Since the cancellation of Watches and Wonders Geneva was first announced, and Baselworld postponed shortly after, the organisers of both fairs have been scrambling to find alternative solutions to engaging retailers, collectors and the press without hosting them in Switzerland.
Baselworld has had mixed results — you can read about the exit of Rolex, Tudor, Patek Philippe, Chopard and Chanel here, and you can also read about the departure of the LVMH Group here.
At Revolution, we’ve been working with various brands to host a virtual fair on our YouTube channel, with some success. It’s allowed watch collectors to discover the latest from each brand, accompanied with written content by our editors on our website.
Connecting Online
After much discussion and planning, the Foundation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH) has decided to push forward the digitalisation of the Watches and Wonders fair, and launching it on the same day as the original fair would have. From 12pm CEST (Central European Standard Time, UTC+1:00, 6pm in Hong Kong, and 5am Eastern Standard), the platform will be launching on watchesandwonders.com.
30 participating brands will be represented on the platform, covering a broad range of fine and high watchmaking brands, across the Richemont Group as well as various independent labels. Says Fabienne Lupo, chairwoman and managing director of the FHH, “This dynamic new platform will allow watch lovers everywhere to discover exciting new products, engage in enriching experiences, and connect directly with our participating brands in one place.”
The site will feature dedicated sections for each brand, and visitors will be able to see and understand more from each brand as well as their latest releases for 2020. There will also be related and relevant social media content as well as brand communications. Along with all these, the FHH will also plan a series of product launch videos, featuring executives from participating brands, to launch their novelties. The 10-minute long videos will be permanently accessible on the site.
Partners-in-hand
In order to further enhance the quality of editorial content on the site and go beyond press information to be launched on the website, the FHH is partnering other industry opinion leaders to curate content on the site. These articles will range from expert to educational content, and consider various aspects of watch innovation and development today. Revolution is pleased to announce that we will be partnering Watches and Wonders for their digital launch.
Beyond the launch of various novelties in April, additional content on the website will continue throughout the year, right up till Watches & Wonders Geneva in April 2021. In addition to spreading its message across various platforms from WeChat to YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Weibo as well. Furthermore, several brands will be presenting their novelties on the Tmall Luxury Pavilion.
Yes, but…
While the Watches and Wonders organisers have invited all 30 participating brands to join in the digital launch, not all of them will be presenting novelties for 2020 on the launch date. Some have decided to hold back new releases or to present them on alternative events later in the year.
