Geneva news and archive

Swiss watch brands making time for India

Swiss watchmakers are increasingly turning their sights towards India thanks to a new free trade agreement that is due to gradually open the doors for luxury timepiece exports. While some brands are already in the starting blocks, others are waiting to see whether India will become a new land of plenty. "India represents enormous potential,"...

Fashion

Patek Philippe chief not worried for top-end Swiss watches

Patek Philippe's chief says he is not anxious about the prospects for top-end timepieces, despite Swiss watch exports slowing overall after three years of spectacular growth. Thierry Stern told AFP he was "not worried about the high end" of the market during the Geneva watch fair, which brings together 54 major brands at Swiss watchmaking's...

Fashion

Geneva watch fair ticks to slower rhythm after three boom years

The 2024 Geneva watch fair opens on Tuesday amid slower demand in China for fancy Swiss timepieces and more timid consumer spending across the board on luxury items. The Watches and Wonders salon, which runs until April 15, will see 54 major watch brands show off their latest creations, including Rolex, Patek Philippe, Cartier, Chopard, Hermes...

Fairs

Geneva watch show opens in throes of banking turmoil

The Geneva watch fair opened Monday buoyed by booming growth in the watchmaking industry, but insiders warily eyed the banking sector turmoil, evoking painful memories of the 2008 financial crisis. Industry professionals were upbeat on the first day of the Watches and Wonders annual fair, where 48 prestigious brands including Rolex, Patek...

Fashion

Watchmakers tinker with new materials to attract younger consumers

Lab-made diamonds, recycled plastic and 3D printing: this year's Geneva watch fair was teeming with timepieces crafted from new materials, aimed at seducing a new generation of luxury watch connoisseurs. H. Moser, a niche brand producing 2,000 watches a year for wealthy collectors, this year presented a watch covered in Vantablack, a super-black...

Fairs

Geneva luxury watch fair returns under shadow of Ukrainian war

Switzerland's top luxury watch fair will resurface this week in Geneva after two years of pandemic-induced virtual shows, but Ukraine's raging conflict and Covid lockdowns in China could dampen the mood. The Watches and Wonders show, taking place from Wednesday until April 5, will this year see 38 of the biggest high-end watch brands, including...

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Business

Rare Kashmir sapphire glitters in Geneva auctio

The largest Kashmir sapphire ever auctioned and a royal tiara which everyone can try on via Instagram are the stars of this year's May magnificent jewels sales in Geneva. Gems worn by French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte's adopted daughter also dazzle among the historic treasures being sold by Sotheby's and Christie's auction houses on May 11 and...

Fairs

Geneva opens virtually before physical event in Shanghai

Geneva's international expo of fine watches opened Wednesday with an online 2021 edition before shifting next week to Shanghai, where the coronavirus is under control. The fair, one of the major annual gatherings for luxury watchmakers, was cancelled last year due to the pandemic but is going ahead virtually this year. The Salon International de...