Citizen has announced that it will exhibit at Baselworld in 2020.
Citizen will exhibit at Baselworld again in 2020
"By continuing to exhibit at Baselworld, which has been held for over 100 years, the Citizen Watch Group hopes to work with other exhibiting brands to invigorate the entire watch industry." (Excerpt, original text)
This is a passage from a response I received on November 8th to a written question I sent to Citizen Watch after posting the article "Seiko Cancels Baselworld Exhibit" in this column: "Will the Citizen Group exhibit at Baselworld in 2020?" and "What do they think about the significance and value of Baselworld?" The decision to continue exhibiting was apparently made this summer.
As a watch journalist, my first and honest impression is that I feel relieved.
Following the news that Seiko had canceled its participation, many webChronos users were probably predicting a "domino effect of Japanese manufacturers withdrawing." To be honest, I was worried about this too. Having made occasional visits to Basel for a quarter of a century, I have always had doubts about the treatment of Japanese manufacturers, and the strong "pressure to conform" in Japan is a common problem not only for individuals but also for the corporate world.
But thankfully, that didn't happen. Of course, Casio's actions are still a concern, and Baselworld remains in a state of crisis.
Before I begin my column on this matter, let me first summarize Citizen's 2020 response regarding their participation at Baselworld 2020.
Citizen Watch and its subsidiaries Citizen, Bulova, Frederique Constant, Alpina, and Miyota (movement brands) will continue to exhibit at Baselworld 2020 as usual. In addition, Arnold & Son, which has previously exhibited at Baselworld, will exhibit at WATCHES & WONDERS GENEVA (formerly SIHH), which will be held prior to Baselworld.
One new piece of news, though not a major one, is that Arnold & Son will be moving its presentation venue from Basel to Geneva. It is still unclear what the layout of the exhibition hall at WATCHES & WONDERS GENEVA (hereafter referred to as WWG, since it's a long name) will be, but as per the past, they will likely be exhibiting in the area for emerging and independent watchmakers, which was previously called the "Carré d'Horloger."
However, WWG's catchphrase on its homepage is "a lively, immersive, city-wide circuit," meaning that the concept is a lively, experiential event taking place throughout the city of Geneva. There is also a possibility that the exhibition venue will be within the city.
In any case, Seiko and Citizen, two of Japan's leading and long-established watch manufacturers, have taken very different approaches to the two major Swiss watch fairs, some cancelling their participation and others expanding their participation.
However, I would like to emphasize that it would be a big mistake to conclude that the difference in the two companies' decisions at the two major Swiss watch fairs means that Seiko is passive and Citizen is proactive in the global watch business.
