As global COVID-19 vaccination rates continue to rise and travel restrictions around the world begin to ease, in-person watch industry exhibitions are re-emerging after a year of event closures. The latest exhibition to announce its return in 2021 is Geneva Watch Days, which has scheduled a 'phygital' hybrid event taking place in Geneva and worldwide through digital presentations from August 30 to September 3, 2021.
In many ways, this announcement heralds the beginning of a return to form for Swiss watch industry exhibitions: the central common area in Geneva's Rotonde du Mont-Blanc will link a number of locations throughout the city during the exhibition, and the participating brands have promised to bring back after-hours celebrations and festive events for media and brand clients (while adhering to all relevant social distancing and masking rules). Nevertheless, the rise of online releases due to the pandemic is likely to define the landscape of trade shows both in the watch industry and beyond for many years to come, and the event will continue to provide digital launches of new products in real-time through global video conferencing.
Geneva Watch Days 2021 has already confirmed participation from a host of brands, including Bulgari, Breitling, De Bethune, Gerald Genta, Girard-Perregaux, H. Moser & Cie, MB&F, Ulysse Nardin, Urwerk, Arnold & Son, Czapek & Cie, Doxa, Ferdinand Berthoud, Frederique Constant Group, Maurice Lacroix, Oris, and Reuge. It is expected that several more companies will join the roster before the event begins, and WatchTested will cover the major new releases from the exhibition as they appear on this site.