They have announced that they will be working with the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH) to create an altogether new event slated for April 2021.

The biggest watch fair in the world Baselworld just got exponentially smaller as five big watch brands unprecedentedly announced that they will be pulling out of the 2021 show.

Instead, the big five – Rolex, Patek Philippe, Chanel, Chopard and Tudor – announced that they will be banding together for a new show of their own. They have announced that they will be working with the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH) to create an altogether new event slated for April 2021 for retailers, press and key collectors.

Whether this new show will be held in conjunction with or in direct relation to the Watches & Wonders Geneva exhibition scheduled for the same time is anybody’s guess, but the brands have issued a release that other brands may also join this exhibition.

This announcement that was first distributed by Rolex comes as no surprise as open letters about Baselworld’s plans and its organisers’ handling of refunds among other things have riled up intense contention. Among them are allegations that Baselworld tried to reschedule Baselworld 2020 – initially planned for April 2020 but was eventually cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic – to January 2021 without asking exhibitors. The dates conflict with many other jewellery and watch exhibitions worldwide.

The FHH has yet to issue its formal announcements of plans. The FHH is the body organising what was previously known as the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH), now renamed to Watches & Wonders Geneva. SIHH was known as the most prestigious watch exhibition, with the entire Richemont Group exhibiting, along with a host of other key independent brands.

(Source: Rolex)