After a week packed with launches, meetings and lively discussions, Geneva Watch Days drew to a close with record results: 52 brands took part, and nearly 1,500 watchmaking professionals, including 650 media representatives and 250 retailers from all over the world, gathered on the shores of Lake Geneva.
Open to the general public for 5 days, the Pavilion at the “Rotonde du Mont Blanc” welcomed 13,800 visitors, an increase of more than 70% on last year. Connoisseurs of fine watchmaking were able to admire over 100 new timepieces free of charge, displayed in 65 showcases around 4 themes. 650 of them took advantage of guided tours given by experts from the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie, and VIP programs were offered to collectors.
The 9 symposia on themes of interest to the watchmaking industry were also a great success, with around a hundred people attending each one in a new space, the so-called Glass Box, set up right next to the Pavilion. The brunch organized by the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH) on Saturday, 31 August attracted some 150 watchmaking enthusiasts, who were able to test their knowledge in a quiz, while 3 conferences, also organized by the FHH, provided an insight into the world of each brand, their new products and man's relationship with time. Students, collectors and business executives were able to chat directly with some of the CEOs of the participating brands over 3 informal breakfasts.
In the Culture Club, set up in a wing of the Pavilion, the FHH, the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG), the École d'Horlogerie de Genève, the Horological Society of New York (HSNY), Horopedia and The Watch Library, all partners in the event, offered ongoing activities.
Finally, the charity auction on 1 September, organized jointly by Geneva Watch Days and Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo, raised CHF 108’000.- for the Pierre Amstutz Fund, which supports apprentices in precarious situations at the Geneva Watchmaking School, enabling them to complete their studies in good conditions.
But beyond the figures, the special atmosphere of this decentralized, self-managed event, which takes place in the heart of summer on the shores of Lake Geneva, is something to be savored.
"The success of this year's event is due not only to the participating brands, but also to our partners. I would like to thank the Republic and Canton of Geneva, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Geneva Tourism, the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie, the Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix, Horopedia, the Geneva Watchmaking School, the Watch Library, Worldtempus, the Horology Society of New York, GMT publishing, Revolution Magazine, Le Temps, WatchPro, Euronews and Europastar for their invaluable support," said Jean- Christophe Babin, President of the Geneva Watch Days Association and CEO of the Bulgari Group.
Georges Kern, CEO of Breitling, is delighted with the development of the event: "It's a source of pride and pleasure to be involved in and witness this initiative, a collaboration that has gone from strength to strength since its inception four years ago. It's a cultural moment, a unifying gathering and a platform for exchange for the watchmaking industry. This year, the Geneva Watch Days have even moved to German-speaking Switzerland for a day in June to raise their profile.”
"Informal but professional, decentralized but friendly, this gathering is the perfect format for giving a comprehensive overview of our 233-year history. Girard Perregaux is proud to be one of its founding members and to contribute to its longevity," added Patrick Pruniaux, CEO of Girard-Perregaux and Ulysse Nardin.
For his part, Maximilian Büsser, Founder and Director of MB&F, makes no secret of his enthusiasm either: "Launching beautiful mechanical objects opposite the Jet d’Eau, in the heart of the cradle of watchmaking, is nothing but delight. In a world where digital technology is taking over, it's vital to share and exchange ideas, both with industry professionals and with the general public.”
On the strength of this success, the show is well on the way to a 6th edition in 2025 and is definitely becoming a not-to-be-missed event in the industry calendar, which could be exported to other watchmaking metropolises next year.
