The Insider's Guide to Watches and Wonders 2025
The watches, parties, and everything you need to know about the watch world's biggest trade show.
Good morning. In today’s newsletter:
A young watchmaker and HSNY award winner you should know.
Swatch Group CEO Nick Hayek goes off on international diplomacy, Rolex, and everything in between.
Behind the paywall: The Insider’s Guide to Watches and Wonders 2025
Two Things To Know
HSNY School Watch of the Year
Watchmaker Hudson Mickey won HSNY’s 2025 Willard Award for School Watches. Hudson recently graduated from Lititz Watch Technicum (which is sadly closing this spring). Last fall, I saw his school watch when he visited Chicago and stayed with me. Since then, he’s graduated from school, passed his exams, and moved to L.A. to work with Josh Shapiro.
Hudson’s just 19, but already has an impressive command of movement finishing techniques—his school watch shows perlage, anglage (bevels), satin-izing, Geneva striping, snailing, plating, and more. As is tradition with school watches, students must manufacture at least two bridges.
Speaking with Hudson, I could tell he’s clearly passionate and just getting started. Congrats to him and all of the HSNY scholarship winners!
I also talked to Hudson for this article:
Swatch Group CEO Nick Hayek Sounds Off on Rolex, MoonSwatch, and More
German newspaper Der Spiegel published a wide-ranging interview with Swatch Group CEO Nick Hayek. He explains Swatch Group’s approach of democratic luxury, comparing the MoonSwatch to the scarves and perfumes that brands like Chanel or Hermès use to hook consumers:
“If you want to be part of a brand's world, you have to build a relationship. Otherwise, the brand will distance itself from its millions of potential customers.”
But you can’t buy into most watch brands for 100 bucks. He then pivots to Swatch Group, offering this contrast to Rolex:
Hayek: We are often criticized for producing everything ourselves. And for retaining our people, even in times of crisis. Rolex just shut down the watch brand Carl F. Bucherer. Are they doing this because Rolex is so poor?
Spiegel: The brand wasn't particularly sought-after.
Hayek: You are responsible for developing your own appeal. That's not a gift from God. If you have a brand like Carl F. Bucherer, you have to invest and believe in success.
Swatch Group is also notably absent from Watches & Wonders. Here’s what Hayek says:
“We've said goodbye to those elitist trade fairs. These watch fairs, for which so much money is spent building palaces, used to be important when retailers were welcomed. Today, things are different. The end customer is the focus. The majority of our products are sold via e-commerce or our own stores. We don't have to attend trade fairs where everyone tries to prove they're the most beautiful.”
You might not agree with everything he says, but at least he’s saying something. Here’s an archive of the full interview (in German).
Speaking of Watches and Wonders, let’s get to today’s main event…
Inside the Watch World’s Biggest Trade Show
What Is Watches & Wonders?
Watches & Wonders is now the largest annual watch industry trade show, held at the Palexpo Convention Center outside Geneva from April 1–7. This year, 60 brands will exhibit, with hundreds more exhibiting at shows or other informal gatherings in what’s become “Geneva Watch Week.”
How Do You Attend Watches and Wonders?
The first four days are open to invited media and retailers. The last three are open to the public. You can buy a ticket ($80) or even a VIP experience ($600). A standard ticket might buy a fun time, but I wouldn’t expect to get hands-on with any watches.
As for media and retailers, I’m honestly not entirely sure how getting an invite works. I’ve attended twice in 2023 and 2024, so here’s what I know:
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