Baselworld Celebrates Success of 2014 Fair

Today in Switzerland, the 2014 edition of Baselworld came to a close. The annual watch fair brought together 150,000 attendees, from our favorite manufactures to buyers, journalists and visitors.

During the eight-day fair, around 1,500 exhibitors showcased their new novelties. According to Baselworld’s organizers, the fair generates an income of around 2.4 billion Swiss francs a year and thereby approximately 13,000 jobs. Baselworld also has a wider economic impact, as 95% of the Swiss watch industry staged exhibitions at Baselworld.

Jacques J. Duchêne, President of the Exhibitors’ Committee, commented, “We are extremely satisfied with this year’s Baselworld. The exhibitors made a very good turnover and were positive about the media exposure that has aroused interest in the Baselworld 2014 event. Baselworld is and remains the unmissable show for the watch and jewellery industry.”

The heads of the industry’s top manufactures clearly agree. Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, Co-President of Chopard, called Baselworld “the Rendezvous” of the industry. Thierry Stern, CEO of Patek Philippe, commented, “We have been present in Basel since 1931, as it is the most important platform for meeting all of our retailers and an excellent platform for our media partners. This year, we received more than 1,000 journalists in a few days.”

The fair was not only an opportunity for manufactures to exhibit their creations, but also to sell them. TAG Heuer CEO Stephane Linder said, “Another excellent year! Sales are in line with our objectives, which were very ambitious. In terms of volume we have already exceeded our 2013 sales at Baselworld by +50%!”

To catch up on all this year’s unveilings, be sure to visit Haute Time’s Baselworld section!

Photos courtesy Baselworld.