Jean-Christophe Babin: “Geneva Watch Days is much bigger than just a watch fair, – it is a cultural celebration”

“Geneva Watch Days is very complementary to Watches and Wonders in the spring. And it is also a place for small young emerging brands that don’t have the same resources as big brands,” said Jean-Christophe Babin, President of Geneva Watch Days. 

This is an alternative which is more affordable prices than traditional fairs – much thanks to the support of the City of Geneva, the State of Geneva, and the Geneva Chamber of Commerce. The event in its seventh year will be visited by – as Jean-Christophe estimates it – some 3000 collectors, around 400 retailers, and 400 media. “This gives the exhibitors the limelight they need,” he said. 

Mr. Babin also revealed that the cost for exhibiting is related to the size of the brand. Bigger brands pay more, smaller less. So there is no barrier for participation, which is extremely positive. It becomes an incubator for the whole industry where you can get visibility, status, build your network, and  make new connections.”

As the President of the watch and jewelry section of Bvlgari, one of the founders of the Geneva Watch Days, Jean-Christophe also has the perspective of the larger brands.

“To have this event in September means that the brands can avoid to introduce all or most of their novelties early in the year,” he said, alluding to a changing market with shorter cycles. “Retailers don’t want to comit in spring to what comes in November. But if they want what they see here at Geneva Watch Days, they must spend now to get it. You see it now, buy it now, we are ready to ship,” he continued. 

For a brand with a unique profile like Bvlgari – we have mainstream watches, precious watches for men and ladies, we have grand complications and jewelry watches, it would be impossible to present everything we do in one event, it would be too much to cover.

In the end he feels that Geneva Watch Days has a diversity of established brands, recently emerged brands, and reborn brands carrying big old names that have been sleeping for decades.” With a total sum of 71 brands, it could probably grow – but the question is how. Definitely not by making it longer. “We know that people don’t want to come to a watch event for more than 4-5 days,” he said, adding that the record number of brands could have been even higher. “This year we had to reduce the number of brands that wanted to exhibit, since we don’t want to push quantities without qualities. This event must remain educational, cultural, transversal. Geneva Watch Days is much bigger than just a watch fair, – it is a cultural celebration,” he said, waxing lyrical about exciting speakers and discussions in the Pavillion, including Didier Queloz, winner of the 2019 Nobel Prize in physics, who will participate in a symposium on the theme “The Time of the Universe, the Time We Imagine.”

The mingling and networking opportunities is supported by a program which is more than ever. The Pavillion is now accompanied by the Blue Box, a neighboring building hosting an exhibition with more than 150 new timepieces on the theme of the four lements – water, earth, air, and fire. 

“We also have the weather on our side. This also adds to the success. We are blessed by the weather gods: This will be the seventh sunny edition in a row. This adds to the energy and the positive spirit.”