After a year, "Supreme" came to Geneva, also known as the "World Watchmaking City", in April. This relatively small Swiss city led to the rise of watchmaking technology in the mid-16th century and now accounts for more than 90% of the world's high-end watchmakers. When this year's watch festival "Watches and Wonders" officially opened, Geneva in early spring was hit by sudden heavy rain, but this did not dampen the enthusiasm of the participants at all.
On the morning of the first day of the exhibition, media and watch industry professionals from all over arrived at the "Watches & Wonders" venue one after another. Thanks to the careful arrangement of the exhibition, the process of entering the venue was still orderly even with a large number of exhibitors. Most of the staff members, dressed in neat casual uniforms, were very young. In contrast to the rainy weather outside the venue, they exuded sunny vitality. Perhaps "Watches & Wonders" also hopes to convey the fun of watchmaking to young people and encourage them to join this industry, which has found it more difficult to attract talent in recent years.
IWC exhibition hall explores the eternal
The exhibition layout is as simple as ever, with warm colors and bright lights illuminating the public areas, guiding people into a fantasy world of watches. Perhaps the four words "competing for splendor" are not enough to describe the exhibition hall layout of each participating brand this year. Hermès' new Cut watch series cleverly combines pure geometric lines and forms, which naturally extend to the watch display stand through the minimalist fantasy space created by architect and artist Erin O'Keefe. Van Cleef & Arpels brought the forest into the venue, using carefully carved leaf decorations to create a natural world that only exists in dreams. The theme of IWC Schaffhausen this year is to explore eternity with scientific rationality. We seem to have entered Kubrick's science fiction movie "2001: A Space Odyssey".
Hermès exhibition hall creates a minimalist fantasy space
Even though the watch industry has faced many challenges in recent years, including changes in collectors’ values under the influence of the economy, uncertainty in the second-hand watch market, and the rise of digital technology, high-end watchmakers have never stopped exploring innovation. For the first time, Vacheron Constantin teamed up with designer Yiqing Yin and perfumer Dominique Ropion to integrate high-end watchmaking, fashion and perfume into the concept watch Égérie, incorporating high-end fashion elements into the watch appearance and sealing the fragrance in the embroidered strap. Niche brand Ressence has created its own convex track system, hiding disruptive technology under the appearance of what at first glance looks like a toy watch, in order to attract discerning collectors. Innovation is also the keyword of the "Watches & Wonders" LAB, where start-ups, educational organizations and engineers unveil innovative technologies in the watchmaking industry in the hope of inspiring young people's interest in working in the watch industry.
Photo exhibition "Timekeeper" connects clocks, time and memory
Watchmaking is an art that transcends time. A well-made watch can be passed down from generation to generation and is a sustainable luxury. This year's exhibition will also incorporate the theme of sustainability into multiple aspects. For example, the Watches and Jewellery 2030 Initiative was mentioned in the international seminar, calling on more brands to join in building climate resilience, protecting natural resources and promoting inclusiveness. If this world ceased to exist, there would be no point in owning any luxury. While we marvel at the stunning products launched by various brands, perhaps we should also think about how to be a more responsible consumer. Only in this way can we preserve the dreams that humans have woven using time.
