Watches and Wonders? You can have it. No interest, no desire on my part to participate. It is a towering testament to greed and hubris. And curious enough, in reviewing some of the conversations I had with some of my more well-heeled colleagues in the Fourth and Fifth Estates, it seems that the policies and enforcement tactics governing the press (and their access to covering Watches and Wonders) are not entirely dissimilar to those utilized by the Trump White House...
Okay, so we've got that out of the way ; )
Let's move on to Time To Watches. I had the opportunity to experience both sides of the table this year assisting at a booth, as well as making the rounds to some of the other brand's set-ups. Now I have gone on record as saying that this is perhaps one of the worst-ever names for a watch show. I stand by that statement. But this year I got to see something that gave me hope for watch events in Switzerland.
The location was quite good - just behind the Palexpo center. This meant that it was easily accessible to both enthusiasts and journalists. Well, enthusiasts anyway. It would seem that Watches and Wonders subsidizes the travel of several journalists (airfare, hotel, etc.) and therefore they (Watches and Wonders) govern what these journalists can, and can't "attend" while in Geneva. Sort of a diamond-studded, golden leash ; )
Despite this challenge, there were a LOT of independent journalists, vloggers, bloggers, etc. who found their way to the show, and their energy and enthusiasm was clear to see. The only piece that I (as a journalist) didn't agree with was that there appeared to be one or two "marquee" press folks who clearly had been recruited by the show management's PR wing to be there (and possibly paid?). It was slightly reminiscent of BaselWorld back in 2011 when a royal or military strong man (read President for life) of a former Soviet republic breezed through The Palace hall complete with security retinue.
Now don't get me wrong, I am all for treating the press with courtesy and giving them a warm welcome. But that means ALL OF THE PRESS, not only individuals who were referred to as "Very Important Guests" by staffers at the show as they ushered them ahead of other attendees, jumping taxi lines and attempting to hijack Ubers because they are apparently not just Very Important Guests, but apparently more important than anyone else, and haven't fgured out public transport in Geneva even though they've been attending the shows for more than ten years straight.
But let's talk about what was right about the show. It was accessible, it was open, there was a good mix of brands, and all of the brand representatives seemed genuinely happy to be there. And more than that, there was a real sense of camaraderie amongst the brand representatives. That made a very big difference, and harkened back to the positive aspects of BaselWorld before the final curtain came down in 2019. It was actually fun to be there. Yes, it was work. But it was work that was enjoyable.
So to the organizers of Time to Watches - a job well done. An enjoyable event and a real opportunity to bring more brands out in the open. My only suggestion as it pertains to celebrity / VIP journalists? Slow your roll. It's only a step away from the mother who ties a pork chop around her son's neck to get family dog to play with him ; )
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