At the wake of the two major shows (Watches and Wonders and Baselworld) cancelling and postponing, respectively their 2020 edition due to the continued threat of the COVID-19 coronavirus, several luxury watch brands including Bvlgari, Breitling, Ulysse Nardin, Girard-Perregaux and MB&F have joined hands to create an independent multi-brand watch event called Geneva Watch Days 2020.

Slated to be held from 26th to the 29th of April in Geneva (with the full support of the state of Geneva), the event is scheduled to take place across several Geneva high-end hotels. With a major focus on the European market, this event has been created as an initiative to allow retailers and media to meet these Swiss Watch Brands instead of running around across local roadshows that will be held in different European cities, hence saving a lot of time and energy.

The news hit the market on Monday evening during the RTS (Swiss National Television) TTC broadcast when Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO of Bvlgari commented, “Despite the cancellation of the two major Watch Fairs, it will allow retailers and media, primarily from Europe but not only, to discover, comment and order the novelties of the founding Brands, namely Breitling, Bvlgari, Gerald Genta, Girard-Perregaux, MB&F, Ulysse Nardin, De Bethune and Urwerk.”

Additionally, to ensure a smooth functioning of the event, the participating brands are in the works of creating a Steering Committee who will (in close liaise with the State and the City) be responsible for coordinating the potential showrooms, hotels' rate, safety and sanitary protection for participants. The event is also scheduled to host two multi-brand evenings that will include the GMT Magazine party and another B2C activity.

Despite being scheduled for the same dates as the now cancelled 2020 Geneva Watches & Wonders, the Geneva Watch Days also ensures that it does not intend to substitute the traditional watch fairs but is merely presenting an efficient alternative at a smaller scale.