Watches & Wonders Geneva 2025 will be held in Geneva, Switzerland for one week from April 1st (Tue) to April 7th (Mon), 2025. This year, the watch magazine Chronos Japan will once again be covering this year's most anticipated new product fair on-site. Editor-in-Chief Masamasa Hirota, who has already arrived in Switzerland, analyzes this year's trends just before the event begins.
Text by Masayuki Hirota(Chronos-Japan)
[Article published on January 31, 2025]
Watches & Wonders Geneva is starting!
The new watch exhibition "Watches & Wonders Geneva 2025" will be held in Geneva, Switzerland, from Tuesday, April 1st to Monday, April 7th, 2025. As usual, this event will be held at Palexpo, the Geneva trade fair, and will be the most anticipated exhibition of the year for both watch industry professionals and watch enthusiasts (the public days will be extended from the 4th to the 7th). According to the organizers, this year's event will feature the largest number of manufacturers (and brands) ever, with approximately 60 participating. In addition to classic brands such as Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Cartier, Bulgari will also be participating this year.
However, the expansion of exhibitions does not necessarily mean that the watch industry is on an expansionary path. Rather, this year's trend seems to be even more conservative than last year. One factor behind this is the accelerated slowdown in the Chinese economy that began at the end of last year. China was expected to lead the watch market after the COVID-19 pandemic, but a sluggish real estate market, high youth unemployment, and a cooling consumer sentiment have led to a slump in demand for so-called luxury goods. The news that the Chinese market halved in the second half of last year casts a huge shadow over the trends of watch manufacturers.
The US economy is also not in a position to be optimistic. Since China's slowdown, the US has taken over as the driving force behind the luxury watch market, but the uncertain political and economic situation in recent years has led to consumers being reluctant to make purchases. These major market changes will likely force the Swiss watch industry as a whole to adopt a very cautious stance.
How are market changes affecting new watches?
As a result, it is predicted that new watches in 2025 will lean towards a more conservative direction. The first thing that comes to mind is variations on existing models. New models that incorporate popular models from the past with different colors, materials, or bracelet specifications will likely stand out. This is a rational approach for keeping production costs down and ensuring steady sales, but it is extremely difficult to navigate in a way that keeps consumers from getting bored. In fact, each manufacturer has come to realize that the Swatch x Omega collaboration, which was once so popular, has quickly lost momentum.
Despite these circumstances, the trend toward smaller cases is sure to continue. While watches with cases under 40mm in diameter were once considered "classic" and often avoided, demand for them has increased in recent years among both men and women. The decline of the luxury sports watch boom and the expansion of consumers who view watches as fashion have clearly contributed to this trend. Furthermore, the new expressions in watch dials that have been gaining popularity over the past decade are sure to catch our eye again this year.
What Masamasa Hirota, Editor-in-Chief of Chronos Japan, Pays Attention to
What I'm personally interested in is the expansion of satellite events taking place around Watches & Wonders. Time to Watches, which has been gaining more and more attention year after year, has moved to a new venue, Villa Sarasin. Its convenient location, just a one-minute walk from Palexpo, is sure to be a major inspiration for participants and visitors. Incidentally, more than 70 brands are scheduled to participate in Time to Watches. While major manufacturers are expected to adopt a more conservative approach, the smaller manufacturers participating in this event will likely attempt a relatively freer approach to expression. This year, we at the Kronos Japan editorial team plan to provide more detailed coverage of these surrounding events.
Find the watch you want even in the face of headwinds in the global economy! by Hirota
The Geneva trade fairs in 2025 will offer a glimpse into the strategies of how brands are trying to defend their positions or adapt to the changes in the face of the economic slowdown. Held during a particularly challenging time, the events will also offer a glimpse into the capabilities of each company. In other words, there is a greater chance of interesting things to see at these times.
I've written this a little seriously. No matter what the circumstances, this year we will continue to find watches that we ourselves want!!! It's no fun at a trade fair if you can't find the watch you want! So, we hope you will continue to come this year, and we look forward to your feedback!!!
