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LAS VEGAS - NOVEMBER 11: Traffic passes by the famous sign welcoming motorists on the south end of the Las Vegas Strip November 11, 2005 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino is in the background. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) Getty Images For watch lovers around the world, the continued growth of watch exhibitions globally is like the opening of a candy store around the corner from their house. The most recent example revolves around Las Vegas, where each of the major jewelry trade shows there, Couture held at the Wynn and JCK and its sister show Luxury held at the Venetian, have announced new watch-specific exhibition space for the May/June 2026 events. It's a new move that actually isn’t so new at all. It recalls the early days of grassroots level watch exhibitions dating back to the 1970's and '80’s in America. In the 1980s, regional and local watch shows flourished across the United States and beyond. In America alone in the 1980’s, industry execs gathered in hotel ballrooms and suites for exhibitions in midtown Manhattan, in the suburbs of Phoenix and in other cities where it strategically made sense. The three public days of Watches & Wonders Geneva 2024 are filled with panel discussions, key note speakers and special exhibitions. Watches & Wonders Over the years, the regional shows grew, morphed and changed. International events like Baselworld, the Hong Kong Watch and Jewelry Fair, and later Geneva’s first show, SIHH, which is now Watches & Wonders Geneva became the dominant events. Somehow, by the 2000’s, watch exhibitions had become way larger in scope – more international and often combined with jewelry shows. In addition to the Hong Kong and Swiss shows, there were events in Germany, Italy (Vicenza) and America, with the largest USA show being the New York Jewelers of America Show. That is, until the Couture show (first held in Scottsdale, AZ, and subsequently in Vegas) and the JCK show, held in Vegas, burst onto the scene like gangbusters. MORE FOR YOU Now, the pendulum is swinging – not away from the large international shows, but toward the addition of a new generation of watch fairs on local and grassroots levels again -- signaling a global watch show expansion. Expansion of Watch Exhibitions Globally And Why It Matters Because many of the shows were not open to the public at large, though, and as the watch collecting community grew, many off-shoot open-to-the-public exhibits have begun to spring up in the past decade or so. Among them: WatchTime New York, a 10-year-strong event open to collectors, Dubai Watch Week, an interactive forum open to the public, Geneva Watch Days, also open to the public, and more. WatchTime New York 2025 WatchTime New York Some of those shows have even spawned a generation of smaller shows and events that have morphed the main show into a specific city watch week. For instance, WatchTime New York gave birth to New York Watch Week, where other events steal the limelight (Indies night, WindUp watch fair, Red Bar collector meetups and individual brand events). Even in Geneva, a host of smaller shows in Geneva piggyback on Watches & Wonders. And just this week, The Watch Pages digital platform announced its role as an official sponsor of Timezones, a watch themed exhibit begin held at the Armani Hotel, Burj Khalifa in Dubai, concurrently with Dubai Watch Week. Both shows, held in November, will be open to the public (with registration) and will offer hands-on, immersive demonstrations, as well as showcasing new product. All of these shows underscore the importance of watches in today’s lifestyles and are indicators that watch collecting has become a cultural phenomenon that isn’t going away. Sure, show organizers are keen to jump on the watch bandwagon for obvious business reasons. Exhibitors pay for their space. But more importantly, astute brands recognize the venues as great ways to get closer to the end consumer and spread their individual messages. Las Vegas Shows, Couture, JCK Luxury Get New Watch Exhibition Space The announcement regarding new watch space at the industry-only American shows, Couture and JCK/Luxury, though, is intriguing for the US watch market. Sure, watch brands have had a presence over the years at these shows, but that presence seemed to be waning. Some exhibiting watch brands complained about lack of editorial presence at the shows to report on their new watches, not enough access to retail buyers and exhibition space set alongside brands that may not have as big a draw. As such, the two shows have been working to breathe new life into watch exhibitor space. Couture has announced a partnership with Time to Watches, a luxury watch show that runs concurrent with Watches & Wonders Geneva. By teaming with the Couture show, the premier luxury jewelry and watch show in America, the two expect to bring a curated selection of heritage and avant-garde independent brands and their innovative timepieces to the forefront. Similarly, the JCK and Luxury shows, held concurrently with the Couture show for years, will now also have a dedicated watch section. Called Timepieces at Luxury, the show already has a strong roster of brands that could appeal to mainstream retailers, including Accutron, Alpina, Bulova, Citizen, Frederique Constant, Movado, Shinola and more. Many of these brands have exhibited at the Couture Show by Emerald. It is unclear if they have left that show for this one, or if they will have a presence at both. Similarly, at the JCK show, the Clockwork area of highly affordable watch brands, will continue to exhibit. Both shows and their respective watch exhibition partners say they are still working on the addition of other innovative brands. What does this expansion of watch exhibition space in Vegas mean to the public and to retailers of watches? For the watch-loving public that can’t access these shows, it is somewhat of a tease. On the other hand, it is a good sign that watch brands and retailers are rejuvenating their stocks, increasing their presence and making stronger efforts to bring new product to the forefront. In the case of all of the other open-to-the-public shows beginning to crop up – even shows by retailers like the recent Watch Week Aspen– it’s another opportunity for the public to discover new brands, meet the execs and go hands-on with watches they might not otherwise have a chance to see all in one place. Editorial StandardsReprints & Permissions
