Hodinkee
Photo Report: The Sights, Watches, And Style Of Watches & Wonders 2026
Each year, as spring returns to the shores of Lake Geneva, bringing with it contrasting days of grey rainy dreariness and crisp, shimmering sunshine, a storm descends upon the picturesque canton. But this storm doesn't contain the aforementioned April showers; instead, it's thousands upon thousands of passionate professionals, journalists, retailers, brand representatives, and collectors, all congregating for that most celebrated of horological weeks: Watches & Wonders. For those who attend, it is a marathon of epic proportions, with days spent rushing from one appointment to the next with barely a moment to breathe and evenings spent either at fabulous dinners or hunched over laptops until the wee hours of the morning. It's a pace that gives you whiplash (and for those who work for the brands, be it in sales, PR, marketing, or otherwise, it is even more grueling). For everyone else following along at home with a love for watches, it is the Super Bowl, Christmas Morning, and the Emerald City at the end of the Yellow Brick Road, all rolled into one. Walking into the show for the first time is an overwhelming experience. The sheer scope and scale of the installations (to call them 'booths' deeply undersells the grandeur) are hard to understand. Each brand spends months, if not years, designing and building entire flagship boutiques within the halls of Palexpo, each trying to make an impact on the industry and communicate its themes, strategies, and identity for the coming ye...
