Inhorgenta Munich Celebrates Milestone Anniversary in 2024

Inhorgenta Munich has been a showcase for the industry and a platform for the trade since 1974. The 50th anniversary edition of this trade show will take place from February 16 to 19, 2024 with a large supporting program, a re-branding with a bold new logo by Mirko Borsche and a redesigned hall structure. The motto will be "50 years young and better than ever."

Inhorgenta started in 1974 as the “1st International Trade Fair for Watches, Jewelry, Gemstones and Silverware” and proved successful right from the start, establishing a dedicated trade fair for the German and European markets. Dr. Gabriele Weishäupl, then press spokeswoman of Messe München, came up with its distinctive name, inspired by the Latin terms ‘gemma’ for gemstone, ‘aurum’ for gold, ‘argento’ for silver, ‘hora’ for hour, and ‘in’ for international.

The show soon established itself as a key to opening up new markets, also thanks to the–in the meantime–around 1,000 employees in over 130 countries worldwide. It has welcomed brands from important countries and many big names of the industry. Since 1998, it has taken place at the new exhibition center of Messe München, with state-of-the-art security facilities and infrastructure.

To mark the 50th anniversary of Inhorgenta, the Inhorgenta Award will be celebrated in a new location, the Showpalast Munich. Designed by renowned architecture firm Graft, this venue lives up to its name. As one of the largest stages in Europe, it’s a suitable place to host the award ceremony, which will take place on Saturday, February 17, 2024.

Accolades will be awarded in a total of nine different categories, including the new category, “Luxury Watch of the Year, which is for mechanical wristwatches with a retail price of €5,000 or more. A top-class international jury will award prizes to the best pieces of jewelry, watches, gemstones, individual concepts, designers and newcomers of the year.

Well-known national and international watch manufacturers and brands are once again represented in the "Timepieces" hall. Among them are prestigious brands such as Mühle-Glashütte, Ebel, Junghans, Tutima Glashütte, Herbelin, Citizen, Casio, Garmin and, in 2024, Porsche Design.

To learn more, visit Inhorgenta, here.

Among the horological highlights this year will be the joint stand of the Francélat, the professional committee for the economic development of the French watchmaking, jewelry and tableware industries, with six French brands exhibiting.

Herbelin, for one, will showcase the of the Cap Camarat Chronographe Automatique, the latest chapter in the success story of the maritime-inspired collection first presented in 2018. The 42mm stainless steel 316L case, which is water-resistant to 100 meters and fitted with line-typical screws on the bezel and an integrated bracelet, houses a self-winding chronograph movement for the first time, the Sellita SW510 with a power reserve of 62 hours. The horizontal pattern on the dark green and luminescent dial likewise echoes the nautical theme. The motif and color create an eye-catching background for the two counters and the date window at 6 o'clock.

Pricing is marked at $2,275.

To learn more, visit Herbelin, here.

The Yema brand, headquartered in Morteau, has been a significant player in the French watchmaking scene since its founding in 1948. As a family-run business, it has earned a reputation for producing specialized timepieces designed for military and professional divers. Over the years, the company has undergone expansion and modernization of its production capacities, transforming into a true manufacture. Yema now takes pride in showcasing high-end calibers developed and produced in-house. One such caliber is the automatic GMT YEMA3000, featured in the 316L stainless steel case of the Navygraf Marine Nationale GMT. This GMT watch indicates three time zones and boasts a water resistance of up to 300 meters. It was developed in collaboration with the French Navy. True to its historical counterpart from 1970, the luminous dial prioritizes readability. Protected by a 2.5mm thick sapphire crystal, the watch face is surrounded by a bidirectional sapphire crystal bezel with day-night hour visualization.

Retail starts at $1,349.

To learn more, visit Yema, here.

For the third time, selected Swiss watch brands will be presenting their latest models at the Salon Suisse. Among them are Aerowatch and Elka Watches. 

The latter will showcase new additions to its X-Series, distinguished by khaki hued degrade dials, the Elka X09 and the Elka X15. Complementing these are NATO and vintage leather straps in sand beige. Powered by the La Joux-Perret G100 caliber with a 68-hour power reserve, these three-hand watches with a date display tick within a 40.8mm diameter steel case.

Pricing starts at approximately $1,700 when converted to USD.

To learn more, visit Elka Watch, here.

Aérowatch will showcase the latest editions to its Milan collection. This integrated bracelet-style wristwatch with the lugs blending seamlessly with the stainless steel case is water-resistant to 120 meters and has a diameter of 41 mm. The sporty and elegant timepiece features a green blue dial accented by a delicate pattern in the shape of tiny firs. This motif is also reiterated in the seconds hand. With this symbol, the family-run company alludes to its origins in the Swiss Jura, which is also the home of the bird of prey of the same name. The automatic three-hand watch is powered by a Sellita caliber SW200-1, which is revealed through a sapphire crystal caseback.

Pricing is marked at $1,720.

To learn more, visit Aérowatch, here.

The fascination of mechanical timepieces comes to life again in 2024 at the Watch Boutique, where renowned manufacturers showcase their latest collections and timeless classics in the heart of the timepieces hall. The exhibition concept, introduced a few years ago in the style of a luxury passage, encompasses several watch brands this year, including Alexander Shorokhoff, MeisterSinger, Mühle-Glashütte, Tutima Glashütte, and Ebel.

With the NVA Kommando Minentaucher, the East German tradition brand Ruhla revives a mission timepiece from the GDR era. Large luminescent elements on the dial and hands make it possible to read the time even in complete darkness. In contrast to the original, the new watch is powered by the ultra-modern self-winding Citizen Miyota 8315 with a 60-hour power reserve. The screw-down crown of the watch, which is water-resistant to 20 ATM, is protected by a crown guard, just like the original. It is equipped with a sapphire crystal, a transparent case back with a stylized combat diver and a unidirectional rotating bezel with ceramic inlay.

Pricing is marked at around $520 when converted to USD.

To learn more, visit Ruhla, here.