For one week, until Sunday April 2, 2023, Geneva is getting into the spirit of luxury watchmaking for the new edition of Watches and Wonders, the world’s leading watch fair. The event brings together 48 houses competing in style and know-how. Thousands of professionals and journalists from all over the world, as well as celebrities come to discover their novelties.
“Younger generations want to understand what’s behind a brand”
In the Zenith stand, we celebrate the return of the Pilot line launched at the end of the 19th century and exposed the new versions of the Defy Skyline to increasingly demanding connoisseurs of watch movements.
“Younger generations have access to information that we never had in the past and because of this, they are looking for real things,” notes Julien Tornare, CEO of Zenith. “They want to know what’s behind a brand, a price, a watch and understand,” he continues. “You have to offer them experiences, emotion, passion… But knowledge has evolved enormously, in the right direction,” he said.
“Inclusive luxury”
Along the corridors of Palexpo, craftsmen-creators and historic houses take advantage of their settings to express their identity, from motorsport to jewelry, including ethical considerations.
The independent watchmaker Oris is at the forefront of issues related to environmental protection, a general trend in the industry. The brand that is inviting the Kermit puppet on its new timepiece this year has been the first to be certified carbon neutral. Its leader is proud to bring his community together for clean-up days around the world.
“People not long ago wanted to drink a glass of champagne in an upscale environment; now they want meaning, to change things, to help improve them,” assure Rolf Studer, PDG d’Oris. “We don’t stand for exclusive luxury, but inclusive luxury: that’s why we share our passion for mechanical watches, that’s what gives us energy and makes us love what we do,” he points out.
“You see how we express ourselves”
The preservation of the oceans is also dear to Panerai who, during the show, hid his watches under the sails of boats.
A former equipment supplier for divers in the Italian Navy, the manufacturer has kept its large and luminescent cases, but now favors recycled materials on the advice of its ambassador, the adventurer Mike Horn.
“When you participate in a show like this, you see how we express ourselves,” says Jean-Marc Pontroué, CEO of Panerai, “You see the dramatization of our brands that we also find in our stores, how do we duplicate the exercise of “Watches and Wonders” which is, in essence, spectacular in the rest of our distribution network and the other 51 weeks of the year.”
“Make sure you have enough watchmakers”
A little further on, A. Lange & Söhne presents its new chronograph. The company claims its “Germanness” characterized by the readability and robustness of its models.
The brand born in Saxony almost two centuries ago (1845) is representative of the good health of luxury watchmaking, which produces watches in limited quantities.
“The future is bright as long as we make sure we have enough young watchmakers,” prévient Wilhelm Schmid, PDG de A. Lange & Söhne. “I’m sure the communication is doing a good job and so we’re staying relevant and there are enough people who like the idea of a human being putting all that effort into finishing all of those little pieces that at final, will form a watch,” he says, smiling.
NFT, métavers, blockchain…
One challenge is indeed to arouse vocations in an ecosystem that needs to innovate, at the crossroads of craftsmanship, design and tech, themes addressed within the space Le LAB which brings together industrialists and start-ups.
“NFT, metaverse, blockchain, these are topics that young people are passionate about today,” explains Matthieu Humair, CEO of Watches and Wonders Geneva Foundationbefore describing The Lab: _”_It’s an incubator space for new ideas that allows you to get in touch, to meet the women and men who make watches, to put watches on your wrist. There’s nothing like chatting and networking and Watches and Wonders is where it’s at,” he said.
Opening to the general public
Another wish of the organizers: to strengthen the image of Geneva as the world capital of watchmaking. For the first time, events are also organized in the city center such as conferences, guided tours and open house operations.
H.Moser & Cie. exhibits to the international public, its collection that is very rare to observe so closely. “We have a lot of watches that are sold out, so a lot of people around the world can’t see the watches in stores, so they come here, we show them a full collection, they can put them on their wrist, experience the brand in real life and talk to the owners,” explains Edouard Meylan, CEO of H. Moser & Cie. “It’s an incredible week unfolding in Geneva, which attracts so many people, so much attention, that we had to be part of it,” he insists.
Another argument for making Geneva the great watchmaking destination: the opening of the show to the general public for the first time, during the weekend.