This week you may have seen a lot of publicity about new watch releases, especially from big watch world names like Rolex, Patek Philippe and Grand Seiko. It’s because the world’s most important watch fair is happening in Geneva this week. It’s called Watches & wonders and this Blog Post will tell you all about what it’s for, where it came from, and why it happens.
What is Watches and Wonders?
It’s the largest trade show for watches in the world. It runs for a whole week in a large exhibition and conference centre in Geneva. It is a place for watch brands to show their timepieces to journalists, retail buyers, wholesalers, and VIP clients. As a result, many watch brands choose to use the show to introduce their new models every year. This is a very traditional way of doing things, dating from the past when travel was hard and the internet didn’t exist, and so all of these industry participants were only in Switzerland at the same time once a year, for this show. Many other brands choose to release their new releases throughout the year, however the largest and most famous luxury brand, Rolex, always announces their new releases on the first morning of this show. The High Horology brand Patek Philippe also does this, and this year most participants have launched new models at the show, even if they have also released watches at other times (Tag Heuer, in particular, this year).
The new Rolex 1908 Dress Watch, based on a dial from 1931 with a new slim case, a new Calibre to power it and the small seconds at the six o’clock position. A fascinating move from Rolex that gained a lot of attention at the show this week.
What happens at this watch show?
Just like other watch shows all over the world, the main thing to do is look at watches and try them on. Brands build big displays to represent themselves and inform the attendees about their watch ranges, technology, craftsmanship, and so on. This show is the largest worldwide, so the effort and expense put in by the brands are high, and the luxury status of many brands that participate means they build fantastic installations. This is different to watch shows elsewhere which are smaller scale, and brands may simply take a table and some cabinets to display their timepieces. The intent of both types of show is the same; to get watches in front of potential buyers and help everyone learn more about the watches and what the brands are trying to do.
An image of one of the areas of the Watches and Wonders show in 2022, which demonstrates how large the Brand Exhibits are. They are bigger than any boutique they might have elsewhere in the world!
Another image showing how large the Watches and Wonders show is. In this case it shows you can look at the watches of Patek Philippe through the glass on the left hand side of the picture.
What’s the history of Watches and Wonders?
The history of this watch show is surprisingly full of controversy for such a luxury product and its location in a conservative country like Switzerland. For many decades the largest watch show was run in Basel, starting out as the Basel Watches and Jewellery fair in 1917. It grew quickly through the 1920s and ran regularly up until 2018, and was called Baselworld. Watch brands began to complain that they were not being treated well and in 2019 and 2020 a large number of famous brands pulled out, including those owned by Swatch Group and the watch brands of the Richemont Group. The handling of the show cancellation due to the Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020 was the final problem for Baselworld, and it has not been held since then.
An alternative show had been running in Geneva since the early 1990s, featuring smaller brands who did not want to compete for attention in Basel. This was known as SIHH, which stands for Salon International de la Haute Horologie, and ran up until 2020 when it was rebranded as Watches and Wonders. This ran as a small online festival due to the Coronavirus Lockdowns and travel bans that prevented regular conferences and shows that year.
Since the end of the Coronavirus restrictions, the show has become the premier Swiss Watch Show, occupying the same slot in the calendar that Baswelworld used to hold, and run by an organising committee comprised of representatives of different watch brands. Overseeing the Foundation that runs it is a board chaired by the CEO of Rolex, Jean-Frederic Dufour and Emmanuel Perrin, Head of Specialist Watchmakers for Richemont Group. Since the leadership is provided by senior executives from competing watch companies, it ensures that the foundation will only produce watch fairs and shows that suit the large luxury brands, guaranteeing the quality of experience they are looking for every year.
The Vacheron Constantin Stand at the 2023 Watches and Wonders show demonstrates how spectacular the brand’s presentations are.
The other part of the Vacheron Constantin stand at Watches and Wonders 2023.
Why do people go?
2023 is a significant year as the Watches and Wonders show has grown to 48 presenting brands, runs for a full week, and most significantly has two public days on the final weekend. The public will get to see the huge stands built by the brands, hear presentations from top industry participants, and see all the marketing and educational materials. Many watch lovers are excited, and this year the city of Geneva is also putting on a big party on the Thursday evening in the streets surrounding most of the watch boutiques. Overall, it’s a fun celebration of the luxury segment of the industry right in the middle of its home town. The chance to see so many watches and meet other watch enthusiasts is one that excites many watch lovers.
Conclusion
The Watch Collectors’ Club believe that the more watch events there are, the better off everyone is. We encourage the growth and success of Watches and Wonders and hope the industry can continue to invite more participants and highlight some of the world’s finest watches. We also hope to run events at or alongside the show in future, so make sure you keep following us for news on that front in 2024 and beyond.