Watches and Wonders lived up to its promise

A rich programme, fruitful exchanges, as well as a vast digital platform contributed to the success of this annual event, thus confirming its legitimacy.

A strong, united watchmaking industry
For its first physical event under its new name, Watches and Wonders Geneva brought together 38 watchmaking companies under one roof in Geneva. The 2022 salon produced strong results for the exhibiting Maisons, and occasionally exceeded all expectations, with some brands selling out of their new pieces before the event concluded.

With nearly 22,000 unique visitors, including nearly 1,000 journalists who travelled to Geneva for the event, generating more than 30,000 overnight stays, this year’s salon has ended on an extremely positive note. During a week, the salon was buzzing with extraordinary dynamism. On more than one occasion, the sheer joy of putting watches on their wrists and the pleasure of meeting again and chatting, almost made some guests late for their appointments. In total, there were 1,700 Touch & Feel sessions for the press, 20 Keynotes from exhibiting Maisons, 7,000 meetings with retailers, not to mention the many discussion panels addressing future challenges such as sustainability, innovation and customer experience.

The LAB
In the LAB, a space that presented the latest new offerings from the watch Maisons, 15 digital and technological initiatives caught visitors’ attention. Themes such as the use of new materials and the development of partnerships with sustainable organisations were unveiled. IWC Schaffhausen presented its brand-new Cyber Loupe, an ocular magnifying glass enabling the watchmaker’s vision to be displayed in real time on a screen or tablet. This invention is intended for teaching and sharing knowledge. On the theme of recycling, Baume & Mercier and Officine Panerai unveiled watch straps made from recycled PET, while the robot on the Rebellion stand invited visitors to try their luck at a game of chance. Louis Moinet explained the approach involved its latest NFT creations.

“Time Design” exhibition
The “Time Design” exhibition, dedicated to the history of watch design through the ages, was moreover a great success with nearly 4,500 visitors.

The watch’s modes of expression have always emphasised aesthetic considerations and attention to detail. “Time Design” revealed the many creative facets of watch design in a journey through time. After a brief evocation of pocket watches, this immersive exhibition trained the spotlight on the wristwatch and its multiple stylistic iterations, from form watches to tool watches and contemporary executions. Presented in showcases, imagined by students at ECAL (University of Art and Design Lausanne), some one hundred objects illustrated the inventiveness and diversity of watch design.
This collection of over 100 timepieces is on display to the general public until 8 May 2022 at the Pont de la Machine in Geneva.

Worldwide impact
With an estimated reach of 350 million people and 800,000 posts mentioning #watchesandwonders on various social media platforms and other digital channels, Watches and Wonders Geneva is ensuring that watchmaking achieves international impact. The watchesandwonders.com platform attracted nearly 155,000 unique users, enabling the 2,600 accredited digital journalists to follow all the news from the salon live. Nearly 80 product presentations were broadcast digitally to meet the needs of those press members who could not make the trip. The 35,000 views of the first Morning Show, presented by the business journalist Olivia Chang, testify to the expectations of a discerning audience. These same viewers also enthusiastically welcomed the Late Show, the new program, which was also broadcast live from the salon every day on the watchesandwonders.com platform and on its Youtube channel.

Thanks to its hybrid physical and digital format, Watches and Wonders Geneva offers a unique international showcase for an industry capable of reinventing itself to adapt to the challenges of its time with skill, agility and creativity.

On trend
The salon’s success can also be measured by the profusion of design that was on display. Often closely influenced by existing collections, the new timepieces confirm the widespread trend for interchangeable bracelets and models with increasingly long power reserves. The many different GMT watches were competing with chronographs, often part of a sporty chic look. One notable trend is for models fitted with a minute repeater, a skeleton movement or a tourbillon which should delight collectors, just like the dials demonstrating the skills of artistic crafts such as marquetry or enamel, to name but a few. Platinum is being used alongside yellow gold, which is still very popular, while titanium is becoming more widespread. The colours of choice remain blue and green, even if black, in either a glossy or matt finish, is making a marked comeback. Orange, coral and red are limited to a few designs, as are mineral, beige and forest green shades.

Focused on creativity, innovation and sharing, the 2022 Watches and Wonders Geneva event ended on a very positive note. With its hybrid format, the salon has made it possible to reconcile the demands of an ultra-connected age with in-person meetings, proving that both are possible. Watches and Wonders Geneva has just demonstrated that watchmaking knowhow, artistic craftsmanship and NFT (Non-Fungible Tokens) can coexist harmoniously.

While we wait for the 2023 event, we turn our attention to China where the third edition of Watches and Wonders Shanghai will be held from 7 to 11 September 2022.

April 14, 2022