The seventh edition of Geneva Watch Days brought 71 brands to the city, with almost 400 new releases unveiled over five days. More than 2 500 collectors, private clients, and enthusiasts attended – more than double the 2025 figure – alongside more than 500 international media and content creators and more than 300 retailers. Nearly 5 000 unique visitors passed through the main Pavillon.
Collectors were given plenty of opportunity to get close to the watches and the people behind them. Touch & Feel sessions created an informal setting for conversations with brands and creators, while the Collectors’ Lounge quickly became a gathering place during the week. The Blue Box drew almost 3 000 visitors to its Four Elements exhibition – Water, Earth, Air and Fire – where guided sessions allowed them to handle the watches and learn more about their materials, manufacturing techniques and stories.
The programme also moved beyond product launches. The CaliberShip Challenge, staged with the Geneva Watchmaking School and COSC, invited participants to regulate a mechanical movement as precisely as possible. Elsewhere, the Dominique Renaud Foundation brought together Nobel Prize-winning physicist Didier Queloz, Thomas Hertog, Janna Levin and Katie Mack to discuss the nature of time.
The charity auction was another highlight. Sixteen unique lots donated by participating brands raised CHF115 500 for the Geneva Watchmaking School and Pierre Amstutz Fund. Konstantin Chaykin produced the top result, with his unique creation selling for CHF24 000. Since the auction was launched in 2023, it has raised CHF519 400 for watchmaking education and apprentices in financial difficulty.
Jean-Christophe Babin, President of Geneva Watch Days, commented: “This edition marks a new milestone. Of course, 71 brands and nearly 400 new releases already represent a record. But what I will remember above all is the presence of the collectors, private clients and enthusiasts. They came in far greater numbers than last year. They came to see the watches, speak with the people who create them, understand, discover and share.
“That is precisely the original purpose and vision of Geneva Watch Days: watchmaking that is open, alive and accessible. Watchmaking that creates encounters and reaches out to its enthusiasts and clients, across all generations. Without barriers, in a spirit of openness and genuine conviviality.”
For Geneva Watch Days, growth now seems to be measured as much by participation as by numbers.
