Geneva Watch Days
COUTURE
Trade Shows Return This Summer With COUTURE And Geneva Watch Days
Watch fans in the US and Switzerland have something to look forward to because, later this year, two in-person fairs are set to take place, one in Las Vegas and one in Geneva.
By Steven Rogers
Contributor
There is good news for watch fans who have missed the excitement of physical watch fairs: Two in-person shows have been confirmed for a return this summer. First, there is COUTURE, which is set to run August 24 to 26 at the Wynn Las Vegas, and then Geneva Watch Days which is penciled in only a few days later, from August 30 to September 3.
COUTURE is Back!
COUTURE has become one of the major destinations for the fine jewelry and luxury timepiece market, bringing established brands and emerging talent together with retailers, media, and end customers through its exhibition space and manifold activations. Moreover, many have come to regard the watch component of the annual show as the most important salon of its kind in the United States.
Show organizers Emerald Expositions canceled the 2020 edition due to the global pandemic. But they are now confident that the corner has been turned and the 2021 edition can move forward in late August.
What to Expect in Vegas
Returning this year are Grand Seiko, Oris, Frederique Constant, G-SHOCK, and Bell & Ross. They will be joined by first-time participant Accutron. A complete list of exhibitors will be published on the COUTURE website soon.
If the fair is anything like the last edition in 2019, we can expect a real cracker of a show. Last time, no fewer than 34 watch brands took part, including big group-owned companies, large and niche independents, and fashion and jewelry brands. We could yet see 2019 participants Longines, Parmigiani Fleurier, Maurice Lacroix, Rado, TAG Heuer, Tudor, and Zenith make a return this summer.
This year’s event will take place at the Wynn Las Vegas’ new event space, which has an expansive outdoor area and event pavilion. It is there that the opening-night gathering and COUTURE Design Awards will be hosted. And for the first time, there will be a special preview event on the evening of Monday, August 23.
For visitors to get the most out of the fair, show hours are being extended from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm on Tuesday and Wednesday and from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm on the Thursday.
At Watchonista, we have enjoyed partnering with COUTURE during previous fairs, including our memorable collectors’ event at Las Vegas’ iconic Neon Museum in 2018. We can’t wait to head back to the desert to bring you all the news from this year’s show, where we will also be launching something rather special. Watch this space!
COUTURE: August 24-26 in Las Vegas
The Return of Geneva Watch Days
A few days after COUTURE, all eyes will turn to Switzerland, where the second edition of Geneva Watch Days will take place from August 30 to September 3.
Last year’s inaugural show, which turned out to be Switzerland’s only in-person watch fair of 2020, was regarded as a resounding success. Its self-managed, decentralized format saw 17 diverse brands present new releases and host socially distanced events at manufactures and boutiques, and even hotels, around the Swiss city.
What to Expect in Geneva
For the 2021 edition, we can expect more of the same, starting with the return of the nine founding benefactor brands: Bulgari, Breitling, De Bethune, Gerald Genta, Girard-Perregaux, H. Moser & Cie., MB&F, Ulysse Nardin, and Urwerk.
They will be joined by a number of associated brands, including returning maisons: Czapek, Ferdinand Berthoud, Maurice Lacroix, and Reuge, in addition to new faces including Arnold & Son, Doxa, Oris, and Frederique Constant Group, which owns Frederique Constant, Alpina, and Ateliers DeMonaco.
It is not yet known if 2020 participants Artya, Bovet, Carl F. Bucherer, and Louis Moinet plan to return. But we know a few more brands are currently in discussion to join the event.
In addition to the daytime exhibitions, there will be events organized for customers and the media in the evening, in compliance with prevailing public health measures. There will also be a communal area serving as a focal point on the Rotonde du Mont-Blanc park space.
Like last year, customers, retailers, and media facing travel restrictions will be able to discover the brands’ latest models in real-time thanks to video-conferencing technology like Zoom. And just as in 2020, Geneva Watch Days 2021 will benefit from the official support of the State and City of Geneva.
Geneva Watch Days: August 30 - September 3 in Geneva
More details will follow on the Geneva Watch Days website.
(Photography by Watchonista)
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