⏱ 1 min 30 read
Background
Geneva Watch Days was launched in 2020, after Watches & Wonders and Baselworld were cancelled because of the pandemic. Around ten founding brands, including Breitling and Girard-Perregaux, organised the event themselves.
The key points
In six years, Geneva Watch Days has become the second global event of the Swiss watch industry, according to WatchPro. It takes place six months after Watches & Wonders, across several venues in Geneva city centre.
Its president Jean-Christophe Babin, former CEO of Bulgari, highlights a model that is open to the public and free. Each brand chooses its venue: manufacture, boutique or hotel suite. Fees depend on the size of the company, not on exhibition space.
Key figures
- Nearly 70 exhibiting brands in 2026, of which only seven or eight also attend Watches & Wonders.
- Around 300 retailers welcomed last year.
- More than 2,000 collectors.
- More than 35% of GPHG prizes won by exhibitors since the fair was created.
What it means for businesses
The fair offers a platform to independent brands and revived maisons that cannot afford to exhibit at Palexpo. Its timing, late August and early September, precedes the main sales season. Retailers can order and receive deliveries within weeks.
Who says what
For Jean-Christophe Babin, the two fairs are complementary rather than competing. He believes some emerging brands could eventually join the industry's top ten.
What's next
The 2026 edition takes place from 2 to 6 September. The central pavilion is set up on the Rotonde du Mont-Blanc.
