Launching April 2021

There’s a major shift taking place in the watch industry. Many have started to pull away from some of the leading trade shows to create their own platforms.

Earlier this year, LVMH came to Dubai to launch LVMH Watch Week with Bvlgari, Hublot, Zenith and TAG Heuer. Held over two days, it was an intimate affair to introduce experts and press to the latest novelties. Now, there is another prominent fair on the horizon.

Rolex, Patek Philippe, Chanel, Chopard and Tudor have collectively left Baselworld to join forces Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie to create a new concept for presenting their key timepieces. Scheduled for April 2021 in Geneva, it will be linked to Watches & Wonders.

“This initiative marks a key milestone in the history of CHANEL Watchmaking and is part of a long-term strategy, which began with the launch of this activity in 1987,” said Frédéric Grangié, President of Chanel Watches & Fine Jewellery.

“This exhibition will allow us to present all of our new creations in an environment that meets our high-quality standards.”

 

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Chanel is among the luxury watch Maisons that felt that Baselworld was no longer a relevant platform for them. Thierry Stern, President of Patek Philippe, also pointed out that it was an issue of trust: “Today Patek Philippe is not in line with Baselworld’s vision anymore, there have been too many discussions and unsolved problems, trust is no longer present.”

“We need to answer the legitimate needs of our retailers, the clients and the press from around the world.”

“They have to be able to discover the new models from Swiss watchmakers each year, at one time, in one place, and this in the most professional manner possible,” he added.

This new event will be geared predominantly towards retailers, the press and VIP customers who will be invited to explore the savoir-faire of these iconic brand. We expect more names from the industry to be added to the lineup.

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Images: Instagram, main image by Mustufa Abidi for Emirates Woman April issue