Every spring, Geneva becomes the centre of the watch world. Over 200 brands descend on the city to launch their new watches for the year, and the city fills with retailers, journalists, collectors and enthusiasts for a week unlike anything else in the calendar. We're heading there next week with Club Members, and we think it's worth explaining exactly what's going on.

Who Goes and Why

Three very different groups make the trip, and they're all there for different reasons. Retailers from across the world come to see the new releases and decide which watches to order for their boutiques. Watch media and influencers come to report on what brands are doing this year. Collectors and enthusiasts come for the spectacle — to meet brands, talk to designers and watchmakers, and try on the new models in person. All three groups are there at the same time, which makes for a particular kind of energy in the city.

How the Week Is Structured

The week is much more than one event. It's a combination of official shows, brand-run appointments, hotel takeovers, boutique openings, dinners, and street parties across the whole city. The city centre is home to independent brand activations throughout the week — brands set up in hotels and boutiques, and you can cover a lot of ground just by walking between venues, though you'll need appointments booked in advance for most of them. On Thursday evening, there's a free public event with live music and street food that takes over the city centre.

Watches and Wonders

The main event is Watches and Wonders, held at the city's main convention centre. It's a hybrid show for retailers and press as well as the public, collectors and enthusiasts. It's quite extraordinary, kind of a whole luxury mall built inside the convention centre, with cafes, bars, and huge stands for brands like Rolex, Patek Philippe and Cartier. The brands spend seriously on their presentations and it shows. Getting hands-on with watches here generally requires pre-booked appointments.

Time to Watches

The next largest show is Time to Watches, held on a campus adjacent to the main convention centre. It brings together a wide range of independent brands and microbrands from around the world. It's much more intimate than Watches and Wonders, and you can try watches on and talk directly to brand founders without needing a pre-booked slot. We think this is one of the most enjoyable parts of the week.

Chronopolis

Chronopolis is a new show debuting in the city centre this year giving 25 brands a space to exhibit. Like Time to Watches, it's relaxed, accessible, and easy to get hands-on and have real conversations with the people behind the watches. These two smaller shows are closer in feel to our own Manchester, Southampton. and Glasgow watch shows, just rather larger.

Seeing High Horology Up Close

One of the most under-reported events of the week is the show run by the Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants (AHCI) — an association of independent master watchmakers. If you have any interest in high horology, this is unmissable. You can examine their work up close and ask the watchmakers directly about their technical choices, their inspirations, the problems they had to solve. The reason it doesn't get much media coverage is straightforward: these makers have tiny production runs, long waiting lists, and no PR budgets.

What Else Is On

Geneva organises a night where every watch boutique opens late, there's a separate evening with street food, bars and live music across the city centre, and museums run special exhibitions during the week. Free buses run between all major hotels and the Watches and Wonders venue, and all public transport in Geneva is free for visitors throughout the week. Brands organise dinners and parties for enthusiasts, collectors and the press throughout the week.

How to Make the Most of Your Watch Experience in Geneva

Most visitors spend the bulk of their time at Watches and Wonders with a handful of appointments elsewhere. Keen collectors tend to pack their schedules as tightly as possible and our guide to visiting Watches and Wonders is worth reading before you plan your days. From our trips in 2024 and 2025, we've learned that spreading your time across the different shows and experiences gives you a much richer week than sticking to one venue. Each show has a different atmosphere and a different kind of conversation.

This year we're hosting Club Members in Geneva on two carefully planned itineraries covering brands across the different shows, with dinners each evening and access to industry events. Our next Watch Experience available to book is to Geneva in September. We're also planning trips to Paris this summer and Glashütte in Germany in November with all the organisation handled, so you can focus on the watches. Get in touch if you'd like to know more.