From August 29 to September 2, watchmaking professionals meet at the Rotonde Montblanc, in what remains the cradle of the watchmaking industry. Luxus Plus is a partner.
On the program: watchmaking novelties, conferences, breakfasts with industry leaders, entertainment, not forgetting a charity auction.
And the fact that 39 industry CEOs – including five of the founding brands – were in attendance was a clear sign that the sector is not in crisis, far from it.
An optimistic front in troubled times
Geneva Watch Days can pride itself on having succeeded in bringing together the heads of 39 leading brands, as well as official partners, alongside Delphine Bachmann, State Councillor of the Canton of Geneva, in the Department of Economy and Employment.
The inauguration of this fourth edition was marked by the exceptional presence of five visionaries and guarantors of watchmaking expertise, brought together on stage for a conference: the legendary Jean-Claude Biver, former head of LVMH’s watchmaking division, now at the helm of his eponymous brand, as well as Jean-Christophe Babin (CEO Bvlgari), George Kern (CEO Breitling), Patrick Pruniaux (CEO Girard Perregaux) and Maximilian Büsser (owner and creative director MB&F).
The event is an international showcase for Swiss watchmaking excellence, with exports forecast to exceed 24 billion Swiss francs (25.066 billion euros) by 2022.
Delphine Bachmann, State Councillor for the Economy and Employment, agrees, stating that “almost half of these exports come from Geneva, which is extremely gratifying for our canton’s economy”.
The event the industry has been missing
The Salon was founded in 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, following the cancellation of other existing Salons (in particular Watches & Wonders and Baselworld), by 8 illustrious Houses, namely: Breitling, Bvlgari, De Bethune, Girard Perregaux, H. Moser & Cie, MB&F, Ulysse Nardin and Urwerk.
This gathering of the industry is part of a modern and original philosophy based on a spirit of cooperation without complexity. The organization here is self-managed, light, flexible and agile, offering brands a common space to exhibit their new products, while leaving them the freedom to express themselves in decentralized venues.
Despite the end of the pandemic, the event has not only endured, it has changed dimension. A sign that watchmaking know-how has lost none of its exceptional resilience.
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“Supporting the industry, offering brands an informal and decentralized setting to launch their new products, meeting the main players in the profession -media and retailers- but also and above all the general public, that’s the spirit of Geneva Watch Days” emphasizes Antoine Pin, President of the Geneva Watch Days Association and Director of Bulgari Watches.
A new edition rich in emotion
This fourth edition of the Geneva Watch Days continues to build on its success, with breakfasts with CEOs, discussion symposia and various press conferences.
Among the highlights of this fourth edition are an area dedicated to the watchmaking profession, hosted by Horopedia and the Ecole d’Horlogerie, the Grand Prix ceremony and a charity auction.
This auction, organized by Phillips in association with Bacs & Russo, aims to support deserving students enrolled at the Geneva Watchmaking School who are unable to benefit from parental support. A cause dear to the hearts of all the event’s members and partners. In all, some fifteen lots are being offered for sale by as many prestigious Houses, giving access to exclusive events and venues, for an unforgettable experience for the lucky winner and his or her loved ones.
During the inauguration of the Salon, the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève revealed the selection of 90 timepieces chosen by the GPHG Academy – made up of 847 people – to compete in the 15 categories of the 2023 edition.
The jury and the GPHG Academy will select the winners of the twenty prizes, including the prestigious Aiguille d’Or.
However, we’ll have to wait until November 9 to find out who the winners are, at a prestigious ceremony held at Geneva’s Théâtre du Léman.
One sure sign: of the 84 watches and 6 mechanical clocks selected, no fewer than 19 are to be attributed to brands participating in Geneva Watch Days.
Finally, Geneva Watch Days will provide an opportunity to discover the work of photographer Karin Bauzin through the “What Time Is It” exhibition organized by the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH) as part of its “Watches and Culture” department, running until September 10.
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Front cover photo: © Geneva Watch Days
