The countdown has officially begun, and Watches & Wonders 2026 is preparing to return as the most anticipated event in contemporary haute horology. Between historic anniversaries, patents filed and major new entries, the 2026 edition promises to be one of the most significant in recent years.
From April 14-20, 2026, Geneva will once again become the center of world watchmaking. The structure of the event remains true to a tried-and-true balance, with a first phase (initial 4 days) dedicated to press/professionals and a second (the remaining 3 days) designed for the enthusiast audience.
Making everything even more interesting is the new location in the calendar. The fair will take place after the Salone del Mobile in Milan, a choice that “frees up” mental and media space. We will therefore witness a Watches & Wonders that can breathe, take its time and be observed with due attention.
66 brands, 11 new entries and an evolving ecosystem
Sixty-six brands present, eleven new entries compared to the previous edition. The numbers of Watches & Wonders 2026 speak of a fair that is alive, evolving, and increasingly representative of the current panorama. Behind these numbers lies a truly interesting dynamic: brands feel the need to be there, to tell their stories, and to measure themselves against a public that knows the product in increasing detail.
The Exhibition of Watches & Wonders in the 2025 edition.
For historic brands, it’s an opportunity to consolidate their presence and role. For “new entries,” it’s a kind of passing of the baton, a way to officially enter the international scene. For observers, on the other hand, it’s a rare chance to intercept trends, future directions, and grasp multiple inspirations.
Rolex between patents and anniversaries
When it comes to Rolex, every single “rumor,” photograph and filed document automatically becomes the subject of debate. Ahead of Watches & Wonders 2026, attention is focused on a patent for an annual calendar integrated into the maison’s movements, a signal that can hardly be ignored.
Rolex has always introduced complications following a precise logic, favoring solutions that are intuitive, robust, and intended to last. The idea of an annual calendar according to this philosophy gains even more weight when placed in the context of a milestone anniversary.
In 2026 the Day Date turns 70 years old, a milestone that is unlikely to pass without a meaningful celebration.
Patek Philippe and the double anniversary
Time, for Patek Philippe, has always had narrative as well as technical value. The 2026 is a perfect demonstration of this. The Nautilus celebrates 50 years, bringing with it half a century of history, desirability and interpretation. The Annual Calendar turns 30, recalling how in 1996 Patek introduced a complication destined to become a reference.
Two anniversaries so close to each other end up conversing with each other. This is where that question that circulates more and more often among collectors and insiders arises: what if these two stories met again? The idea of a Nautilus with Annual Calendar encapsulates exactly what the public loves about Patek Philippe, a combination of elegance, technical savoir-faire and sportiness.
Audemars Piguet: the long-awaited new entry
Audemars Piguet ‘s first participation in Watches & Wonders is one of those details that changes the overall atmosphere of an edition. Audemars arrives in Geneva having already shown much during 2026, with a confidence that few other brands can boast.
This is precisely why curiosity is so high. What kind of message will Audemars Piguet choose to launch from this stage?
The presence at Watches & Wonders suggests a more direct dialogue with the haute horlogerie system, and when a brand like AP enters the scene, something is changing!
Beyond the Salon
Within the Salon, the focus shifts to innovation with a completely redesigned LAB entering a new phase of its development. The space will be dedicated to emerging technologies and visions that are redefining the future of watchmaking. From more than sixty applications, some fifteen start-up projects were selected for their level of innovation, relevance to the industry, focus on sustainability and social impact. An area that invites us to look ahead and question how the relationship between time, technology, and society will change.
The collaboration with ECAL, the University of Art and Design in Lausanne, continues for the third consecutive year. Students from the Master of Advanced Studies in Design for Luxury and Craftsmanship will present original installations that invite sensory and immersive experience of time, offering a fresh and conceptual look at the topic of time measurement and perception.
Watches & Wonders LAB in the 2025 edition.
At the entrance to the Salon, Le Cadran will welcome visitors as a meeting and pause point. The space, organized around a central clock tower, takes the shape of a dial with eight benches and four tables, becoming a natural place to stop, wait for someone or simply observe the flow of the public.
Completing the itinerary is the exhibition Wake Up!, a fascinating journey through the history and uses of the alarm clock, from the Middle Ages to the present day. Thanks to more than fifty pieces from the collections of the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire de Genève, including clocks, clocks, alarm clocks and graphic works, the exhibition invites us to reflect on the personal and collective relationship with time and the experience of waking up, between daily rituals and social transformations.
Toward April 2026
Watches & Wonders 2026 looms as an edition capable of interweaving the past, present and future of watchmaking. Important anniversaries, patented innovations and new protagonists contribute to generating a great climate of anticipation, so strong as to be almost tangible. Between now and April, anticipations will multiply, hypotheses will follow one another and some certainties will inevitably be questioned.
The countdown has begun, and we look forward to April to tell you all about it!
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