ince the end of the Basel fair — for decades the annual destination for the watch industry (Europa Star was an exhibitor for more than 80 years) — the sector has slowly been moving to Geneva. Not yet all in one place, with more than 200 brands showing their new releases throughout the canton, it is without contest the most important week in the calendar for watchmakers.

Sixty of them occupied a prime location at the city’s Palexpo exhibition centre, where the Watches and Wonders fair posted a record 55,000-plus visitors in seven days. The 2025 edition included seven first-time exhibitors from across the horological spectrum, from Meistersinger to Bvlgari. The Watches and Wonders Geneva Foundation’s vision is unchanged, namely measured growth with five to ten new exhibitors each year.

Whereas the Basel fair began life in 1917 as the “Swiss samples fair”, the Geneva event originated in 1991 and was centred exclusively on Haute Horlogerie and high luxury. This evolution into a gathering of such diverse profiles has implied a change of identity. We sat down with Watches and Wonders Geneva Foundation CEO, Matthieu Humair.

Europa Star: What are the main takeaways from the 2025 fair?

Matthieu Humair: Everything went extremely smoothly. We’ve recorded a 12% increase in attendance and visitor numbers are up across all categories, with more journalists and more retailers. The atmosphere was great and the public days were immensely popular. This year we welcomed 60 brands and offered a vast amount of content. The public took advantage of the immersive experiences that brands hosted on their stands, as well as the guided tours, talks and the entire In the City programme.

You take between five and ten new brands a year. Many would like to join and have the industry back under one roof. Is this something they can look ahead to, within the next five to ten years?

The fair is open to new brands and will expand as part of its natural progression. It has already almost doubled in size since 2020. We are adjusting the concept and there are still a few spots available in the current configuration, but we want every exhibitor to enjoy optimal visibility and the highest level of service from start to finish, and for these reasons growth has to be controlled.

Alongside Geneva, there have been Watches and Wonders in Shanghai, Miami and Sanya. Do you plan to carry on this global programme?

We have exported our platform to certain markets in the past but this isn’t on the agenda for this year. We’re a team of 30 people focused on organising the Geneva event, which is increasing in size and scope. Our objective is to make Geneva the world capital of watchmaking for professionals, the media and collectors, but also to open up to the general public. The In the City programme is gaining importance. We reach out to everyone, with particular emphasis on young generations. The idea is to spark vocations, as a watchmaker or a watch collector!

How are brands represented within the foundation?

The Watches and Wonders Geneva Foundation was created in 2022 by Rolex, Richemont and Patek Philippe. Since then, LVMH, Chanel and Hermès have joined the foundation board, which demonstrates their commitment to the event going forward. A committee represents the exhibiting brands. We’re aware that we bring together very different brands and we appreciate this mixture as a showcase for watchmaking.