BY HARLAN CHAPMAN-GREEN
Turning to watch industry news now, we learned today of the dates for the next Watches and Wonders Geneva exhibition, which will take place from Monday 5 to Sunday 11 April, 2027. For the past years, the show has opened to the press, retailers, and VIPs on the Tuesday of that week and then opened to paying ticketholders from Saturday to Monday – I always thought it might’ve been to save some money on airline costs, but it didn’t half make it confusing starting my work on the Tuesday of that week.
The venue remains unchanged, with Geneva’s premier exhibition centre, Palexpo, playing host to most of the brands, including all of the largest ones at the show. If you’ve never been and not seen any photos, the halls of Palexpo become their own city in a way, with huge floor-to-ceiling stands for many brands interconnected by walkways. There’s also a separate hall where the largest brands at the fair, typically Rolex, Patek Philippe, Chopard, and Tudor, have their own distinctive stands. And there are smaller, more intimate areas such as the ‘Carré des Horlogers’ where the boutique maisons come together. There are also bars, restaurants, a library and gift shop, and dedicated workspaces for the media.
Most of Watches and Wonders Geneva takes place in Palexpo, which is conveniently located next to Geneva Airport and also the Mövenpick Hotel & Casino where I’ve stayed every year so far – it has two great restaurants, comfy and well-appointed rooms, and the shuttle ride to and from Palexpo is five minutes, the shuttle to the city centre hotels takes an hour so I’m told. Aside from Palexpo, there’s also ‘In The City’, a series of events across Geneva’s waterside areas, and the hotels around the centre often host yet more maisons not seen at Palexpo.
The press release for Watches and Wonders Geneva also announced the arrival of four new brands, which are sure to make my life at the show even more hectic. Breitling will be displaying at the show, and in tow will be the brands it’s reviving: Universal Genève and Gallet, from which we’re waiting to see the initial releases. Italian jeweller and watchmaker Damiani will also be making its debut at the show, and, to be honest, I expect more brands to be announced. Perhaps Louis Vuitton will have its own stand alongside the other LVMH Group maisons.
All of this is to say that there will be a lot happening in Geneva next April, and I haven’t even mentioned the other shows happening at the same time, like Time To Watches. If you’ve got some cash lying around and some time off to take, I’d thoroughly recommend taking the time to visit Watches and Wonders Geneva and to also explore the city too, and if you’re in the press and you’ve been invited but haven’t made the pilgrimage to Switzerland yet, I highly recommend you go, it’s tiring but worth it!
Explore more at Watches and Wonders
