BY JOVAN KRSTEVSKI
In what can be considered as one of the most scintillating and surprising news information from the world of Horology this year, the management at Watches and Wonders recently announced that the 2020 iteration of the grand event would still be held in April, but only digitally, given the COVID-19 outbreak, the world is grappling with.
A short while back when the coronavirus bubble was about to burst, citing the consequences two of the biggest annual watch events, Baselworld and Watches and Wonder were canceled/postponed. While the folks behind Baselworld almost instantly announced that the show would return in January 2021 (which unfortunately was not taken positively by many participating brands forcing them to leave), there was no official word on Watches and Wonder up until now when it was revealed that show would take place online starting 25th April.
The decision certainly took us by surprise as experiencing watches by handling them physically is very different as compared to looking at high-resolution images posted by the brands themselves. But given the unprecedented times, we are living in currently, that requires us to stay indoors to protect ourselves and the people around us, the digital shift does make a lot of sense.
The unveiling of products will happen at Watchesandwonders.com starting noon CET, 25th April. All participating brands, 30 to be precise, would have dedicated pages for them, wherein they will share all information related to their 2020 novelties. The event would begin with a handful of brands, followed by others joining over the coming weeks.
In the end, we would like to conclude by saying that this online edition of Watches and Wonders does seem to hint at the digital landscape, the world of horology might have to embrace in the future. Would it be effective and fruitful for the industry? Well, that is a question only time will answer. So, for now, let’s sit back and enjoy the new releases chilling at home. We would also like to take this opportunity to wish our readers the best of health and urge them to practice social distancing diligently as that is one of the best ways to get over the crisis surrounding us.
