The famed Swiss watch and jewellery manufacturer Swatch Group has participated in Baselworld for years with nearly all of its 18 brands.
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With the departure of its largest exhibitor from 2019, it’s yet another setback for the world’s largest watch and jewellery trade show, which has seen participation dwindle in recent years.
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NZZ am Sonntag/SDA-ATS/cl
Swatch Group CEO Nick Hayek told the NZZ am Sonntag newspaper on Sunday that “today, everything has become more transparent, faster-paced and more spontaneous”, and that therefore, “traditional watch exhibitions are no longer useful for Swatch”.
Recently, several other watchmakers have withdrawn from BaselworldExternal link – including Hermès, Ulysse Nardin and Girard-Perregaux – and have instead joined the international luxury watch show in Geneva (SIHHExternal link).
The 101st edition of the Basel-based fair took place in March with a stable attendance, but with 650 exhibitors – half the number that participated in 2017. Critics have called for a new approach to its organisation.
The German-language newspaper added that Swatch’s departure also jeopardises the future of the fair’s operating company, MCH Group, which belongs to the cantons of Basel-City, Basel-Country and Zurich.
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