Connected To Reality
Despite the spread of Covid-19, which led to its cancellation this year, the Watches & Wonders Geneva Watch Show (formerly SIHH) remains very much alive. Against grin and bear it, it is even bouncing back with talent and inventiveness with the creation of a new digital space to unveil to professionals in the sector as well as to the public the new products of the major participating Maison. Created and developed by the FHH (Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie) and in close collaboration with more than thirty watch brands and manufacturers, the watchesandwonders.com website will be operational and open to all at noon on 25 April.
‘If you don’t come to Watches & Wonders, Watches & Wonders will come to you.’ Slightly reappropriated for the occasion, the famous maxim of the Knight of Lagardère perfectly sums up the ambition of the new digital platform set up by the organizers of the Geneva Watch Show: to reconnect Haute Horlogerie with the main actors in this sector and the widest possible audience. Professionals and amateurs, Maison and customers, informed and simply curious, will soon be able to interact virtually. Indeed, the site will offer each watchmaking company a dedicated portal where it will be able to present all its new products, the world in which it operates and its news through its own social networks.
A really good idea, totally in tune with the times, even more so in the circumstances linked to the pandemic, and which meets the expectations of enthusiasts. ‘Watchesandwonders.com will allow fine watch enthusiasts around the world to discover the latest innovations, live instructive experiences and connect the entire watchmaking community with our participating brands. And all this in one place,’ says Fabienne Lupo, President and CEO of the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie. With the aim of making the site the worldwide online reference for Haute Horlogerie, the FHH also offers the possibility of accessing product analyses, deciphering new trends, highlighting the know-how of the fine watchmaking professions, multiple technological innovations, as well as exchanges with numerous experts.
A judicious alternative that is intended to be a lasting one to keep all lovers of fine watchmaking waiting until April 2021 in Geneva: date and venue of the next physical exhibition. In the meantime, all to your screens on Saturday at noon!
For more informations :
As the industry’s recognized authority and advocate for fine watchmaking, it is the mission of the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie to respond to the current challenges and offer to the entire watch community the digital platform it deserves and the ability to gather together virtually. This platform will provide dynamic opportunities for interaction, education and inspiration, while showcasing the heritage, values and ambitions of the brands it represents. The worldwide spread of the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the Watches & Wonders Geneva physical event (previously SIHH) and required an immediate adaptation by the FHH. On April 25that 12:00pm CET, a breakthrough digital platform will be unveiled at watchesandwonders.com, a centralized portal where watch enthusiasts, retailers and journalists from around the world will be able to experience the fine watchmaking universe, as well as the newest watches of the year and connect directly with the 30 participating brands.
‘We are thrilled to be partnering with the finest watchmaking brands in the world to bring the Watches & Wonders concept to life online at a time when our industry needs it the most,’ states Fabienne Lupo, Chairwoman and Managing Director of the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie. ‘This dynamic new platform will allow watch lovers everywhere to discover exciting new products, engage in enriching experiences, and connect directly with our participating brands in one place.’
For the first phase of Watches & Wonders, the site will feature dedicated pages for each brand, where visitors will have the opportunity to discover their respective universes, including the newest timepieces for 2020. They will also view up-to-the-moment social media content, and connect directly to the brands’ own sites and channels. For the opening day of watchesandwonders.com, the FHH is organizing a series of new product launch presentations where executives from participating brands will showcase their novelties through 10-minute streaming videos, which will then be permanently accessible on the site. Working in collaboration with participating brands, members of its Cultural Council and other opinion leaders, the FHH is also curating a broad range of expert and educational content for the site, including product analysis, trend forecasts, technological innovation and in-depth explorations of design, artistry and craft, as well as business talks and commentary from industry notables.
The new watchesandwonders.com platform has been designed to remain a key destination for watch enthusiasts and the industry overall, beyond this first phase at the end of April, as it will continue to be updated with new content over the longer term. In the second phase to come later this summer, additional product launches will be unveiled, along with strategic e-commerce partnerships, which will enhance the platform’s appeal for watch lovers, and bring further value to participating brands. Part of a new ‘global ecosystem’ created by the FHH to fulfil the needs of its watch brands; watchesandwonders.com will become the permanent flagship of fine watchmaking excellence alongside several physical events, among which will be Watches & Wonders Geneva in April 2021.
Let’s connect on April 25th!
Stay tuned at watchesandwonders.com