The 2021 edition of Watches & Wonders Geneva has also been cancelled.
We have not yet had time to find out the format, nor how this would include the brands that left Basel, including the unwieldy names of Patek Philippe and Rolex, when the FHH's announcement arrives: the show scheduled for 7-13 April 2021 will be digital only.
One thing is striking. Whereas until the day before it was true that Patek Philippe, Rolex, Chopard, Chanel and Tudor would have taken part in the event, but with a contemporary and separate event (albeit in the same PalaExpo), in the Foundation's communiqué announcing the cancellation of the event the five brands simply appear in the list of exhibitors at Watches & Wonders, in strict alphabetical order.
Now, to be 'diatribe' but not too much, one would think that everything is really being called into question. The virtual edition drops the possibility of two exhibitions (unless two web platforms are set up, which is frankly pointless) and will bring together the thirty-four participating brands under one 'roof'. But not only them, because other names could easily be added. For example, those of companies that had already applied in recent months to participate in the April fair, such as Bulgari, to name but one. And with more than a year to prepare for the physical edition in 2022, the organisation says it is ready to welcome other houses, up to 50, which will make Watches & Wonders Geneva the largest watch fair ever held on the shores of Lake Geneva.
What about HourUniverse, the new trade fair in Basel? What about the other events that would have been a corollary to Watches & Wonders, such as the Suisse Salon in Lausanne? All to be remade.
Waiting to return to travelling and savouring the essence of the woodwork in an old workshop, the pungent smell of lubricating oil in a manufactory, the refined smell of a high-end boutique, or the smell of paper and glue when we browse through a magazine at the newsstand. They too contribute to the pleasure and desire to discover - and then to own - a beautiful watch.
