Leading watch buyers from Europe and afar were descending on Geneva this morning for the latest edition of Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH).
WatchPro editor James Buttery was among the estimated 1,500 journalists and media representatives in attendance as the doors to the Geneva Palexpo swung open at 8.30am this morning.
After celebrating its 25th anniversary last year, organisers of the show have introduced what they describe as two “important innovations” for this year’s extravaganza.
Firstly, the ‘La Cité de la Haute Horlogerie’ area has had a facelift, giving it a more modern, streamlined look that is designed to transcend the creative aspects of the watch houses taking part.
The second change is the increase in the number of exhibitors to 24 after creating a space within the ‘Carré des Horlogers’ section to specifically accommodate nine artisan-creators and independent workshops.
The show encompasses 40,000 square metres of exhibition space and expects to attract 15,000 visitors over the course of the week.
Key exhibitors include Audemars Piguet, A. Lange & Sohne, Baume & Mercier, Cartier, Greubel Forsey, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Mont Blanc, Panerai, Parmigiani, Piaget, Richard Mille, Roger Dubuis, Vacheron Constantin and Van Cleef & Arpels.
