An Intimate Event with Fortis Watches and CEO Jupp Philipp

At HS-U, we always hope our gatherings feel like more than just events, and this one truly did. When select members of the Horological Society of Utah came together at one of our favorite locations, Forty Three Bakery, for an evening with Fortis Watches, the atmosphere felt warm, relaxed, and personal from the very beginning. It was the kind of night that reminded us why we value these smaller, in-person experiences so much: good conversation, great watches, and the chance to connect directly with the people behind the brands we admire.

Having Jupp Philipp, owner and CEO of Fortis, with us made the evening especially meaningful. Rather than feeling like a formal presentation, his remarks felt like a genuine conversation with a room full of people who care deeply about watches. He shared the thinking behind Fortis, its strong identity as a modern tool-watch brand, and the legacy that continues to shape it. Hearing his story in such a close setting gave everyone a stronger sense not just of the watches themselves, but of the people and values behind them.

That feeling carried naturally into a brief Q&A, which was thoughtfully led by Kyle Snarr of Worn & Wound. Kyle struck exactly the right tone, helping the conversation stay insightful while still feeling easy and personal. There was a real sense of openness in the room, with questions and answers unfolding more like a shared discussion among enthusiasts than a staged interview. It gave everyone the chance to hear Jupp’s perspective in a way that felt direct, honest, and engaging.

And of course, one of the best parts of the night was spending time with the watches themselves. Fortis presented a cohesive catalog of purpose-built timepieces defined by their “tool watch” philosophy—robust, highly legible instruments engineered for real-world performance across air, sea, and space.

Rooted in a legacy dating back to 1912, the brand’s collection spans iconic lines such as the aviation-inspired Flieger, the space-proven Novonaut and Stratoliner chronographs, and the rugged Marinemaster diver series, each designed to withstand extreme conditions while maintaining Swiss precision and reliability. Their designs emphasize clarity, durability, and functional elegance, often featuring bold luminous markers, chronograph complications, and materials suited for professional use, whether in the cockpit, deep underwater, or orbiting Earth.

Across the catalog, Fortis blends heritage innovation—including early automatic movements and decades of spaceflight testing—with a modern aesthetic that prioritizes practicality over ornamentation, resulting in a lineup that appeals to both serious tool-watch enthusiasts and collectors drawn to authentic adventure-driven watchmaking.

For us, evenings like this are at the heart of what the Horological Society of Utah is all about. They give us the chance to bring people together around a shared passion, create space for meaningful conversation, and make watch collecting feel more personal and human. We are grateful to Fortis, to Jupp , and to Kyle for helping make the evening so memorable, and we left feeling not only more connected to the brand, but also more connected to one another.