The first Geneva Watch Days exhibition occured under harrowing circumstances in 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic had upended the standard calendar for the major Swiss trade shows, forcing both SIHH/Watches & Wonders and Baselworld to cancel.
Geneva Watch Days was the only significant multi-brand showcase to take place in Switzerland that year, thanks to a small group of companies – led by Breitling, Bulgari, De Bethune, Girard-Perregaux, H. Moser & Cie, MB&F, Ulysse Nardin, and Urwerk – who created a plan with the full support of the City of Geneva and the Geneva Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Services (CCIG) that allowed them to welcome European press and retailers to the city in August 2020. You can read more about the history of Geneva Watch Days in Arthur Touchot's in-depth retrospective right here.
It's difficult, now, four years after the fact, to remember that Geneva Watch Days was originally founded under such distress. The event has blossomed, and the 2024 edition was the largest and most succesful edition yet.
More than 50 brands took part in the official event, with many more traveling to Geneva to take additional meetings with attendees. Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo even hosted a Charity Auction in partnership with Geneva Watch Days on the fourth night of the show, resulting in more than CHF 100,000 being raised in support of l’École d'Horlogerie de Genève, Geneva's local watchmaking school.
And then there were the new watches. The presenting brands showcased their latest and greatest releases over the fair's five full days. Here are three of our team's favorite debuts, fresh from Geneva, with their personal commentary.
Daniel Roth Tourbillon In 5N Pink Gold
Arthur Touchot, International Head Of Digital Strategy, Specialist
Among the incredible timepieces at Geneva Watch Days, the Daniel Roth Tourbillon in pink gold stood out as my favourite. The use of 5N pink gold, with its greater copper content and richer hue compared to the more common 4N pink gold, is a standout addition to the Maison’s growing Tourbillon line. The thoughtful design choices by Enrico Barbasini and Michel Navas, such as the guilloché en ligne pattern of the dial, bring subtle but modern touches to this already iconic wristwatch. This will appeal to purists and should capture the attention of those not so familiar with Daniel Roth’s rich history.
Bernhard Lederer Triple-Certified Observatory Chronometer
Logan Baker, Senior Editorial Manager
The term "chronometer" is synonymous with precision. Watch enthusiasts are acquainted with the phrase through COSC, an independent Swiss body that certifies watches as "chronometers" if they're able to pass a battery of tests that prove the movement is precise enough. But chronometer used to have a different definition – it was originally applied to timepieces featuring detent escapements, such as marine chronometers. The detent escapement was even referred to as the "chronometer escapement" for a long part of history.
So when Bernhard Lederer released his Central Impulse Chronometer outfitted with his take on a traditional detent escapement in 2021 – he was shocked to receive blowback for calling it a "chronometer" without providing any external certification of accuracy, such as from COSC or elsewhere. In Switzerland, of course, chronometer is a protected description – only watches that have received one of those fancy sheets of paper can go around describing themselves as such. (The term "chronometer" is not nearly as protected elsewhere in the world.) Lederer, being German, didn't know that. He was calling his watch a chronometer because it was one – it featured a chronometer-type escapement.
Remember the detent escapement I mentioned earlier? Another term for it is a chronometer escapement. Think about it this way – when marine chronometers were the absolute final word in precision timekeeping, they generally used a detent escapement and didn't necessarily undergo timing trials or receive any specific certification at the time. But because Marine Chronometers were so widely acclaimed, the "Chronometer" name enjoyed plenty of good publicity for its precision, so when the Swiss watch industry wanted to come up with a standard of precision, they pushed to pass a law that protected the chronometer terminology to exclusively indicate timekeepers with a chronometer certificate – even if they used a Swiss lever escapement rather than a chronometer/detent escapement.
This history is noteworthy as it influenced Lederer's latest release, a new form of the Central Impulse Chronometer called the Triple-Certified Observatory Chronometer. It features an updated version of the Central Impulse Chronometer movement in a smaller case diameter and with a more attractive dial aesthetic, and it's certified as an "official" chronometer three times over, at the observatories in Besancon, France; Glashütte, Germany; and at COSC in Switzerland. It's the best version yet of one of the most impressive time-only movements in the world.
Frederique Constant Classic Moonphase Date with Malachite Dial
Marcello de Marco, Specialist, Business Development Associate
Generally speaking - with, as always happens, notable exceptions - the ethos of Frederique Constant harkens back to 1960s/1970s aesthetics characterised by clean, symmetrical, very elegant dial architectures.
As a big enthusiast of this time period, I have always been intrigued by their timepieces. With the addition of a malachite dial to their Classic Moonphase Date, they struck two additional chords with me: one resonates with the historicity of the choice - indeed hard stone dials started precisely during the 1960s/1970s perfectly fitting in the design code of the brand. The other is, more simplistically, the absolutely stunning aesthetic impact of the choice: while i’m a supporter of clean dials, the malachite dial - thanks to both the color and the pattern of the stone - adds that pinch of extra flair that makes this piece - to my eyes - an absolute stunner.
About Phillips In Association With Bacs & Russo
The team of specialists at PHILLIPS Watches is dedicated to an uncompromised approach to quality, transparency, and client service. Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo holds the world record for the most successful watch auction, with its Geneva Watch Auction: XIV having realized $74.5 million in 2021. Over the course of 2021 and 2022, the company sold 100% of the watches offered, a first in the industry, resulting in the highest annual total in history across all the auction houses at $227 million.
Recommended Reading
Phillips Raises CHF 109,000 For Charity During Geneva Watch Days Auction
Geneva Watch Days: A Visit Inside the New Geneva Watchmaking School