As I write this, we are putting the final touches to a new, editorial multi-brand video to be released on April 14. I had the initial idea for it a few months ago, and the first sentence doesn’t give it justice. Because it is not just a video, it is also a photo shoot. And an AI production. And a story about civilization, architecture and watches. Inadvertently it is also a story about the times we live in, as it is an embodiment of a never-ending technological development that is giving birth to new métiers. Which will also be seen in the credits video and the print version in GMT, for which we had to invent new creative positions to credit the contributors.
The start for this story came when looking at the Jet d’Eau here in Geneva on a rainy November day, thinking “what is the watch photo shoot of 2026?” Back in the day, a spectacular photo shoot with a good conceptual idea was enough to create strong reactions in the watch world. It could even reach beyond, onto fashion-oriented platforms. If you created top-notch photo shoots on a regular basis, you could even be generously given a platform for showing them to the industry. Just as we did with exhibitions on Watches & Wonders (SIHH back then) with the work of Plaza Watch, for which I was editor-in-chief.
But today, can you actually break through the constant roar of visual impressions that wash over us every day with a photo shoot? Probably. But you are in a much tougher competition. Now we live in a world where every day 5.5 billion new pictures are taken, and 15 billion images are shared (according to 2025 figures on PetaPixel). In this new reality, I believe that “more is more” can be one way of catching people’s attention.
In November, I had not even properly tried AI. But I realized that there is an interesting crossroads of videography, film making, photo, CGI, and AI – especially when combined with good storytelling and an emotional soundscape. A crossroads which has got nothing to do with shortcuts nor efficiency. No, I am talking about a place where new tools make it possible to create a new kind of imagery that would not be possible, even if you had a 50-million-dollar budget and a dedicated Hollywood team.
Without a good idea, these new tools are however useless. But hey, wasn’t this always the case with all the tools that history provided, be it ochre pigment, the printing press, the camera, or the computer? While creative effort should always be applauded, history has given us enough examples of “just don’t”.
In this case, I reached out to a photography and video team, with whom I have worked for 15 years. It was up for the challenge, and just like in the past they took my idea and ran with it. They came up with a result, which is beyond my wildest expectations. The transitions between images are just unseen. And I feel that we are all going through a transition at the moment, trying to find a foothold and a creative standpoint in a brave new world.
