GENEVA: Geneva’s international expo of fine watches opened Wednesday with an online 2021 edition before shifting next week to Shanghai, where the coronavirus is under control.

The fair, one of the major annual gatherings for luxury watchmakers, was cancelled last year due to the pandemic but is going ahead virtually this year. The Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, now restyled as Watches and Wonders, includes major brands including Rolex, Patek Philippe and Cartier. The fine watchmaking fair will see brands present new products through online conferences and presentations. Emmanuel Perrin, interim president of the Foundation High Horology, which organises the event, said it was important for the watch industry to maintain the salon, calling it “our Fashion Week, our Davos”.

“It’s been a tough year economically, in terms of business, for the whole industry,” Perrin said in opening remarks, stressing that holding the expo online was “the right thing to do”. Expert debates streamed live on the platform will include discussions on the lasting consequences of the pandemic, the role of new materials and technology and the impact that blockchain could have on watchmaking.