Interest in watches and watch collecting has exploded over the past five years, with more researching, discussing, buying, wearing, and loving timepieces than ever before. Whether you’re new to the party or a horology veteran, Watches & Wonders in Geneva is the yearly event you need to know about.
Watches & Wonders is the biggest and most important show in the world for watches. Think of it as the equivalent of Art Basel, the Frankfurt Motor Show, or New York Fashion Week, each the largest or oldest event in their respective industries. And in 2024, Watches & Wonders is building on the success of recent years to be bigger and better than ever.
What is Watches & Wonders in Geneva?
For more than a century Baselworld was the most important trade and media show in the watch business, until 2019 when a culmination of factors led to its final edition. Nature abhors a vacuum and the industry needed an event to take the place of the once-great Baselworld, meaning the previously (comparatively) modest SIHH trade show grew into the Watches & Wonders we know and love today, hosting the new releases of more than 50 different brands from the rarified Patek Philippe and Rolex to the more approachable TAG Heuer and Baume & Mercier.
In 2022, the first year that Watches & Wonders was able to reach its full strength following pandemic restrictions, Boss Hunting was on the ground in Geneva in full force. James Want and I dashed from appointment to appointment (with a moment or two to enjoy a glass of bubbles) to see all of the new watches from the best watch brands in the world (bar a few).
We saw timepieces from the likes of Rolex, Grand Seiko, TAG Heuer, IWC and many more (including a visit to the new Audemars Piguet Hotel and the Jaeger-LeCoultre factory). Watches & Wonders 2023 was even better than the previous edition, and 2024 is already shaping up to be a stacked year.
RELATED: The Best Watches We Saw At Watches & Wonders 2023
What are the brands at Watches & Wonders 2024?
In 2024 Boss Hunting will be on the ground again, covering all the releases and announcements each day, with deep dives into the collections of the best brands as well as detailed looks at the stand-out pieces launched at the event. In total, there will be a record 54 watch brands participating in Watches & Wonders, with the big brands you might have come across before including:
- A. Lange & Söhne
- Bell & Ross
- Bremont
- Cartier
- Chanel
- Chopard
- Frederique Constant
- Grand Seiko
- Hermès
- Hublot
- IWC Schaffhausen
- Jaeger-LeCoultre
- Montblanc
- Oris
- Panerai
- Patek Philippe
- Piaget
- Rolex
- TAG Heuer
- Tudor
- Ulysse Nardin
- Vacheron Constantin
- Zenith
But Watches & Wonders 2024 will also include a number of brands that you mightn’t have come across before, all of which offer something new and exciting at this year’s show. Also participating will be:
- Alpina Watches
- Angelus
- Arnold & Son
- Beauregard
- Charles Zuber
- Charriol
- Chronoswiss
- Cyrus Genève
- Czapek & Cie
- Ferdinand Berthoud
- Grönefeld
- Hautlence
- Hysek
- Laurent Ferrier
- Louis Moinet
- Parmigiani Fleurier
- Pequignet
- Rebellion Timepieces
- Ressence
- Roger Dubuis
- Rudis Sylva
- Speake-Marin
- Trilobe
- U-Boat
- Van Cleef & Arpels
Where is Watches & Wonders 2024?
As you might have guessed, Watches & Wonders is hosted in Geneva, Switzerland; a fitting location as it’s one of the homes of international watchmaking. More specifically, it’s held at the Palexpo convention centre in Le Grand-Saconnex, near the Geneva International Airport.
The Watches & Wonders organisation also holds events in Shanghai, China, in the middle of September, but the Genevan edition is the big show.
When is Watches & Wonders 2024?
Watches & Wonders 2024 kicks off on April 9th for media and retailers, before opening its doors to the public for three days from the 13th to the 15th. In total 43,000 visitors attended Watches & Wonders in 2023 (up from 22,000 in 2022), and we expect 2024 to be even larger.
Watches & Wonders 2024 tickets
Watches & Wonders 2024 tickets will be available from the link below, so if you’re keen to see what it’s all about make sure you book online as ticket sales are not available onsite. Prices for the weekend on the 13th and 14th will cost CHF 70, while Monday the 15th is slightly more affordable at CHF 50. If you’re already educating the next generation of watch collectors, you’re in luck, with children under 12 getting in for free.
Make sure you’re tuning into Boss Hunting both here on the site, as well as for live updates on our Instagram.
