SJX Watches
Editorial: Happenings Around the Halls of Watches & Wonders
With the demise of Baselworld shortly before the pandemic and the evolution of SIHH into Watches & Wonders (W&W;), the Geneva fair is now the most important watch event on the planet. Having just closed, W&W; recorded massive visitor numbers and unexpectedly buoyant sentiment amongst industry executives. Despite the implosion of Credit Suisse the week before and assorted troubles around the world, sentiment at the fair amongst industry insiders was robust, catching most by surprise. Brands executives indicated orders from retailers were good as was interest from clients, and expressed optimism for the coming year. Pessimism was hard to find, although a handful of well-placed individuals high up in important brands quietly pondered what things would look like in six months – the health of components suppliers to the industry will provide a clue. The irony is that brands run by such thoughtful individuals are usually the best placed to weather any downturn. Rolex chief executive Jean-Frederic Dufour (left), who is also the chairman of the W&W; foundation Everyone wants a look To anyone who was at Watches & Wonders (W&W;), the most tangible fact was the enormous and occasionally unmanageable crowd. According to its organisers, visitors numbered 43,000, compared to just 22,000 last year. Unsurprisingly, the celebratory mood of the organisers was clear in the closing announcement for the event. However, the preparations for the jump in visitors were clearly insufficient because ...
