Watches & Wonders 2024 may have ended, but it still keeps me profoundly busy. It was once again a great fair, yet now with even more brands, which meant even more meetings. In six days, I had over 60 meetings and walked 40 miles, which resulted in a strange combination of exhaustion and rejuvenation. The five-hour nights might also have something to do with the first, because as nearly the entire watch world gathers in Geneva, there is a lot of catching up to do. That includes the worldwide team of WatchTime, as we are rarely all on the same continent, let alone the same city.
With more brands participating, it has become challenging to see them all, but here, teamwork comes into play. I was particularly interested in the new brands that joined the fair, such as Nomos, Eberhard, Raymond Weil, and Bremont, and I was not disappointed. The fact that there was, at least to me, not a star of the show was not due to a lack of quality, but because nearly all the brands up their game. In general, the focus seemed to be on further refining existing models and expanding successful model ranges. That may not sound that exciting, but it is the bedrock on which the industry is built.
Right now, I am in the process of digesting it all. I have changed from running through the vast halls of Palexpo in a suit and tie for my desk and a sweater. Now, it comes down to turning all that I have seen and heard into appealing articles for you to read. It may sound corny, but the fact of the matter is that this is one of my favorite parts. It allows me to translate the passion I experienced when the proud people of the various brands presented and explained their latest watches to you. While it might seem to be all about the timepieces, the fair proved once again that it is even more about the people, the ones making them, the ones collecting them, and perhaps a little bit the ones writing about them.
