The consensus at Watches & Wonders 2024, was that this is a ‘steady as she goes’ year, with the major brands playing it safe in the face of slowing sales growth and expectations that the Covid bounce is running out of steam. The picture changes, though, when it comes to the smaller, independent watch brands that are seeing a sustained growth in attention as a new generation of buyers seek out a level of individuality and character that more established brands can’t risk, a trend that major retailers such as Watches of Switzerland have started to notice. Here, the premium is on creativity pure and simple, and Geneva 2024 didn’t disappoint.
