Sometimes change is so vast and dislocating that it is hard to tell disaster from opportunity.
Under the pandemic of Covid-19, the social distance measures and lockdowns in many European countries, Japan, and some states in the U.S. have decimated the luxury business and made the holding of watch events impossible. It’s hardly unexpected that Baselworld and Watches & Wonders Geneva (formerly called SIHH) cancelled their trade show for 2020. However, in this tumult, Baselworld and Watches & Wonders (W&W), two of the leading watch fairs in the world, are facing diametrically opposing prospects.
In this episode of 8past10 Watch Talks, our host Kristian Haagen and Nick Meyer shared their take on the Watches and Wonders digital show.
After Rolex, Tudor, Patek Philippe, Chanel and Chopard announced to leave Baselworld to start a new Geneva-based salon collaborating with the FHH this April, LVMH watch brands also followed the wave. The organizers have announced they are cancelling the event for 2021. A downfall is almost inevitable for Baselworld, the oldest watch trade show roots back to 1917.
On the contrary, transforming the traditional trade show into a digitalised platform for the wider audience is the path taken by FHH, the organiser of W&W. “The vision is to transform what has been achieved by SIHH to Watches and Wonders, to celebrate the watching making excellence with the physical event of W&W in Geneva and Miami, and with a permanent presence online with watchesandwonders.com,” said Fabienne Lupo, the Chairwoman and Managing Director of FHH.
