SIHH 2019

More connected, more dynamic and more open to the world, SIHH is still the first major gathering of the year, where the invited watchmaking community has exclusive access to the new models that will define trends for the twelve months to come. It is also a confluence of interests around the many facets of Fine Watchmaking, and a fabulous platform for communication that makes smart use of digital.

Building on a hugely successful debut in 2018, the “Live” concept returns to SIHH and is stronger than ever. More connected and with a more open outlook, entirely geared towards networking and people, the “Live” is more than a space within SIHH: it is an experience to be shared.

In a packed programme of events, the auditorium hands over the stage to exhibitors and to exchanges of ideas. Each day, guests and influential personalities from high-level disciplines such as fashion, design, the arts and new technologies will come together to discuss the most topical issues. Designed with all the amenities of a TV studio and capacity to seat more than 200 people, the auditorium is first and foremost a unique forum offered to exhibitors, who can meet their fans and followers at keynote launches which are streamed live to social media and around the world. This fabulous communications channel confirms SIHH’s determination to extend exhibitors’ audience well beyond its four walls, and to reach Fine Watch enthusiasts across the globe.

With this objective to spread and share information, the #SIHH2019 hashtag at the entrance to the fair will again put influencers, bloggers and online journalists at the heart of the action. Part of the same space, the White Box mini-studios return for more instagrammable moments. Both lighting and interior have been redesigned to create optimally functional and comfortable spaces for connected communication.

The big new feature at this 29^th SIHH, the LAB is all about innovation in the strict sense of the term. This is where visitors can view technologies and digital projects from the exhibiting brands as well as start-ups with connections to the industry. Revolutionary techniques, new materials, augmented reality and advances in mechanisms will be revealed – and explained – in a people-focused networking environment. Built around four themes that reflect what tomorrow’s watch buyer wants, from Virtual is Real to Everything is Unique, SIHH invites new players, inventive start-ups and young entrepreneurs to share their work with exhibitors and attendees. Students will be on-hand to guide visitors, who’ll be greeted at the entrance to this fabulous R&D incubator by the one and only Pepper the robot, for innovation all the way.

SIHH again welcomes 35 exhibitors, with 18 Historic Maisons, joined for the first time by BOVET, and 17 independent brands in the Carré des Horlogers. This year’s fair introduces a more compact, faster-paced schedule over four days, with longer opening hours from 8.30am to 8pm Monday to Wednesday and until 10pm on Thursday, when SIHH opens to the public who can already pre-register as at SIHH.org.

As distribution and consumption take new forms, and digital continues to play a strategic role for watch brands, SIHH stands out as the place to meet others and learn about this unique industry. SIHH has evolved to become much more than a launchpad for the major trends in watchmaking. It’s also an immersive experience that’s rich in content, a networking hotspot, and a communications hub sending information about watchmaking around the world.

November 15, 2018