New earthquake in the land of watchmaking: after the Swiss made industry has stopped due to the epidemic of Coronavirus, here is the most powerful watch brands on the planet postpone the presentation of their new sine die.
Until then, the crown brand, its half-sister and the legendary Geneva house with two P remained loyal to the Basel fair, Baselworld, to unveil their novelties of the year. A fair supposed to be held this year at the end of April, much later than usual. But the pandemic has passed there, and no living room has survived. However, the three emblematic brands still planned to unveil their 2020 watchmaking vintage in late April.
Read our article "Rolex, Patek Philippe, Hublot ... In Switzerland, time stands still"
This will ultimately not be the case, while the containment measures are extended throughout Europe. So, no news from Nautilus, Aquanaut, GMT-Master or Black Bay this year? If nothing official is confirmed by the brands, it could even, in fact, that no new model will be released before the next edition of the Basel show, now announced for January 2021. In a statement, Rolex and Tudor have in any case been clear: "Following the cancellation in March of Baselworld 2020 due to the spread of the COVID-19 virus, we announced the revelation of our new Rolex & Tudor creations at the end of the month April. Given the extremely difficult context which continues to affect the whole world, and in order to protect each of us by avoiding gatherings and individual meetings, we have decided to postpone this announcement to a later date which is not yet defined. (…) Our priority is to remain mobilized in order to provide help to those who need it in the best possible way. Our responsibility is to be with our partners and to support various organizations that are fighting against the COVID-19 epidemic. ”
A white year, and even 22 months without the presentation of new models, for the largest of the Swiss watch brands, including the most famous and powerful of all, Rolex? It just never happened, but probably isn't in a position to jeopardize the economy of these solid, profitable, and well-run family homes. While points of sale around the world are closed, and very often you have to go through a waiting list to buy the flagship models, this will undoubtedly only maintain the value and increase the rarity and desirability of the watches offered. Postponing the presentation of these new products to early 2021 may also give these big houses time to catch up with the production lag due to the closure of the workshops. In the meantime, for the first time in its long history, Patek Philippe has even authorized its resellers to sell their new timepieces online. Times are definitely changing ...