Days and Hours – Style

The fourth Geneva Watch Days (GWD) has ended in Geneva. Founded at a time of the pandemic, when old exhibitions closed one after another, it was able to offer a new one-hour event format that turned out to be surprisingly viable. From Geneva – Kommersant’s special correspondent Alexei Tarkhanov.

In 2020, 15 brands gathered at GWD. At the current, fourth, there are already 39 of them. The full list (in alphabetical order) shows what different brands and watchmakers were represented here: Angelus, Armin Strom, Arnold & Son, Artime, Bausele, Bianchet, Breitling, Bvlgari, Byrne, Konstantin Chaykin , Claude Meylan, Corum, Czapek & Cie, De Bethune, Doxa, Frederique Constant Group, Girard-Perregaux, Greubel Forsey, Hautlence, HYT, Jacob & Co, Krayon, Laurent Ferrier, Louis Erard, Massena Lab, Maurice Lacroix, MB&F, H. Moser & Cie., Oris, Perrelet, Phillips (with Bacs & Russo), Raketa, Reservoir, Ressence, Singer, Trilobe, Urwerk, Ulysse Nardin. As you can see, there are even two Russian brands on the list. However, Konstantin Chaikin has long been accepted into the international elite of watchmakers, in Switzerland he is “his own”, and the management of “Rocket” consists of Europeans.

Brands on GWD enter into free cooperation with each other, without hierarchy and binding. The organizers deliberately did not want the controlled structure that marked the previous Baselworld and SIHH shows. The temporary white pavilion Rotonde du Mont Blanc on the embankment of the same name, which hosted the opening ceremony, press conferences and sheltered watch novelties, was the only common space of GWD, intended rather to gather in the evening over a glass and discuss watch life. There was no single exhibition hangar where each brand would be obliged to buy space, directly linking its success with the size of the stand. At the new salon, everyone can choose their own show format and place. You want – in your own boutique, you want – at the manufactory, you want – in a hotel room.

“If tomorrow some watchmaker arranges a show in his car parked on the square,” says one of the organizers, the head of MB&F Maximilian Busser, “it will be quite in the spirit of GWD.” It is worth comparing: if you had to rent at least 50 sq. m (for “kids”) or 400 sq. m (for large brands) at 2 thousand Swiss francs per “square”, then, according to GWD press officer Francoise Besolla, the local entrance fee is only 10 thousand francs and brands have freedom of maneuver. “The important thing is that the Geneva Watch Days are open to the public, who can come for performances and discussions,” adds Ms. Besolla, “while Watches & Wonders is strictly for professionals. There is a weekend when the curious are allowed in, but the ticket price of 70 francs is high enough that there are not many of them.

The regularity of the GWD shows that the Swiss watchmakers are doing well. This was confirmed by Delphine Bachmann, State Counselor of the Canton of Geneva, speaking at the opening of the exhibition: “Exports of watches from Switzerland in 2022 amounted to 24.8 billion francs, an increase of 11.4% compared to the previous year.”

An amazing fact testifies to the interest in the new format: the organizer of Watches & Wonders, the Fund for Fine Watchmaking, which is supposedly a competitor, became a partner of GWD.

Undoubtedly, the number of brands will also grow. In particular, of all LVMH watch brands, only Bvlgari participates in GWD so far. Ho this time, before the opening of the salon, the heads of other watch brands of the group – Hublot and Zenith – came with an informal visit to Rotonde du Mont Blanc.

Asked why Zenith chooses to participate in Watches & Wonders over GWD, Manufacture CEO Julien Thornard assured me that it was not a matter of principle: “We just decided that we would not have new watch launches at this time. . Today I came to see how hour days develop. This is a beautiful event, but they cannot be compared, there are two different concepts.” In his opinion, GWD still cannot compete with Watches & Wonders: although it is more difficult and expensive to participate there, the spring exhibition is worth it.

Patrick Prugno, head of Ulysse Nardin and Girard-Perregaux, also says that one salon cannot replace another. For several years now, Ulysse Nardin has been participating in both, and Patrick Prugnot sees nothing unusual in this: “This is a completely different salon format, each has its own advantages and disadvantages. It is difficult to say unequivocally which one is more effective. Watches & Wonders has a huge international resonance, but GWD has a lot of freedom. “Different brands probably use different formats,” he says, noting that Girard-Perregaux has not been seen on Watches & Wonders for a long time, but she is a regular GWD participant.

In 2023, the days have remained true to their format as a loose confederation of watchmakers. However, in the future, this concept may come into conflict with the expansion of the circle of participants. “Almost 40 brands are already represented at the exhibition, but what will you do if there are 140 of them?” I ask the head of Bvlgari, Jean-Christophe Babin. “Then it will be possible to change the format, think about your own halls and – why not! — to become the main Geneva salon!”

Alexey Tarkhanov