Getting to Watches and Wonders is no easy feat. The annual luxury trade show held in Geneva, Switzerland, is like the Super Bowl of the watchmaking world, and nabbing yourself a ticket is just as difficult. Roughly 49,000 watch fanatics attended this year’s edition, and if you’re a member of the press it’s an invite-only affair, with one of the 54 brands taking part having agreed to sponsor you. Chanel swiftly came through for 10 Men in style.
the curved pink structure that housed the latest Chanel Haute Horlogerie creations
Day 1
When we arrived in Geneva, the airport was brimming with watch lovers, from retailers and mag staffers to suit-clad connoisseurs. A favourite pastime of mine is looking at people’s wrists to see what timepieces they’re wearing, so naturally baggage claim had me feeling like a kid in a sweet shop, but instead of salivating over rhubarb and custards I was eyeing up the sort of arm candy that come with five- to six-figure price tags. A watch can say a lot about a person.
It was gloriously sunny with vast blue skies, like something pulled from a Pixar flick. I was staying at Hôtel de la Cigogne, slap bang in the centre of town. It’s set amid a slew of luxury shops and local boutiques, which made spending too much money on clothes that, firstly, I don’t need and, secondly, won’t fit me in six months, far too easy. I settled into the hotel’s restaurant for a one-to-one date with a divine tuna tartare, the sort of steak that melts on the tongue, perfectly chased by a creamy pudding and a glass of Condrieu goodness.
the crowd at Watches and Wonders
Day 2
It’s a bit like getting dressed for the first day of fashion week: you can’t just chuck any old thing on your wrist when you’re headed to Watches and Wonders. It’s always good to go with a muscular classic, so I opted for my beloved Rolex Sky-Dweller. After a 20-minute car ride we arrived at Pont de la Machine, where the two-day watch fest is held each April. Stepping inside the venue makes you realise what big business the horology world is. No expense is spared on the vast booths that house each brand’s prized pieces, which range from new delights to all-time favourites.
Everyone takes this event very seriously and the venue was full of watch buffs, who all made a real effort when it came to the way they looked and what they were wearing, with most attendees either clad in designer labels or bespoke suits. If you’re a watch enthusiast, this is your moment, so there are no corners cut when it comes to looking the part.
There’s free food and drink dotted all around the venue, with champagne pit stops every 30 paces (well, that’s what it felt like after three glasses of bubbles). You could easily spend your days here stuffing your face with elegantly put-together canapés and getting sloshed on the unlimited fizz, but when it comes to Watches and Wonders, there’s no time for timewasters – the clock is always ticking. So instead I filled up on coffee and got to work.
Appointments with brands last only 20 minutes (there are 49,000 attendees, for crying out loud!), which means you have to be on the ball from the minute you step inside a booth. It’s all about the right questions, you see. What’s it made of? How many will be made? What’s the dial spin? What makes this thing so special that its price trumps a down payment for a two-bed flat?
from left: the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC, the world’s thinnest mechanical watch, and scene from Watches and Wonders Geneva, held in April
We kicked off our day with Cartier, which had created a vast, impressive structure to house its watches. I was instantly drawn to a highlight from its Reflection de Cartier range, a chunky yellow gold open bangle with a hidden watch on the inside. Onto Van Cleef & Arpels, whose beautiful diamond-encrusted watches from its Extraordinary Dials collection came with three-dimensional ornate butterflies in the watch faces. This was followed by Hermès, where the French maison unveiled its first women’s watch offering created in-house in the past two decades: Hermès Cut. I sadly got my appointment time wrong and joined in with a French group, nodding along and eating miniature croissants washed down with champers (would have been rude not to). Someone asked me a question and I responded, “Mange tout.” I’m not sure it was the answer they were looking for. What I do know, though, is that the geometric-inspired collection will be a hit with the Hermès clientele, with each watch powered by the Manufacture Hermès H1912 movement, a self-winding calibre, and available with interchangeable straps – you can swap a sleek metal bracelet for one with a sportier rubber strap (best in Hermès orange, of course).
Our Gucci lunchtime meeting slot was 10 minutes off-site in a stunning chateau, with a chef on-site whipping up the most delicious champagne risotto (see, no limit on the fizz here). It was so good I had two bowls of the stuff while we were talked through the brand’s bejewelled masterpieces, each equipped with the most intricate dial movements.
from left: Van Cleef & Arpels, and IWC Schaffhausen
Back inside the main fair, all eyes were on the IWC Schaffhausen booth, thanks to a surprise appearance from Gisele, who is one of the brand’s official ambassadors. It wasn’t just the sight of one of the industry’s best supermodels, wearing an elegant white suit, that had heads turning. The watches on display were classic, generational and timeless. An IWC Portuguese Chrono was the first watch I purchased for myself 25 years ago; the new iterations made me want to buy one all over again.
After stops at Panerai (armed with robust and big watches that are perfect for the active man), JLC (a watch connoisseur go-to) and Vacheron Constantin, it was time for dinner with Van Cleef & Arpels inside the luscious grounds of Geneva Park. The food was stellar, but the highlight of the evening was the appearance of the magician David Jarre (the son of Charlotte Rampling and Jean-Michel Jarre), who magicked a Van Cleef & Arpels bottle of wine out of a napkin. Watches and Wonders is never short of star power.
Day 3
It was another glorious day in Geneva, which I kicked off with some more unnecessary retail therapy. Then it was on to Tag Heuer, where the brand pushed its signature Carrera models – a great entry-level watch for anyone looking to grow their collection. After checking out Bell & Ross, Tudor and Piaget, I headed to Patek Philippe to see its elegant Nautilus range, which every man and his dog wants to get their hands on, including moi. Next year, Rodders.
After a stop at Hublot (its Big Bang pops from every angle), I made my way over to the Bulgari presentation to get up close and personal with its Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC, the world’s thinnest mechanical watch, a record previously held by, you guessed it, Bulgari! It comes in at 1.70mm thick, just thinner than a 50p coin. Pretty spectacular stuff.
For my final visit, I made my way to Chanel, the most elegant stop on the tour. When it comes to haute horlogerie, Chanel just knows how to do it. Watches, bangles, thimbles, all encrusted with diamonds and crafted from gold. The novelties are next-level. My favourite on show was a gold necklace with a paper-clip pendant frosted with 286 diamonds. The clip itself is equipped with a pea-size white gold dial (how they do it is beyond me) that is encrusted with 45 brilliant-cut diamonds. Only 20 of these works of art are available in the world.
It was only fitting to end my Watches and Wonders experience with a Cartier dinner, where we were served traditional Swiss fondue. À la prochaine fois, Geneva, you’ve been delightful and left me hungry for my next timepiece
scene from Watches and Wonders Geneva, held in April
Photography courtesy of Watches and Wonders and Chanel. 10 Men Issue 60 – ECCENTRIC, FANTASY, ROMANCE – is out now. Order your copy here.
watchesandwonders.com
Text TONY GALAXIS
Additional reporting DORA FUNG and PAUL TONER
