Hodinkee
Photo Report: The Miami Beach Antique Show 2026
The Original Miami Beach Antique Show (OMBAS) is one of my favorite trips of the year. For those of us deep in vintage watch appreciation, it's an absolute must-see. The show sees watch dealers and collectors flying in from all corners of the world for arguably the most important vintage show in the world. OMBAS is the sort of show you can find stuff you'll never see again, as well as things you simply didn't know existed. Ever wanted to see numerous Tasti Tondi's, Paul Newmans, and 2499's all in one room? This is where you do it. As its name suggests, it's truly a diverse show, with all manners of antiques you could think of, and those you couldn't, all for sale within the colossal Miami Beach Convention Center. The Miami Beach Convention Center Typically, the show is held just after the holidays in January, but for 2026, it was moved to March, a decision that also ensured much better weather for those fortunate enough to have spare time to explore. Held over six days, I picked up a few key takeaways from my time there compared to previous visits. Firstly, prices. Previously, it felt more possible to find deals at the show. Not as much with the watch dealers who know exactly what they have, but from those stands that stock all sorts of antiques, who also just happened to have a few watches hidden away. They were always the gold mines for vintage scores. Nowadays, it seems everyone knows what they have, which seems to be down to one thing: the price of gold. The desirabili...