Watch KhalifaA new watch by Bell & Ross is among the debuts at the Geneva fair, which runs through April 7. Bell & RossGeneva, SwitzerlandCNN —
As the world’s biggest luxury watch manufacturers gather beneath one sprawling roof at the annual Watches and Wonders trade show in Geneva this week, anniversaries are being celebrated all around.
One of Switzerland’s longest-running horologists, Vacheron Constantin, marks its 270th birthday with the most “complicated” wristwatch ever made. Featuring a record-breaking 41 complications (functions that go beyond basic time-telling), the Solaria somehow packs a constellation of metal cogs, levers and springs into a 45-millimeter circle of white gold.
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Elsewhere, LVMH-owned watchmaker Zenith blows out 150 candles on its cake with a chronometry classic revival, while Hublot honors the 20-year anniversary of its era-defining Big Bang chronograph by introducing its boldest and brightest take on the model to date.
As watchmakers mark their longevity, their attention has also turned to showcasing products that, they hope, will last just as long. This is evident in the boasts of anti-magnetism (which ensures greater precision when exposed to magnetic fields) and shock-proofing (hard-wearing styles that resist mechanical shocks), as well as lengthy warranties. The focus on durability comes in the face of an industry downturn — in 2024, Swiss watch exports declined 2.8%, to 26 billion Swiss francs (about $29.4 billion), from the previous year — following three years of steady growth.
Amid a pullback in luxury spending, there is heightened competition in the entry-level and mid-range segments at this year’s fair, which spreads across the more than 800,000 square feet of the Palexpo convention center, and is expected to attract tens of thousands of visitors over the course of the multi-day event.
