Watching the Clock Posted May 11, 2021 | By Martin Foster The hybrid Watches & Wonders trade event – presented digitally in Geneva followed by a physical Shanghai show – has rekindled optimism for the Swiss watch industry, reports MARTIN FOSTER.
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic focused the world’s attention on large trade fair gatherings, declaring them off-limits for health and safety reasons. Yet even before this, what those within the watch industry regarded as ‘normal’ was already facing considerable challenge.
As we know, the previous annual cycle of trade fairs – Baselworld, the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH), Inhorgenta Münich, the Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair, et al – was already in disarray, primarily related to uncontained costs.