Long live the Indies: report from Geneva Watch Days 2024

Fifty something independents met in Geneva, between August 29th and September 2nd, 2024, to celebrate and share the love for Swiss-made watches. The founders of the diffused fair stressed their idea at the kick-off press conference. The initial fire burns stronger than ever, after five years from the first edition, so it seems: “This is a fair to share and give visibility to the artisans of watchmaking, inside the city and in sync with it. We even have many other small brands around us, piggybacking on the official buzz, and that’s totally fine.

We don’t compete with other fairs and want to be a complement to them. We create a level playing field, where small watchmakers can get a fair share of the pie, in terms of trading opportunities and awareness. We create an infrastructure where everyone is free to be who they are. We have venues and times where we celebrate the ‘why’ of watches,” says one of the founding fathers.  

This may be the future of physical fairs. The program is rich with meetings and extracurricular activities, during the day and especially after apéro time, to talk business and to nurture the community of lovers, journalists and distributors with champagne and culture, indeed. That’s exactly the point: it’s all about the community, and it’s all about keeping well and alive that spirit of doing things in a traditional way, while telling stories via new channels, as these brands don’t have the budget to afford classic media. The renaissance of the indies continues.  

My first stop is, as always, at Louis Erard, where the maestro Manuel Emch showcases their latest collaborations and the launch of a new Sport Chrono line, with fun colorways and great details. Emch has changed the face of the brand, by changing product portfolio and positioning, thanks to a complete revision of the marketing mix. Louis Erard has turned into a gem and a favorite of collectors of all ages.  

The second stop is at Maurice Lacroix, where I sit down with Stéphane Waser, its CEO. The strategy change inaugurated in 2016 continues to pay back. The Aikon – the symbol of Maurice Lacroix, and its new marketing mix, has redefined the identity of the brand, which wants to talk to a younger global audience, from Germany to APAC. “The uncertainty is always there, especially when we look at exogenous factors, like Covid and international conflicts. We are exploring new technologies, like blockchain and digital twins, to protect our watches, and that’s in our roadmap. Our preferred channel of communication with our fan base is social media, and web to store is our go-to-market strategy. The new course is giving us good results, as new generations are getting interested into the brand,” says Waser. The fifty-year-old brand doesn’t show signs of a mid-life crisis, and popular and more refined pieces live in harmony in their product portfolio. All high-end movements are done in house, and the roots and tradition are in good shape.  

Then, we passed by the Corum boutique, for a first look at their Golden Bridge Serpent, entirely handmade and building on the legendary vertical movement invented by Vincent Calabrese and brought to the market by the original founder, René Bannwart. Corum continues its reinvention and premiumization, with optimization initiatives already on their to-do list: “We want to do the right number of pieces per year, probably adjusting the distribution footprint to a smaller size, more in line with the strategy. Exogenous crises may still affect business, and therefore we need to be prepared via a fair distribution across regions. While we are fully digital in our marketing efforts, technology is part of our roadmap, from commerce to blockchain. As always for companies like us, we must take a long term and a progressive approach to things,” says Marc Walti, Chief Product and Marketing Officer.  

Geneva Watch Days is a refreshing and human gathering. It’s also the perfect observation point over a niche, made mainly of tradition and savoir faire, in stark contrast with the shiny fairs of big tech and big business. Digital and exponential technologies, new channels and new generations, global and local shocks are all looming over the heads of these artisans, who are here to show and tell, and to share and discuss, as the way foreword may be hidden in the power of the community, more than inside a new movement or feature. We need these days of communal business and culture talk, as much as we need the history behind the art of watchmaking.      

Have you read?
Best Fashion Schools. Best Universities. Best Medical Schools. Best International High Schools. Countries: Most Female Billionaires.