Watches and Wonders Archives

There will be 55 brands at Watches and Wonders

Published on September 29, 2023

The number of brands rises to 55, including six making their debut, which will participate in the next Watches and Wonders Geneva from 9 to 15 April 2024. The program also promises to be enriched at the Salon and In The City, specially designed for the general public for three of the five days. The organizers emphasize that the focus will be on the visitor experience, as well as connection and meaningful interaction with the exhibiting Maisons.

The brands of Watches and Wonders Geneva 2024

A.Lange & Söhne, Alpina Watches, Angelus, Arnold & Son, Baume & Mercier, Beauregard, Bell & Ross, Bremont, Cartier, Chanel, Charles Zuber, Charriol, Chopard, Chronoswiss, Cyrus Genève, Czapek & Cie, Eberhard & Co ., Ferdinand Berthoud, Frederique Constant, Gerald Charles, Grand Seiko, Grönefeld H., Moser & Cie., Hautlence, Hermès, Hublot, Hysek, Iwc Schaffhausen, Jaeger-Lecoultre, Laurent Ferrier, Louis Moinet, Montblanc, Nomos Glashütte, Norqain , Oris, Panerai, Parmigiani, Fleurier, Patek Philippe, Pequignet, Piaget, Raymond Weil, Rebellion Timepieces, Ressence, Roger Dubuis, Rolex, Rudis Sylva, Speake-Marin, TagHeuer, Trilobe, Tudor, U-Boat, Ulysse Nardin, Vacheron Constantin, Van Cleef & Arpels, Zenith

Tickets for entry to the Geneva Palaexpo can be purchased online from early February 2024, with student and weekend prices available. The next edition will take place over two floors and will feature new spaces for visitors to explore along with improved places for meetings and discussions. The Lab will take on a new dimension in the heart of the Show, symbolically representing the importance of technological innovation within manufacturers: startups, schools and engineers will reveal the secrets of tomorrow’s watchmaking. The idea is to offer an engaging, tactile and sensorial experience for the curious and particularly relevant for younger enthusiasts with career aspirations.

With the In The City program, a new Village Horloger will be created to showcase the wonders of fine watchmaking, its crafts, savoir-faire and talents. Major brands will also join the celebrations with in-store activities featuring special presentations and displays of their best creations. A festive evening, with a free concert, will be held on April 11 on the Quai Général-Guisan.

Watches and Wonders 2024 date set

Published on July 11, 2023

Orologi

The next edition of Watches and Wonders Geneva will be held from 9 to 15 April 2024, again in the Halles del Palexpo which is located near the international airport of the city. New for next year: the general public will be able to attend the event over a long 3-day weekend, from Saturday to Monday inclusive. Visitors from the press and industry will have access to the show throughout the week. Watches and Wonders (formerly Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie) is a trade show for the international watch and jewelery industry. It is organized by the Watches and Wonders Geneva Foundation and major brands of haute horlogerie participate in it, such as Cartier, Rolex, Patek Philippe, Tag Heuer, Piaget.

This year the event achieved a record of around 43,000 unique visitors who attended the seven-day event, almost double the number in 2022. The 2024 edition intends to build on the success of 2023, further raising the profile of Geneva as an international watchmaking destination. The program will again be developed in two parts, Palexpo and In the City, with an evening event on Thursday 11 April in the heart of the city. The aim is to involve Genevans and local actors even more in the event. The brands taking part in Watches and Wonders Geneva 2024 will be announced at a later date, together with the full programme.

Watches and Wonders in Shanghai from 13 to 17 September

Published on June 16, 2023

Orologi

Haute horlogerie embarks at Geneva airport. Destination: Shanghai. A few months after the end of April event in Geneva, Watches and Wonders leaves for China. The Salone will take place in Shanghai from 13 to 17 September 2023. It is the third edition and will see the presence of 14 exhibiting Maisons and, for the first time, will open its doors to the public at the weekend. The luxury watch manufacturers present are A. Lange & Söhne, Arnold & Son, Baume & Mercier, Cartier, Charriol, Iwc Schaffhausen, Jaeger-Lecoultre, Panerai, Piaget, Roger Dubuis, Speake-Marin, U-Boat, Ulysse Nardin , Vacheron Constantin. In short, they are not all those present at the Geneva edition (missing, for example, Rolex and Patek Philippe).

Lovers of fine watchmaking will once again gather at the West Bund Art Center in a completely redesigned pavilion. The first three days will be reserved, by invitation only, to retailers, the press and the end customers of the brands, while the general public is expected for the first time on 16 and 17 September 2023 to experience a journey into the heart of time. Tickets will be available from August via Watches and Wonders official WeChat mini-program, priced at 150 Rmb. Among the highlights, the exhibition What time is it? by Karine Bauzin, who will travel from Geneva with a selection of about 40 photos: the Swiss artist and photographer questions our relationship with time through a universal gesture.

Geneva capital of jewelry and watches

Published on March 27, 2023

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Jewelery and fine watchmaking for a week can be found in Geneva, the Swiss city that has effectively supplanted Baselworld. The 2023 edition of Watches and Wonders at Palexpo in Geneva this year includes 48 exhibiting Maisons and will run until April 2 and opens its doors to the public on the last two days. In addition to the Palaexpo, the city hosts events in various boutiques and hotels. Major watch brands, such as A. Lange & Söhne, Cartier, Grand Seiko, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Oris, Patek Philippe, Rolex, TAG Heuer, Tudor and Vacheron Constantin have announced news. The event is organized by the Watch & Wonders Foundation founded in September 2022 by Rolex, Patek Philippe and the Richemont group, which owns brands such as Montblanc, Baume et Mercier, Van Cleef & Arpels.

Haute Jewels Geneva. Copyright: gioiellis.com

In addition to top-of-the-line watches, Geneva also hosts two different jewelery events. Haute Jewels Geneva is scheduled at the Fairmont Grand Hotel Geneva, with Maisons such as Pasquale Bruni, Karen Suen, Busatti 1947, Casato, Yoko London (the organizer), Roberto Coin, Sutra, Crivelli, Bayco, Eto Maria, Stenzhorn, Marco Bicego , Mariani, Palmiero, Picchiotti, Gorgoglione, Hans D.Krieger, Leo Pizzo, Verdi, Annamaria Cammilli, Sicis, Baraka.

Haute Jewels Geneva, gioielli esposti. Copyright: gioiellis.com

At the Hotel President, on the other hand, Jewelery Geneva is scheduled, organized by H2 Events by Howard Hauben, who created, founded and directed the Couture Show in Las Vegas. At the President there are brands such as Bloch, Busatti Milano, Damaso DI.GO, Ferrarifirenze, Giovanni Ferraris, Hasbani, Heinz Meyer, Hulci Belluni, Isabelle Fa, Jacob, K di Kuore, Luca B, Matthias and Claire, Nader Kash, Nanis, Piranesi, Fr Jewels, Schreiner, Serafino Consoli, Solo Collection, Staurino, Tirisi and Zancan.

Bracciale di perle di Yoko London alla edizione 2019 di Haute Jewels Geneve

Haute Jewels Geneva with 16 major brands

Published on November 15, 2021

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Farewell Baselworld. The Maisons of jewelry organize their fair, in combination with Watches and Wonders, the event dedicated to the top timepiece brands. The novelty, on the other hand, is called Haute Jewels Geneva, the international fair of high jewelery, which will be held at the Fairmont Grand Hotel from 30 March to 5 April 2022, simultaneously with the event dedicated to watches. In short, no return to Basel. The first taste of Haute Jewels Geneva was in 2019, in January, with the participation of four brands (Yoko London, Roberto Coin, Crivelli and Sutra). The idea was liked and in 2020 the event was to be repeated with eight brands. But the pandemic forced the appointment to be canceled both in 2020 and in 2021.

In 2022, however, Haute Jewels Geneva will return with 16 major jewelry brands: Yoko London, Roberto Coin, Sutra, Crivelli, Bayco, Eto Maria, Stenzhorn, Marco Bicego, Mariani, Palmiero, Picchiotti, Gorgoglione, Hans D. Krieger, Leo Pizzo, Verdi, Annamaria Cammilli. The decision of the brands marks, perhaps, the tombstone on the former great Baselworld watch and jewelry fair. On the other hand, the world changes quickly.

Gioielli by Sutra alla edizione 2019 di Haute Jewels Geneve. Copyright: gioiellis.com

Farewell Baselworld

Published on November 12, 2021

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Baselworld 2019. Copyright: gioiellis.com

It was easy to predict. But now there is official confirmation: Baselworld is officially a defunct fair. Even if the organizers simply communicate that it is a pause for reflection. A very long pause, though. A press release from the Mch Group, the company that organizes (or rather organized) the great watch and jewelery fair, explains that «the organizers of Baselworld have decided to dedicate more time to the launch of the new concept. Baselworld, scheduled for spring 2022, will therefore not take place ». The decision also marks the failure of the project of the managing director Michel Loris-Melikoff, who therefore decided to leave the company.

The decision, which must not have been easy, “is based on the one hand on the experience gained from the Pop Up Event at the Geneva Watch Days and on intense discussions with manufacturers and retailers. On the other hand, it takes into account the fact that it is particularly difficult to launch a new concept for a new target segment due to the renewed worsening of the covid situation and the related uncertainty among customers “. The truth, however, is more painful: Watches and Wonders will be held regularly in Geneva from March 30 to April 5, with the big brands in the sector, as well as a selection of jewelry brands that have organized themselves for a parallel event that takes place calls Haute Jewels Geneva.

Over the past few months we have studied our ecosystem of watches, jewelry and gems in detail and gained important insights from discussions with key industry representatives. The bottom line is that the market exists for a B: B: C platform, bringing together mid-sized and specialty manufacturers with independent resellers. But their needs need to be analyzed in more detail. This means that we need to have much more time to reach it.
Beat Zwahlen, CEO of the MCH Group

Ingresso a Baselworld 2019. Copyright: gioiellis.com

The Swiss company therefore anticipates that «in the coming months an interdisciplinary team of the Mch Group will analyze the target segments and, in close exchange with manufacturers and retailers, will deepen their marketing and transaction needs. In this context, particular attention will be paid to the latest trends in marketing and distribution in view of the post-pandemic period, in particular internationalization and digitization. The goal remains to create added value for the community’s business in its reference markets with the internationally anchored Baselworld brand and innovative platforms ».

Baselworld 2019, scale mobili. Copyright: gioiellis.com

La piazza di Baselworld. Copyright: gioiellis.com

Baselworld returns in 2022. But will be different

Published on June 23, 2021

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La cupola aperta che sovrasta la piazza che unisce i padiglioni della Fiera di Basilea

Baselworld is back. The largest jewelry and watch fair, however, will be different. How different? The point is precisely this: there are still, inevitably, many undefined aspects, as explained in an online meeting Michel Loris-Melikoff, CEO of the event, which is managed by the Swiss company Mch.

The last edition of Baselworld was that of 2019. But it was a smaller-scale event than in the past, after a long series of goodbyes by the big brands. The reason? Above all, the costs that have now become unsustainable: for a company, the presence at Baselworld could mean an expense of over 1 million euros, as the manager himself admitted. To the exorbitant costs has been added a lot of competition and, above all, the spread of communication via the internet. Ok, it is not the same as having direct contact with the manufacturer or viewing the object. But it facilitates contacts and, above all, it costs almost nothing. Above all, a physical space at the fair can now be obtained for about 20 thousand euros/dollars, which goes down to 5 thousand to participate in the digital platform alone.

Reasons that led Baselworld to a deep reflection, which has also lengthened due to the covid. So much so that at some point Mch had decided to eliminate the Baselworld brand altogether. Fortunately, the decision was changed. Now the fair returns. When? Between 31 March and 4 April 2022: but essentially there is still an agreement with Watches and Wonders, as it is now called Fhh, an event held in Geneva and reserved for haute horlogerie. The idea is to coordinate the two events, as was already planned for 2020. The uncertainty also testifies to how long and tiring the work of convincing companies to return to Baselworld will be long and tiring. According to Loris-Melikoff, the new Baselworld will primarily be a B2B platform in the mid-range luxury segment. A concept that profoundly changes the philosophy followed up to here, which favored brands such as Chopard, Rolex or Bulgari. All companies that have decided to leave the event in the Swiss city.

Business a Baselworld. Copyright: gioiellis.com

As explained, the future concept combines market trends of experience marketing with the needs of the entire community in the middle and upper segment of the watch, jewelry and gemstone industry.

After the coronavirus pandemic has stalled Baselworld in the past two years, we have taken a long time to speak with our partners and exhibitors. One thing has become very clear: the brand must remain, but it must radically change.
Michel Loris-Melikoff

The intention is that the new Baselworld will be less glamorous and more of a platform on which small watch and jewelry manufacturers and gemstone dealers will be able to showcase their products and retailers will have efficient and easy access to diversity of manufacturers. Not only that: it will also become a digital platform, complemented by live events, which will be available to the jewelery, watch and gem industry 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, around the world.

Il talk show di apertura di Baselworld 2019

The digital platform will be launched in the autumn, and is expected to be a forum for exchange between all relevant representatives of industry, the public and the media at Baselworld 2022. The goal is to use new tools for content creation, to enable maximum experience providing the opportunity to expand your network and exchange information on the latest trends. It will be the first independent platform that combines digital and live events.

According to Loris-Melikoff, everyone will meet on the platform: brands, manufacturers, retailers, fans and the media. “We will offer attractive conditions and prices for all brands that want to benefit from this unique platform”, assures the manager. Finally, the new orientation of Baselworld is in line with the strategy of the Mch Group, “confirmed by the new board of directors. on community platforms in selected ecosystems (international or national), the provision of experiential marketing solutions with holistic support for customers around the world and the management of the group’s infrastructure in Basel and Zurich ».