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AI generated summary, newsroom reviewed
Watches and Wonders Geneva has confirmed that four premier brands will participate in the fair for the first time in 2027: Breitling's House of Brands, featuring Breitling, Gallet, and Universal Genève, alongside the Italian jeweller Damiani. Each of the four has sat outside Geneva's biggest watchmaking stage for its own reasons.
Breitling, founded in Saint-Imier in 1884 by Léon Breitling, had not shown at a Swiss trade fair of this scale since Baselworld in April 2019, instead choosing its own event. Damiani has so far appeared only at the considerably smaller Haute Jewels Geneva. Both arrivals, alongside two recently revived heritage names, add up to the fair's biggest exhibitor news in years.
Breitling's parent group will bring its two other Swiss brands, Gallet and Universal Genève, acquired in 2025 and 2023, respectively, to the Geneva showcase. Universal Genève, founded separately and acquired by Breitling in 2023, and Gallet, added to the group in 2025, are both stepping onto Geneva's largest watchmaking stage under the same roof for the first time. With this arrival, Swatch Group becomes the only major Swiss watchmaking conglomerate still absent from the fair.
Damiani's debut runs on a separate track entirely. The Italian house has long offered jewellery watches, but its arrival at Watches and Wonders raises real questions about the synergies behind the move, particularly given the timing. Damiani is currently finalising the acquisition of Baume & Mercier from Richemont, a deal expected to close in the summer of 2026, positioning the jeweller as a genuine watchmaking player rather than a name borrowing credibility from the category.
Professional days at the 2027 edition will run Monday, April 5, through Friday, April 9, with the fair open to the public from Friday to Sunday, April 11, a shift from the traditional Tuesday start.