Akin to a joyful reunion, Geneva Watch Days has always enjoyed extra love. The event was born five years ago, a Covid baby notably carried by Jean-Christophe Babin and Bulgari, synonymous with "in real life" encounters, right under the nose of the virus and the Zoom boom. This year, it continued in a context of fresh challenge posed by U.S. tariffs.
During this edition, there were 66 exhibiting brands (compared to 54 last year). Overall attendance figures exceeded those in 2024, confirming the relevance of this calendar milestone. Only media attendance was down, from 650 to 500, due to an update of mailing lists and a focus on particularly high-quality attendees, according to the Geneva Watch Days press office. Watchmakers reported visits from collectors (1,900 according to official figures), with corresponding sales.
Was the renovation of the Beau-Rivage hotel a cause for concern? Independent watchmakers took over other venues, such as La Potinière, behind the iconic Flower Clock, under the aegis of specialist retailer Watchmakers United. With a space inversely proportional to the number of brands, the LVMH group brought together its Bulgari, Zenith, Louis Vuitton, Daniel Roth, Gérald Genta, L’Epée, and TAG Heuer brands for the first time on such a large scale at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel de la Paix.
The atmosphere? Friendly, warm, and largely sunny (despite a rainy first day). However, the Damocles' sword of tariffs — set at 39% since 1 August for Swiss products imported into the United States — cast a chill over the proceedings. In response to the nagging question of "How are you going to manage this?", reactions were often based on hope born of uncertainty: "Won't these tariffs change again in the end?" A photo showing Donald Trump and Rolex CEO Jean-Frédéric Dufour together at the US Open revived hopes for a more favorable scenario.
Interviewees also noted that "luxury customers travel to make their purchases", emphasizing that lower-priced brands, as well as those selling directly without intermediaries to help absorb part of the increase, would suffer the most. For now, companies also mention that they still have significant stocks onsite due to imports made before the fateful date.
So what about watches, the main point of interest? Several trends were observed at GWD: neo-vintage continues to be popular, as do bright or soft colors (in monochrome or contrasting combinations), cross-disciplinary collaborations, of course, as well as innovation and creativity, which are essential. Not to mention the inspiring encounters with the watchmakers present — some of whom are legendary.
Michel Navas gave an emotional presentation of a new Minute Repeater that Gérald Genta would undoubtedly have approved. Dominique Renaud used LEGO to explain the workings of a micro-rotor coupled with a flywheel for the Renaud Tixier brand. These were just some of the precious moments that contributed to Geneva Watch Days’ undeniable sparkle.
