Hiding In Plain Sight

In an interesting twist of fate (which some of us saw coming a mile (1.60934 kilometer) away, the majority of brands that participated in the inaugural Time to Watches (still the worst named watch fair out there) are opting to display their wares elsewhere this year. While there are more brands set to participate than in 2022, it has for the most part been a reshuffling of the deck.

Courtesy of the Luxury Editor

Curious to relate, several of those previous participants have decamped and will set up shop in local hotels. This is nothing new, but it does mark an inflection point. While BaselWorld was never a bargain, it was accessible to enough brands (even in the finale that was 2019) that it could draw enough people to make it interesting. What these break away brands are realizing is that the current iteration of fairs in Geneva is for 2 categories:

The Ultra Rich - Watches & Wonders 

Despite what the silver tongued Watches & Wonders marketing team would have you believe, the only real barrier to a brand participating is a sufficient amount of money finding its way into the Watches & Wonders coffers. And if the Watches & Wonders marketing team is reading this - stop sharing my contact information. If I don't rate a press credential, just how valuable could my press address be to the high and mighty that you are courting? Clearly somebody is selling a nickel for a dime ; )

The Aspiring - Time to Watches

What's in a name? God only knows with this one, but it is curious to relate that most brands that were participating last year have opted for a DYI approach, while not at the Holiday Inn, definitely more affordable than the HEAD.  While I have heard more than one person state:

"But this is a prestigious and important university!"

I can only point out that if that were an important criteria, then you would see the New York City watch fairs set-up shop at a little school in Providence, Rhode Island -

"Watch Time and Wind-Up are proud to announce our 2023 shows will be hosted by Brown University!"

As someone who has organized more than my share of "underground" watch shows, I offer my strong encouragement to 2023's DIY watch shows! For the small and emerging brands, the watch fairs are offering little more than an opportunity to spend tens of thousands of dollars and be on your feet for 8 - 10 hours a day for a minimum of 5 days to hopefully see 10 to 15 REAL customers. It is a deeply flawed model. 

So rather than spend your time trying to get to HEAD, or bribe your way into Watches and Wonders, if you are a retailer or journalist, break out your sneakers and comfortable clothes and prepare for a pleasant walking tour around Geneva's triangle where you can see actual watches and meet actual people who actually care about what they are doing in the watch business. Rather than an exorbitant entry fee that won't even include a cup of water, you can sit with a brand owner and enjoy a cup of coffee in porcelain cup!

Long live the rebellion!