World Time UK, the biggest watch collectors’ event in London, has been postponed until next year.
The London Watch Show had already been rescheduled and Salon QP has been closed by its owner Hearst.
World Time UK was launched in 2017 as a gathering for one of the country’s biggest Facebook groups for collectors, and attracted almost 45 brands last year.
Colin Weaver, operations manager for World Time UK has informed the community that holding this year’s event in September has become impossible given the current restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Since March 2020 almost all of the year’s watch events, shows and fairs around the world have already been postponed until next year. We have been patient and hopeful that things would be getting better sooner rather than later. We have also been in weekly talks with our venue hotel and the Sofitel Hotel management, hoping that changes to current UK legislation would allow us to proceed with the 2020 event in September. Unfortunately, taking into consideration the latest UK government guidelines and the continuing restrictions in the UK, for the sake of the health, safety and well-being of all involved, we have taken the decision to postpone our event until 2021,” he explains.
“The simple fact is that an event like ours is very tactile as visitors want to see the watches and merchandise up close before buying and talk with brand owners and other attendees. Currently this would be impossible for all involved to do while maintaining a safe environment,” he adds.
The 2021 event will take place on September 25, and all exhibitors booked into this year’s show have been given the option to move to next year, with their deposit rolled over.
