. The Toronto and Vancouver shows are both supported by a tremendous group of watch enthusiasts and media partners in the local community, which creates an exciting atmosphere during the show weekends. There are many extras that I include in the shows to make the experience an optimal one for both exhibitors and attendees. I feel this is very important, and these many small elements add up to create a really amazing experience when they are all blended together. Feedback from the Toronto show has been so positive from so many, I know we are taking the right approach to create and build something amazing that will only get better with each year the shows take place!
6. Which independent brands or collectors have significantly influenced the show’s identity?
The show's identity is still continuing to evolve, and it really can't be attributed to any one individual or brand. What makes the independent watch brand space so amazing, though, is the consistent passion and commitment to excellence from the many brands that make up the space, and this is something I see across all geographies. I'm very appreciative of all the brands that have supported the show and continue to do so. This year for the 2025 Toronto show, we have a much larger venue with some absolutely incredible brands that have decided to take part in this year's show.
7. What are your long-term goals for the Timepiece Show series, and how do you envision its evolution in the coming years?
The Timepiece Show series will continue to grow, and the interest from brands and industry sponsors and supporters will continue to grow as well. We have plans to expand internationally with the show series, likely starting in 2026, as well as the establishment of some additional platforms to not only support the shows but also grow our engagement with the watch enthusiast community in Canada and around the world. Some details will be coming by May of this year, and we are excited to share the news with our followers and the industry as a whole.
8. How do you perceive the growth of the watch-collecting community in Canada, and what role do you hope the Timepiece Show will play in this development?
Personally, I would love to see the timepiece industry continue to grow within Canada and to bring more visitors from other countries to enjoy the Canadian shows we have created. I know this is already happening, and I am confident it will continue to grow in the coming months and years. The Timepiece Show series will hopefully be a strong anchor point for industry and market growth within the Canadian market and elsewhere as we grow the Timepiece Show brand and the support it provides to stakeholders and enthusiasts alike. During the last Toronto show, I had the pleasure of speaking to many attendees who came to the Toronto show last year not knowing quite what to expect. The passion and enthusiasm they experienced from the other watch enthusiasts at the show and from the exhibiting brands created excitement and a hunger to learn more about the timepieces they saw. When an event can create that type of experience and lasting enthusiasm in someone who took part in the show, I know we are doing the right things that will help the industry and the shows grow.
In line with our commitment to keeping the platform up-to-date and comprehensive, we’ve added all participating brands from the show to our brand directory.
🔍 Explore them all at: WatchDNA.com/Brands
📰 Stay informed with the latest news and exclusive interviews on our dedicated event page, Watchdna.com/timepieceshow
