Trade show season is right around the corner for the luxury watch industry, as major brands from around the globe are scheduled to convene in Geneva in late March and early April 2022 for a newly reinvigorated schedule of physical and digital events. Although Watches and Wonders Geneva stands as the largest of these trade show events, Geneva and many other areas in Switzerland will play host to a variety of other industry-focused events and exhibitions. AHCI (or Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants) is the latest event to join this growing list, as the long-running association of independent and boutique watchmakers has announced it will hold an exhibition in Geneva for the first time. The AHCI Grand Exhibition of Watch and Clockmakers 2022 is currently scheduled for March 30 through April 5, 2022 at the L’iceBergues Exhibition Centre in Geneva.
AHCI has been a recurring presence in the watch trade show schedule since 1985, when it held its inaugural exhibition in Le Locle, Switzerland before moving to Baselworld in 1987. With in-person events returning in the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic and Baselworld currently absent from the watch industry event calendar, representatives of AHCI have decided to move the event to Geneva for 2022 and potentially beyond. AHCI’s Geneva calendar appears to be focused on relaxed in-person exhibits and conferences, with exhibiting brands drawn from the AHCI’s own members. The list of group members currently scheduled to exhibit at the AHCI Grand Exhibition of Watch and Clockmakers includes Konstantin Chaykin, Svend Andersen, David Candaux, Ludovic Ballouard, Vianney Halter, Raul Pages, Jean-Mikael Flaux, Daizo Makihara, Kari Voutilainen, Aaron Becsei, Felix Baumgartner, Miki Eleta, Alessandro Rigotto, Robert Bray, Florian Schumpf, Bernhard Lederer, Marco Lang, Stefan Kudoke, Sebastian Naeschke, Sebastien Billieres, Anton Suhanov, Sylvain Pinaud, and Machial Hulsman.
While the full extent of the AHCI Grand Exhibition of Watch and Clockmakers 2022’s exhibits and releases remains to be seen, the announcement of another major physical trade event in Geneva for 2022 is promising news for an industry and an enthusiast community still adapting to a post-COVID-19 event landscape. aBlogtoWatch will continue to report on this upcoming event as it develops, and will provide coverage of new releases unveiled at the event. For more information, please visit the event website.
