gEnEVa waTcH wEEk

waTcH EvEnTs rETurn To gEnEva

Balazs Ferenczi

After a 2-year hiatus, watch events were the thing again at the end of March in Geneva. Not only did Watches and Wonders hold their very first physical show, but other events like Time to Watches and Barton 7 also made an appearance in the watch capital of Switzerland. The focus was on the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerieorganized hybrid Watches and Wonders show (formerly SIHH) and, just like last year, the event was fully available digitally. All the same, it didn’t disappoint those who made it to Palexpo, just on the city's outskirts. Aside from the prestigious Richemont Group manufactures like A. Lange & Söhne, Cartier, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Piaget and Vacheron Constantin, most of the LVMH brands (TAG Heuer, Zenith, Hublot) exhibited at the show. To the

delight of visitors several other iconic brands made an appearance. The most illustrious amongst them were Rolex and Patek Philippe, presenting their latest creations here for the first time. The show is just as much about exquisite timepieces as inclusion in the industry. Some of the brightest stars of the independent watch scene were also in attendance. From

Ferdinand Berthoud to H. Moser and

Cie, Czapek and Laurent Ferrier, to name but a few. Visitors could enjoy the show's comfort surrounded by a host of exhibition spaces. Watches and Wonders is not only a fair to showcase the newest timepieces by some of the most prominent names in the sector. It’s also a place where we celebrate and boost the watch community, the driving force behind this industry.

waTcHEs and wondErs is jusT as mucH abouT ExquisiTE TimEpiEcEs as inclusion in THE indusTry.

gEnEva is finally HomE To waTcH EvEnTs again To sHowcasE THE laTEsT TimEpiEcEs.

waTcHEs-nEws.com Still, the city of Geneva had more to offer. Another event was waiting for us just a few minutes' drive from Palexpo: Time to Watches. Albeit modest in size, this show reminded the visitors of what Baselworld used to be. Smaller stalls represented companies, with an array of welcoming and friendly brand representatives. The exhibitor list featured names from all over Europe. Germany's legendary watch company, Sinn, had one of the larger spaces just opposite Reservoir, a Swiss-made brand with French roots that specialized in retrograde watches. Louis Erard, Corum, and Junghans, among others, were present as well.

Lastly, the smallest gathering in the city was Barton7. This "Swiss independent showroom," as they described themselves, was close to the banks of Lake Geneva. Visitors could chat with brands such as Singer Reimagined, Ikepod or Schwarz Etienne in this casual space while enjoying a drink, even though Barton 7 is not of the same calibre as Watches and Wonders or Time to Watches. It’s also worth mentioning that brands, like HYT and Doxa, had their own exhibition spaces set up in downtown Geneva and at the Hotel Beau Rivage.

Let’s hope that this will become the norm, and as time goes on, more and more brands will return to physical events. After all, fun digital presentations aside, these shows' first-hand experience is priceless.