Watches and Wonders Geneva has been canceled for 2021.
Rather than wait to see how the covid health situation develops over the winter and see how quickly vaccines can be rolled-out on mass, Richemont-backed FHH has decided to nix the physical event, scheduled for April 7 to 13.
Instead, there will be an online presentation of 2021 watch collections.
WatchPro has contacted Rolex, Tudor, Patek Philippe, Chanel and Chopard, which had said they would launch their own show to run at the same time and Palexpo exhibition center as Watches and Wonders Geneva, but has heard nothing back about whether they intend to continue with a physical event.
Ironically, today is the first time that the dates of April 7 to 13 have been confirmed, although the timing comes as no surprise to industry watchers, particularly once virtually every luxury hotel room in Geneva was block-booked for the week.
“The decision, taken in close consultation with the principal stakeholders, is seen as the most responsible course of action, given the current health crisis and uncertainties as to how the situation may evolve,” a statement released today says.
Watchesandwonders.com will once again be asked to perform the almost impossible task of generating excitement for new watches to a worldwide audience now jaded by a year of meetings over Zoom.
One change to last year is that all the brands scheduled to take part in Watches and Wonders Geneva will be present online in April 2021. Last year there were a number of hold-outs that did not fancy the digital route.
Participating brands on Watchesandwonders.com are: A. Lange & Söhne, Armin Strom, Arnold & Son, Baume & Mercier, Bovet, Cartier, Chanel, Chopard, Fabergé, Ferdinand Berthoud, Girard-Perregaux, Grönefeld, H. Moser & Cie., Hermes, Hyt, Iwc Schaffhausen, Jaeger-Lecoultre, Laurent Ferrier, Mb&F, Montblanc, Panerai, Parmigiani, Patek Philippe, Piaget, Purnell, Rebellion Timepieces, Ressence, Rolex, Roger Dubuis, Rudis Sylva, Speake-Marin, Tudor, Ulysse Nardin and Vacheron Constantin.
Chopard isn’t a participating brand FYI.
With respect, good luck! In former years, the SIHH and Basel Fair were truly special events that were genuinely worth attending. This is not only for the viewing of timepieces and meeting with their makers, it is a rare opportunity to share with other people a mutual passion. Without that, why waste your time?
According to the official release, Chopard is a participating brand.