Breaking News: Rolex, Tudor, Patek Philippe, Chopard and Chanel Quit Baselworld
A number of the most prominent brands in the horology industry have pulled out of Baselworld. The next fair was due to take place in 2021. In the future, Rolex, Tudor, Patek Philippe, Chanel and Chopard will present their products in Geneva. This will be a part of a new watch fair hosted in collaboration with the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH). Although this replacement event is yet to be named, it has been announced that it will merge with Watches and Wonders.
The new show is to take place at Palexpo, Geneva. Responding to the needs articulated by the recently departed brands, it will aim to apply a shared vision of how to overcome future obstacles that arise in the watchmaking industry. First and foremost, the fair will aim to attract retailers, the press, and VIP customers. CEO of the Richemont Group – which exhibits ten brands at W&W – Jérôme Lambert stated: ‘The Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie is delighted to welcome a new salon which will strengthen the historical Watches and Wonders event in Geneva next year in early April‘.
In an unprecedented blow to Baselworld, the brands made the move without consulting the event’s management. Rather, the companies publicly referred to the show’s ‘inability to meet the expectations and needs’ in their explanation for their withdrawal.
Baselworld 2019 – Rolex. Hall 1.0
The departure of watch giant Rolex, the world’s largest luxury watchmaker in terms of total sales, and participant in the event since 1939, is a particularly harrowing loss for Baselworld. Furthermore, the event will not only be losing Rolex, but also its sibling Tudor. Rolex’s Chief Executive Jean-Frédéric Dufour stated that the discussions that led to the en masse departure were initiated by Rolex itself. Speaking about the new fair in Geneva, Dufour added: ‘It will allow us to present our new products according to our needs and expectations, to join forces and to defend the interests of the sector more solidly‘.
Baselworld 2019 – Patek philippe. Hall 1.0
Likewise, Patek Philippe’s president Thierry Stern stated that ‘life evolves, things change and so do people…. We always have to adapt and question ourselves, because what was right yesterday is no longer necessarily true now!‘.
In 2018, Swatch Group also made the decision to leave Baselworld. Following this, Baselworld planned to implement its brand new design for the fair from 2020 onwards. However, it was postponed to 2021 due to the current health crisis. With its existence now in jeopardy, it is unclear how it will respond. Baselworld’s management is yet to comment on the situation.
Update: Since the publication of this article, key brands from the LVMH Watch Division have also left Baselworld in favour of Geneva. This includes Hublot, TAG Heuer, and Zenith.
The MCH Group, organiser of Baselworld, has responded to the news that leading brands Rolex, sibling Tudor, Chanel, Patek Philippe and Chopard have left the international trade show. The companies made the move in favour of a new fair that is to take place alongside Watches & Wonders in Geneva. Baselworld's organiser was neither aware…
As of today, Porsche fans have the opportunity to create a wristwatch that matches their dream car as part of the Porsche Design Custom-Built Timepieces Programme. The base of the designs centre around the Porsche Design Chronotimer Series 1, which uses a new online configurator to allow for the creation of individual designs. There are…
Fans of Audemars Piguet can now visit the horology house's brand new museum, the Musée Atelier, in Le Brassus. The museum, following its opening in June 2020, offers a chance to uncover the brand's heritage and craftsmanship, with over 300 watches on display. The Musée Atelier's architecture, designed by BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group), is also…
The countdown has begun: on 21 February, the international jewellery, watches and gemstones trade fair Inhorgenta will open its doors for the 51st time. The event was launched in Munich in 1974 as the ‘first International Trade Fair for Watches, Jewellery, Gemstones and Silverware’. This year, the six exhibition halls will once again not only…
Since April of this year, visitors to the new IWC Schaffhausen boutique in Hamburg have been able to immerse themselves in the world of the Swiss watchmaker. Now the store, operated by jeweller Wempe, has officially opened – and it turns out that Swiss and Hanseatic virtues are a perfect match. ‘With the timeless design…
Geneva has a new culinary destination for watch enthusiasts and bon vivants alike. In cooperation with award-winning chef Dominique Gauthier, F.P. Journe has opened the fine dining brasserie ‘F.P. Journe Le Restaurant’. Since the beginning of November, refined dishes, exquisite wines, and horological motifs alike have been artfully combined in a listed building at 49…
After much anticipation, discussion, and predictions, the results are in: Audemars Piguet has named Ilaria Resta as its new CEO. While François-Henry Bennahmias' successor will join the company as soon as August 2023, bringing almost a three-decade reign to an end, the former CEO will nevertheless remain fully engaged at the horology house until the…
After “Time To Move” and “Watches & Wonders Geneva” have already cancelled their fairs, today, also the board of direction at MCH has announced the cancelation of “Baselworld” fair 2020 due to concerns related to Coronavirus. The start of construction in the halls and of the stands was scheduled to commence next week (start of…
Jaeger-LeCoultre's manufacture is tucked away in the lush green Vallée du Joux. Yet this November, the horology house went mobile with a new pop-up, starting its journey in the alpine city of Munich, Germany. Lasting almost two weeks from November 3 to 15, the Reverso Timeless Stories exhibition opened to the public, educating visitors about…
The Swiss watch brand Universal Genève is taking its first step towards its planned revival by introducing a new website and its own social media channels. These are intended to give a first taste of where the journey will take the brand in the future in terms of identity and new watch models. For the…
On 2 October, what had long been rumoured became a reality: LVMH and Formula 1 have entered into a partnership. As Formula 1 prepares for its 75th anniversary in 2025, this global partnership not only marks the end of one era but also heralds a new beginning. In this billion-euro deal, which binds LVMH to…
The first Rolex boutique in Germany opened in 2009 at Number 184 on Kurfürstendamm in Berlin, together with its long-standing partner jeweller Wempe. After several months of renovation, the boutique is making its comeback, shining in new splendour. Wempe was the first jeweller to sell Rolex watches in Germany in the 1950s, after Hellmut Wempe…
With the official partnership that has now been announced, the Swiss institution FHH is entering into its first long-term collaboration with an international watch and jewellery trade fair. Following the initial cooperation during this year's Inhorgenta, the 2026 edition will feature an expanded and reorganised FHH Cultural Space in Hall A1. "Together, we are shaping…