GENEVA — While Watches and Wonders dominated the first week of April, presentations and other events flourished throughout the city for brands who did not take part in the fair.
With all eyes on Geneva as the global capital of worldwide watchmaking, brands took advantage of the opportunity to present their latest designs and innovations, while conversations turned to recent acquisitions and anniversaries.
Damiani’s Timekeeping Jewels
Damiani returned to Geneva to reassert its legitimacy and reputation in the high watchmaking space – with high jewels that give time to boot.
The Italian jeweler was among the 47 exhibitors of the Haute Jewels Geneva showcase, held at the InterContinental Hotel in conjunction with Watches and Wonders. Organizers said that the show attracted 38 percent more visitors than the 2024 edition.
Building on last year’s centenary celebrations, which included an exhibition titled “Damiani 100 x 100 Italiani” unveiling one-of-a-kind creations, Damiani pulled out all the stops with its standout “Margherita” high jewelry secret watch.
Called “Margherita Desert Garden,” the cuff-like timepiece in yellow and white gold was reminiscent of a blooming lawn and set with clear, brown and yellow fancy diamonds, as well as emeralds combined in a variety of cuts to create the multiple daisies blossoming throughout. The watch featured two dials hidden behind the central daises to be set on two distinct time zones.
A finalist of the 2024 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, it retails for 213,000 Swiss francs.
The Damiani Margherita Desert Garden secret watch.
Courtesy of Damiani
This unique creation was flanked by new iterations of Damiani’s hero “Mimosa” watches, part of the jewelry family of the same name. The bejeweled quartz movement timepieces came in new colorways, including forest green and lacquer red, and were embellished with diamonds.
The house — which in fiscal 2024 had sales of 380 million euros, up 10 percent compared to 2023 — described the line’s design ethos as “apparent chaos” for the seemingly haphazard placement of gemstones. The 32mm version of the timepiece featuring a soleillé dial boasted 3.44 carats of diamonds arranged in two rows around the bezel to create a blossom-like pattern, while a sister version was enriched with a diamond pavé dial for a total of 4.03 carats.
Philipp Plein Expands His Range
Philipp Plein is getting more serious, and more pragmatic, in his high watchmaking venture.
The entrepreneur returned to Geneva for the third year in a row to bow new additions to the growing family of Swiss-made timepieces, knowing he needs to offer a distinctive value proposition amid a highly competitive, and conversative, industry.
“We do not have the history…of established brands, so we have to push on different designs…and an interesting price positioning,” he said, noting how Philipp Plein is reportedly the bestselling watch brand on Farfetch, for example. “I love the project. I’m really behind it, and I think that makes the success of the story,” Plein said.
After setting the tone — a loud and flamboyant one — with the first two releases, the 2025 collection included three novelties such as the King Phantom, Crypto King and Diamond Queen timepieces, or “timemachines” as they are billed chez Plein.
These are expected to tap into the growing niche of Plein’s watch customers.
“We really try to translate the idea of the brand into it. We are a fun brand, and we are really targeting our client. We have the right consumer base now and we are really completing the offer…to cater also to the wider market,” Plein said.
Cue the King Phantom watch coming in a 46mm K9 crystal case, which aligned perfectly with the bold ethos of the brand in a slightly subtler way. The skeletonized Landeron 20 automatic movement reveals itself through an open-work dial and see-through caseback and ensures a power reserve of 75 hours. Available in a range of zesty colors, including orange and acid green, the watch is priced between 4,700 and 4,900 euros depending on the colorway.
Philipp Plein’s King Phantom watch.
Cesare Gualdoni/Courtesy of Philipp Plein
Although not entirely a new shape, the Crypto Queen women’s watch, first introduced with Plein’s debut high watchmaking collection in 2023, got a significant glow-up.
The original tonneau case was embellished with 42 dazzling diamonds for 6.80 carats in the new Diamond Queen on-demand timepiece set on a rubber strap. Powered by a Swiss-made quartz movement, the watch, available in yellow or rose gold, also comes in a joyful version featuring rainbow gemstones.
The OG Plein timepiece, the Crypto King, also expanded to new colorways, such as orange, emerald green and deep blue.
Breitling to Revive Gallet
After snapping up Universal Genève in 2023, Breitling announced the acquisition of reputed watchmaker Gallet, a brand that is formally turning 200 next year but traces its roots back to the 15th century.
Founded in 1826 by watchmaker Julien Gallet in La Chaux-de-Fonds, the brand became best known for its chronometers for racing, aviation and expeditions. It was dormant following the quartz crisis of the 1970s.
A trio of Gallet MultiChron Clamshell watches, dated circa 1938.
Courtesy of Breitling
Among Gallet’s best known pieces is the stopwatch chronograph that measured the Wright brothers’ first motorized flight in 1903, now in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
Calling the move “a natural next step in Breitling’s expansion,” CEO Georges Kern said the company’s “vision is long-term — reviving Gallet as a strong brand in watchmaking, while honoring its legacy of adventure and innovation in chronographs.”
With new models expected to land in 2026, Gallet will be positioned as a luxury entry-level sister brand for Breitling.
The GPHG Turns 25
Ahead of its 25th edition in November, the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève has announced the reintroduction of the “Mechanical Clock” category to its lineup of gongs and that the eco-innovation prize introduced last year would remain. Calendar complications will also now be included in the “Men’s Complication” category.
The organizers of the prize, which is considered the Oscars of the watchmaking world, also announced that the GPHG Academy had passed the 1,000-member mark. Founded in 2020, the Academy is composed of experts aiming to contribute to the global influence of watchmaking. Members are added through a cooptation process.
It’s this body that selects the eligible timepieces and nominates the six finalists in each category. It also contributes to determining the winners alongside the year’s jury.
A Day to Celebrate Timekeeping
Watchmaking is staking its claim as the 12th art. After being recognized as part of UNESCO’s cultural heritage in 2020, it is now getting its day.
The first edition of World Watch Day will be celebrated on Oct. 10. The date was chosen as a nod to the 10:10 position given to watch hands when timepieces are presented.
Underpinning the initiative is a newly minted nonprofit association, with founders including the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie, the Foundation of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, as well as media and horological societies from Europe, the U.S. and Asia.
The inaugural 2025 edition will be streamed online, one timezone at a time. Media, associations, collectors’ club and content creators will explore topics ranging from culture, science and sports to economics, traditional craftsmanship and contemporary art.