Watches and Wonders Geneva 2026 is now open
The official inauguration of Watches and Wonders Geneva 2026 took place on Tuesday, April 14 at 11.30am in the Palexpo auditorium, in the presence of political authorities from the City and Canton of Geneva, representatives of the economic community, and executives from the 65 exhibiting brands.
Nearly 300 guests – including Geneva authorities, official representatives, international journalists, partners, and service providers involved in staging the event – attended the ceremony marking the launch of the 2026 edition.
Cyrille Vigneron, President of Watches and Wonders, Geneva
The ceremony opened with an address by Cyrille Vigneron, President of Watches and Wonders Geneva Foundation (which was created in 2022), organizer of the event. He reaffirmed Geneva’s status as the world capital of watchmaking and highlighted the role of Watches and Wonders Geneva as a cultural actor, “a culture that needs to be nurtured, transmitted and transformed in order to keep it alive.” He added: “The Salon is as a platform that balances with competition and cooperation.”
State Councillor Nathalie Fontanet
The State Councillor, Nathalie Fontanet, in charge of the Department of Finance, Human Resources and External Affairs, used her address to highlight the event’s growing international reach and the strength of Geneva’s watchmaking ecosystem, which combines heritage, innovation and resilience in an uncertain global environment. “This unique concentration of skills, expertise and innovation constitutes an unrivalled advantage, recognized far beyond our borders,” she said. “Far more than just a showcase, it is a true hub for exchange, encounters and forward-thinking. It is here that tomorrow’s trends take shape, perspectives are shared, ideas are exchanged and ambitions are forged.”
A marching band at the inauguration at PALEXPO, Geneve
The ceremony concluded with a ribbon-cutting, bringing together on-stage public authorities and executives from the 65 brands participating in this new edition.
The ceremony on Day 1
Distinguished Guests Present included: Ana Roch, President of the Parliement of the Canton of Geneva, Helene Budliger Artieda,State Secretary, State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), Alfonso Gomez, Mayor of the City of Geneva, Marjorie De Chastonay, Executive Council Member of the City of Geneva Laurent Jimaja, Mayor of the municipality of Grand- Saconnex, Michel Pomatto, Executive Council Member of the municipality of Grand-Saconnex Valerie Tissot-Buchoux, Executive Council Member of the municipality of Grand-Saconnex Carole Studer, President of the municipal Council of Grand-Saconnex, Philippe Richard, Secretary General of the Department of Economy, Innovation, Employment and Heritage (Vaud) François Longchamp, Chairman of Palexpo, Claude Membrez, CEO of Palexpo, Matthieu Humair, CEO of the Watches and Wonders Geneva Foundation, Members of the board of the Watches and Wonders Geneva Foundation, Members of the Exhibiting Committee of Watches and Wonders Geneva CEOs of the 65 Exhibiting Brands.
Members of the audience at WWG 2026
Exhibiting Brands
A. LANGE & SÖHNE | ALPINA | ANGELUS | ARMIN STROM | ARNOLD & SON | ARTYA GENEVE | AUDEMARS PIGUET | BAUME & MERCIER | BEHRENS | BIANCHET | BREMONT | B.R.M CHRONOGRAPHES | BVLGARI | CARTIER | CHANEL | CHARLES GIRARDIER | CHARRIOL | CHOPARD | CHRISTIAAN VAN DER KLAAUW | CHRONOSWISS | CORUM | CREDOR | CYRUS GENÈVE | CZAPEK & CIE | EBERHARD & CO. | FAVRE LEUBA | FERDINAND BERTHOUD | FREDERIQUE CONSTANT | GENUS | GERALD CHARLES | GRAND SEIKO | GRÖNEFELD | HAUTLENCE | HERMÈS | H. MOSER & CIE. | HUBLOT | IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN | JAEGER-LECOULTRE | KROSS STUDIO | LAURENT FERRIER | L'EPEE 1839 | LOUIS MOINET | MARCH LA.B | NOMOS GLASHÜTTE | NORQAIN | ORIS | PANERAI | PARMIGIANI FLEURIER | PATEK PHILIPPE | PEQUIGNET | PIAGET | RAYMOND WEIL | RESSENCE | ROGER DUBUIS | ROLEX | RUDIS SYLVA | SINN SPEZIALUHREN | TAG HEUER | TRILOBE | TUDOR | U-BOAT | ULYSSE NARDIN | VACHERON CONSTANTIN | VAN CLEEF & ARPELS | ZENITH |
