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Watches and Wonders, in Geneva, watches experience the future

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The Watches and Wonders fair in Geneva has been running for two days, featuring 38 haute horlogerie brands, again this year in digital version. It will be in attendance, as in 2020, instead in Shanghai, from 14 to 18 April, with 19 brands present. In China, the market is racing again: this is confirmed by the data of the Fédération de industrie horlogere suisse on exports, which grew in 2020, compared to 2019, by 20% to 2.394 million Swiss francs, while the decline towards the 30 main markets it was 21.8%. In the first two months of 2021, exports to China grew by 90.4% on 2020 and by 47.9% on 2019, compared to a global -5.9%.

“We want to show that fine watchmaking is alive”

To organize Watches and Wonders of Geneva and the spin-off in China is the Fondation Haute Horlogerie, which since July has as president and CEO Emmanuel Perin, former member of the board of the Foundation: “The goal is to give prominence to fine watchmaking – he explains – and demonstrate that our universe is alive and rich in values ​​». A lot has changed compared to last year: the original format included a kermesse at the Palexpo in Geneva with events and initiatives in the city – later canceled – and the watchesandwonders.com platform as a “complement”. “In 2020 there were only six weeks to create much stronger digital content than expected – explains Perin -. We had more time for this edition: the physical show scheduled for 2021 was canceled in November and since then we have worked to create greater interactivity with live events, debates, interviews and more panels “.

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Among the brands present many new entries

The fair remains by invitation only for about 23 thousand between retailers, media and “friends of the brands” selected from all over the world. Non-expert enthusiasts will be able to connect to watchesandwonders.com. From this year to the usual appearances in Geneva of the Richemont group (Cartier, Panerai, Iwc, Vacheron Constantin, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Montblanc, A. Lange & Söhne, Roger Dubuis, Baume & Mercier and Piaget), of Kering (Ulysse Nardin) and other big names like Hermès are joined by other arrivals, some from the former Baselworld fair, including Rolex, Patek Philippe, Chopard, Chanel, Tudor, Bulgari, Tag Heuer, Zenith and Louis Vuitton.

Watches and Wonders, the new watches on display

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“Integrating 19 new brands into the platform is a great challenge, also because now the attendance is double compared to 2020 – underlines Perin -. We will also have independent fashion houses, which it is important that the foundation continues to support ». The success of this edition would become the best viaticum for what will be the testing ground for Watches & Wonders in Geneva: the physical event of 2022.

«The intent is to have the representatives of fine watchmaking in Geneva, not only in 2021 and 2022, but also in the years to come and the main event will be at Palexpo. We will see what to do in the city – concludes Perin -. In a time when technology is the protagonist, we need to convey values ​​such as savoir-faire, craftsmanship, innovation and creativity. The mechanical watchmaking art has been included by Unesco in the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. We want to continue to protect it and make it evolve ».

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