Watches & Wonders announces new digital watch community

Cartier watch — Cartier and Hermès are just two of the brands that would have been present in physical form at this year's Watches & Wonders, but are instead being presented digitally. Left, the Cartier Maillon de Cartier in 18k yellow gold. Right, the Hermès Slim d'Hermes in rose goldCartier and Hermès are just two of the brands that would have been present in physical form at this year's Watches & Wonders, but are instead being presented digitally. Left, the Cartier Maillon de Cartier in 18k yellow gold. Right, the Hermès Slim d'Hermes in rose gold (Image credit: Watches & Wonders)

Due to begin today, Watches & Wonders (formerly SIHH) was sensibly postponed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, the prestigious watch fair is set to mark its 30th anniversary online with the creation of a new digital watch community. A highlight of the horological calendar, we can still look forward to their unveiling of the annual releases of new watches from brands including Hermès, Cartier, Piaget and Montblanc, as well as a host of independents.

The Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie – the private foundation that organises Watches & Wonders – is behind the launch. The format of the site – with each brand hosting its own dedicated page featuring video content, social media snippets and expert knowledge – encourages communication and a closer relationship with global clients.

The new digital platform will unite its 30 brands under the umbrella of watchesandwonders.com, as well as connecting specialist retailers, the media and loyal watch enthusiasts who will swiftly be able to access information on new watch releases. The site, which the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie terms a ‘global ecosystem’, will be rich in content, as they work with their Cultural Council to add trend forecasts, product analysis and ongoing talks from the design and business teams. To mark the opening day, executives from the 30 brands will be introducing their new watches with ten minute streaming videos, set to permanently remain on the site.

Long term, watchesandwonders.com will continue to be updated with new content: in the future, too, we can also expect e-commerce, making this a savvy and permanent companion to the physical event on course to return in April next year.

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Hannah Silver is a writer and editor with over 20 years of experience in journalism, spanning national newspapers and independent magazines. Currently Art, Culture, Watches & Jewellery Editor of Wallpaper*, she has overseen offbeat art trends and conducted in-depth profiles for print and digital, as well as writing and commissioning extensively across the worlds of culture and luxury since joining in 2019.