Inhorgenta 2026: Innovations, Trends And The Swisswatches Talk About The New Collecting Trend Among Watch Enthusiasts

As a exclusively B2B trade fair, Inhorgenta, founded in 1974, is open to all industry members. In addition, the trade fair presents all the important highlights on its social media channels. And, of course, we will be reporting on the most important Inhorgenta innovations in the field of mechanical watches on Swisswatches in a timely manner.

For anyone wondering about the origins of the trade fair’s name, here is the explanation: it was inspired by the Latin terms ‘gemma’ for gemstone, ‘aurum’ for gold, ‘argento’ for silver, ‘hora’ for hour and ‘in’ for international. The term was coined by the former press spokesperson for Messe München, Dr Gabriele Weishäupl.

Craftsmanship – Inhorgenta 2026 celebrates the art of craftsmanship

From 20 to 23 February 2026, Munich will become the international meeting place for the jewellery, watch and gemstone industry. With its main theme Craftsmanship, Inhorgenta will be putting the spotlight on the art of making: from traditional techniques to high-tech processes and visionary designs, visitors to Watch Hall A1 will be able to discover the results of this expertise in watchmaking.

‘Craftsmanship is the foundation of our industry,’ says Stefanie Mändlein, Exhibition Director of Inhorgenta. ‘Especially in times of automation and digitalisation, craftsmanship is experiencing a new appreciation and is becoming increasingly relevant. With the theme of “Craftsmanship”, we are creating a stage for the people and skills that turn jewellery, watches, and gemstones into what they are: an expression of precision, passion, and cultural heritage.’

Exhibitors present their latest pieces in curated themed worlds, ranging from goldsmithing to watchmaking. In addition, visitors are given exclusive insights through live demonstrations and can get hands-on in workshops themselves – from polishing precious stones to assembling a mechanical movement.

Inhorgenta 2026: Mechanical watchmaking gains in relevance

The Inhorgenta stage for watch creators is Hall A1, which is exclusively dedicated to timepieces. And, pleasingly, in recent years the share of manufacturers of mechanical watches and independent brands has been steadily increasing here.

This year, exciting returnees such as MeisterSinger and Maurice Lacroix will also be enriching the Munich industry event.

Stéphane Waser, Managing Director of Maurice Lacroix, promises: ‘At Inhorgenta in Munich, we will, for the first time worldwide, present selected novelties for 2026. We are very much looking forward to sharing these premieres with our network and all watch enthusiasts.’

Tanja Brassler, Managing Director at MeisterSinger, emphasises: ‘In our 25th anniversary year, we are delighted to be returning to Inhorgenta. The compact, high-quality fair with genuine industry value offers us the perfect opportunity to showcase our exciting anniversary novelties to a wide professional audience.’

In recognition of the importance of watchmaking expertise for the industry as a whole, Inhorgenta also addresses the recruitment of young talent. For the second time, the mobile watchmaking workshop of the Central Association for Watches, Jewellery and Time Measurement Technology will be stationed in the West Entrance area of Inhorgenta, providing an authentic insight into the art of watchmaking.

Highlights of Watch Hall A1: Watch Boutique, Salon Suisse, and the French Pavilion

Aficionados of sophisticated watchmaking are particularly recommended to visit the three highlight areas in Watch Hall A1. First and foremost is the Watch Boutique, which brings together the brands Mühle-Glashütte, MeisterSinger, Tutima Glashütte, Eberhard & Co., Ebel, Alexander Shorokhoff, Favre Leuba, Ba111od, and EDOX.

In the Salon Suisse, visitors can devote themselves to Swiss watchmaking and discover 13 independent brands: Atlantic Watches, Aviator, Doxa, Epos, Vulcaine, Squale, Richelieu, Andre Mouche, EST Continental Watches, Jowissa, Le Temps of Switzerland, Cornavin, and Delma.

Last but not least, the French watch scene also has a lot to offer. You can discover this in the French Pavilion with the brands Herbelin, LIP, Yema, Kelton, Pierre Lannier, Rochet, and Depancel.

Inhorgenta 2026: Expansion of strategic partnership with the Fondation Haute Horlogerie (FHH)

Following the successful collaboration last year, the Fondation Haute Horlogerie (FHH) and Inhorgenta have decided to continue their partnership on a long-term basis. In 2026, the FHH Cultural Space will once again be presented as a curated experiential platform.

This immersive space is dedicated to fine watchmaking as a cultural heritage and features exhibitions, workshops, live demonstrations, and talks on craftsmanship, expertise, and the future of mechanical watches. Location: Hall A1.333.

‘Our collaboration with Inhorgenta is based on a shared belief: watchmaking is far more than a product – it is a cultural and deeply human endeavour. The FHH Cultural Space 2026 is designed as a place for sharing, exchange, and discovery – where craftsmanship, history, and future perspectives come together,’ explains Pascal Ravessoud, Vice President of the Fondation Haute Horlogerie. The Geneva-based non-profit organisation is dedicated to promoting, communicating, and preserving the art of fine watchmaking.

At the FHH Cultural Space, visitors can participate in free watchmaking workshops without prior registration. Here, they can learn about fundamental techniques and observe the precision required for disassembling and reassembling a watch movement up close.

The exhibition ‘Watch Makers’ offers interactive insights. Designed as an immersive, multisensory experience, it invites visitors on a journey through the diverse professions within watchmaking: from movement assembly and decoration to gem-setting, case engraving, and marquetry.

FHH Cultural Space: Piaget, Bovet and Oris offer live insights

Throughout the duration of Inhorgenta 2026, the Swiss watch brands Piaget, Bovet, and Oris will continuously present live programmes in the FHH Cultural Space. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the various artisanal techniques and finishing processes used by each brand, as well as their unique working methods.

In addition, the brands will run their own special programmes: Piaget will demonstrate movement finishing, Bovet will host an engraving masterclass, and Oris will showcase its cultural values.

Inhorgenta 2026: Diverse supporting programme

The Munich industry event is one of the first key dates of the year for revealing new products. At the same time, it offers a varied supporting programme, featuring lectures, panels, and special exhibitions that focus on future-oriented topics such as sustainability, digitalisation, and nurturing young talent.

Informative, engaging, and at times thought-provoking, the Watch Talks stage in Watch Hall A1 provides a platform for industry experts to hold one-on-one conversations and dynamic panel discussions with leading international figures in watchmaking, giving attendees direct insight into the current thought leaders of the community.

Swisswatches Magazine Talk at Inhorgenta: Heritage Meets Hype – The New Era of Watch Collecting

As in previous years, Swisswatches will host a highlight talk at Inhorgenta, focusing on the exciting changes that have been emerging in the watch collecting scene: Heritage Meets Hype – The New Era of Watch Collecting.

Under this heading, Jörn Kengelbach, Editor-at-large at Swisswatches, will bring together several leading figures and insiders from the international watch community on the Watch Talks stage: Andy Hoffman (Senior Business Editor at Hodinkee), Frank Geelen (Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Monochrome Watches) and Swisswatches founder Zurab Zazashvili. The Watch Talk will take place on Saturday, 21 February at 1:30 p.m.

Inhorgenta Award 2026: New watch category and public vote

In 2017, the 3.5-kilogram trophy, designed in the shape of a stylised brilliant, was awarded at Inhorgenta for the first time. Today, the award has become one of the most prestigious honours in the industry.

Watches are increasingly coming into focus here as well. This year, the existing watch categories – Mechanical Watch of the Year and Watch Design of the Year (for quartz and electronic watches) – are being expanded with a new category: Luxury Watch of the Year | Public Choice (mechanical watches, RRP €5,000–75,000). This award is being presented in collaboration with the business and finance magazine WirtschaftsWoche (WiWo).

A dedicated seven-member expert panel was assembled specifically for this category, but they do not have the final say. Gisbert L. Brunner (uhrenkosmos.com), Robert-Jan Broer (fratellowatches.com), Frank Geelen (monochrome-watches.com), Kristian Haagen (kristianhaagen.com), Joern F. Kengelbach (WiWo), Pierre-André Schmitt (Bilanz), and Zurab Zazashvili (swisswatches-magazine.com) pre-selected 14 luxury watches from the applicant pool. The ultimate winner of the ‘Luxury Watch of the Year | Public Choice’ is then chosen by WirtschaftsWoche readers through an online vote.

‘This collaboration is another element of our strategy at WirtschaftsWoche to strengthen coverage of watches and luxury. The award makes brands, models, and the people behind them more visible – beyond the professional sphere. I am delighted about this partnership and that we can involve our readers,’ says Horst von Buttlar, Editor-in-Chief of WirtschaftsWoche.

The official award ceremony for all Inhorgenta Awards will take place during a grand gala on 21 February 2026 at Bavaria Film Studios in Munich.

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