Events & Awards

Geneva Watch Show Pivots to Online-Only Format

Events & AwardsNov 20, 2020

Geneva Watch Show Pivots to Online-Only Format

Watches & Wonders Geneva canceled its in-person show slated for April 2021, while the show formerly known as Baselworld is still set to go on.

20201120_Watches_Wonders_header.jpg
New watches introduced at Watches & Wonders Geneva 2020, which was held online because of the coronavirus pandemic. COVID-19 has forced show organizers to move the 2021 edition online as well.

Geneva—Watches & Wonders Geneva, the show formerly known as SIHH and slated to take place next April, is moving to an all-virtual event, organizers announced earlier this week.

The exhibitor committee of Watches & Wonders Geneva made the call to cancel the live event, citing “uncertainty amid the current health crisis.”

COVID-19 numbers across the globe are climbing right now, as a number of countries find themselves battling a second wave of the coronavirus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently includes Switzerland on its list of countries to which nonessential travel should be avoided, noting the risk of contracting COVID-19 there is high and medical resources are limited.

Watches & Wonders Geneva, scheduled for April 7-13, will take place entirely on an upgraded version of the same website used for the digital show this past spring. Upgrades will include live streaming and chat functions.

Show organizers said all the brands scheduled to exhibit at the Palexpo for the physical show will be present online, and they invite other brands to take part in the digital show as well, ramping up for what organizers said will be “the biggest watch event ever held in Geneva” in 2022.

News that Watches & Wonders is moving online raises questions about the other watch shows slated to be held in Switzerland next April.

Heavyweights Rolex, Tudor, Patek Philippe, Chanel and Chopard said in April they were leaving Baselworld and would launch a new trade show in Geneva held concurrently with Watches & Wonders.

When asked about the 2021 show Thursday, a spokesperson for one of the participating brands said plans are “still in the works.”

Baselworld is no more, but the show MCH Group launched in its wake, HourUniverse, was also set to take place next April.

As of Thursday, MCH Group said it still intends to launch HourUniverse’s digital platform in February and hold an in-person show in April.

The company said it will issue 100 percent refunds to exhibitors if COVID-19 forces it to cancel the show.

MCH Group also said it is “confident” it will be able to acquire the minimum number of exhibitors, 250, needed to move forward with HourUniverse.

The Latest

Pandora distribution facility Canada
MajorsApr 02, 2026
Pandora Opens New Canadian Distribution Center Amid Tariff Concerns

The new facility was also designed to better serve its growing customer base in Canada.

Michelle Yeoh Mikimoto
TrendsApr 02, 2026
Michelle Yeoh Fronts New Mikimoto Campaign

The campaign is a tribute to the year 1893, when Kokichi Mikimoto created the world’s first cultured pearl.

GIA President and CEO Pritesh Patel at GIA Taiwan campus
GradingApr 02, 2026
GIA Debuts New Campus in Taiwan

It is the only GIA school to offer the GIA Graduate Gemologist program in Chinese.

GIA iD100®
Brought to you by
Protect Your Customers and Your Business

You deserve to know what you are selling–to protect your customers as well as your business and your reputation.

DCA Second Spark Workforce Initiative Graphic
MajorsApr 02, 2026
DCA Launches ‘Second Spark’ Workforce Initiative

The initiative connects veterans and parents returning to the workforce with careers in jewelry retail.

Weekly QuizApr 02, 2026
This Week’s Quiz
Test your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Take the Quiz
Michael Angelo
MajorsApr 02, 2026
Hoover & Strong Names New National Sales Representative

The wholesale manufacturer and precious metals refiner has appointed Michael Angelo as its new national sales representative.

Pandora and Foundrae medallion jewelry
MajorsApr 01, 2026
Foundrae Sues Pandora for Allegedly Copying Its Medallion Designs

Foundrae also accused the jewelry giant of copying its mood board style of marketing.

TopImageCrop.jpg
Brought to you by
Is This You? Every Jeweler Has This Problem; We Have the Solution.

Every jeweler faces the same challenge: helping customers protect what they love. Here’s the solution designed for today’s jewelry business.

John Jacob Astor IV's Patek Philippe for Tiffany & Co., Battin & Co. pencil case
AuctionsApr 01, 2026
John Jacob Astor IV’s Titanic Pocket Watch Heads to Auction

A Patek Philippe for Tiffany & Co. timepiece owned by the American businessman who died on the Titanic will be offered at Freeman's Chicago.

Stock image of a Shell gas station
SurveysApr 01, 2026
Consumers’ Outlook Improves Again in March

The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index edged up, with optimism about the present outweighing worries about the future.

Zach Bear and the Window Necklace Children’s Book from Zachary’s Jewelers
IndependentsApr 01, 2026
Zachary’s Jewelers’ Constance Polamalu to Release Children’s Book

The retailer’s Zach Bear gift comes to life in “Zach Bear and the Window Necklace,” which centers on curiosity, bravery, and helping.

National Jeweler columnist and Smart Age founder and CEO Emmanuel Raheb
ColumnistsMar 31, 2026
Q1 Clues That Reveal Where Your Jewelry Store’s Sales Are Heading

These customer behavior patterns say a lot about how successful your jewelry store is going to be this year, Emmanuel Raheb writes.

Mejuri Puzzle Collection Campaign Imagery
CollectionsMar 31, 2026
Mejuri Adds Silver to ‘Puzzle’ Collection

Mejuri’s popular collection of 18-karat yellow gold vermeil rings debuted in sterling silver alongside new “Puzzle” slider charms.

Ashley Longshore in Buddha Mama jewelry
CollectionsMar 31, 2026
Buddha Mama, Ashley Longshore to Host Pop-Up in Dallas

The Miami-based jewelry brand and the NYC-based artist will be in Dallas from April 9-11.

Natural Diamond Council world diamond day
SourcingMar 31, 2026
NDC Designates April 8 as 'World Diamond Day'

The initiative invites those in the industry to share stories on social media highlighting the meaning and impact of natural diamonds.

Jillian Wolk, the new CEO of Tracr
SourcingMar 31, 2026
GIA VP Jillian Wolk to Take Over at Tracr

Wolk’s first day on the job as CEO of Tracr, De Beers Group’s blockchain platform, will be May 1.

Tom Moses examining the “Motswedi” diamond
EditorsMar 30, 2026
Tom Moses Looks Back on His Decades at GIA

Moses, who will leave the lab in May after nearly 50 years, discusses his start in the business, gemstones that stand out, and what’s next.

Oscar Heyman Spring Catalog Aquamarine and Diamond Necklace and Platinum Opal, Sapphire, Emerald, Diamond Bracelet
TrendsMar 30, 2026
Oscar Heyman Debuts First Spring Catalog

The new catalog, which showcases 35 one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry, is a compliment to the company’s popular holiday catalog.

Diavik Diamond Mine winter aerial shot
SourcingMar 30, 2026
Rio Tinto Hauls Last Load from Diavik

Production has ceased at the Canadian diamond mine, which has yielded more than 150 million carats of rough diamonds in its 23-year run.

Tanishq Westborough Massachusetts store
MajorsMar 30, 2026
Tanishq Opens First New England Location

The store opening marks the 10th United States location for the India-based jewelry retailer.

Saks Fifth Avenue door sign
MajorsMar 27, 2026
Saks Global Has Changed Its Mind About Closing These 3 Stores

Two Saks Fifth Avenue locations, one in Florida and one in California, and one Neiman Marcus store are off the chopping block.

Jimmy West celebrating 40 years with Leading Jewelers Guild
IndependentsMar 27, 2026
Jimmy West, Longtime LJG Executive Director, Dies at 72

West, who started in the art department at the Leading Jewelers Guild in 1979, is remembered for his patience, kindness, and dedication.

Itä Yari Whirl Ring Tesoro
CollectionsMar 27, 2026
Itä’s ‘Yarí Whirl’ Ring Tells Every Side of the Story

In the “Tesoro” version of the ring, our Piece of the Week, each side of the gold hexagonal nugget has a unique colored gemstone design.

Citizen Watch America President Jeffrey Cohen
WatchesMar 26, 2026
Q&A: Citizen Watch America President Jeffrey Cohen on Eco-Drive’s 50th Anniversary

Cohen discusses the evolution of Citizen’s light-powered technology, the brand’s cross-generational appeal, and tariffs.

Peter Smith Essentially Human: On Sales and Salespeople
IndependentsMar 26, 2026
Peter Smith Pens Book on Human Behavior in Sales

“Essentially Human: On Sales and Salespeople" reveals the underlying human traits and behaviors of the most successful sales professionals.

Lionheart Cassandane Collection Campaign
CollectionsMar 26, 2026
Lionheart Celebrates 13 Years of ‘Cassandane’

The collection features symbols of love, luck, and light, based on the story of Queen Cassandane and Cyrus the Great of Persia.

CASE Awards Graphic
Events & AwardsMar 26, 2026
JA Still Accepting Entries for 2026 CASE Awards

The deadline for entries in the jewelry design competition has been extended to April 3.

×

This site uses cookies to give you the best online experience. By continuing to use & browse this site, we assume you agree to our Privacy Policy