The first quarter of the year is a busy time for luxury watch brands, with a host of high profile industry exhibitions taking place. With SIHH now behind us, here are three more upcoming watch fairs happening in the next few months.
Watches & Wonders
- What: Watches & Wonders 2019
- Where: Miami Design District, Miami, Florida
- When: February 15-17, 2019
- Who: 28 watch brands including A. Lange & Söhne, Audemars Piguet, Cartier, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Omega, Panerai, TAG Heuer, Tiffany & Co., Vacheron Constantin, and others.
- Website: watchesandwonders.com
This is the second year that the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie and the Miami Design District partner up to bring Watches & Wonders stateside. This year’s edition will see 28 of some of the world’s best watch brands taking part. Unlike SIHH and Baselworld, which are mostly geared towards press and retailers, Watches & Wonders is much more consumer friendly. Not only are watch enthusiasts encouraged to get hands-on with new releases, but the event also boasts a program of workshops, exhibitions, and panel discussions so that visitors can participate and get involved.
TIME TO MOVE
- What: Time to Move 2019
- Where: Zurich, Switzerland
- When: March 19-26, 2019
- Who: Swatch Group Brands including Breguet, Harry Winston, Blancpain, Jaquet Droz, Glashütte Original, and Omega.
Swatch Group made major headlines last summer when it announced that it would be pulling out of Baselworld indefinitely. With 18 watch brands under its umbrella, Swatch Group was Baselworld’s biggest exhibitor, and its departure leaves a big physical void in the event’s hallowed halls – and a significant dent in the fair’s revenue. According to Reuters, Swatch Group sent out invitations a few months back to its retailer network to attend an event in Zurich in March – overlapping with Baselworld’s dates, no less. There is no further information as of yet, but perhaps more details will follow closer to the event.
BASELWORLD
- What: Baselworld 2019
- Where: Basel, Switzerland
- When: March 21-26, 2019
- Who: 130 watch brands including Breitling, Bulgari, Chopard, Hublot, MB&F, Patek Philippe, Seiko, TAG Heuer, Tudor, Zenith, and others.
- Website: baselworld.com
Although Baselworld has experienced a huge drop in exhibitors in recent years, it is still the industry’s largest fair with top brands like Rolex and Patek unveiling their new watch collections. Yet, how the 2019 edition of Baselworld turns out will be paramount to the future of the show. Baselworld’s new management team promises plenty of innovation and comfort for exhibitors, press, and visitors this year, including an updated media center and fresh F&B outlets on-site. There will also be changes in how brands can announce their novelties to the press and public using new Baselworld digital platforms. All eyes in the industry will certainly be on Baselworld 2019 to see if the storied watch fair is truly ready to modernize.
