It's Official: Breitling Is Leaving Baselworld, and Rolex May Expand Into its Space at the Trade Show

Breitling is another notable exit; the brand takes up a sizable space at the show "The Summit platform, which has already been introduced, allows us to be flexible regarding where and when we inform our target groups about new brand developments and product launches We will continue to focus on this platform as it enables us to respond personally to customers, media representatives, sales partners, and collectors.

For this reason, we will not be exhibiting at Baselworld in 2020." Organizers announced in December 2018 that Baselworld and SIHH would start showing next to each other beginning in April 2020, but it seems like Kern may have already been planning Breitling's exit when he hosted its first Summit in London last October The brand event released new product to press, brand partners and included a group of celebrity brand ambassadors known as its "Squad" The idea is something that British watchmaker Bremont, has already been testing out with its townhouse events in London and New York, which it began when it pulled out of Baselworld in 2017.

While Kern says Breitling will decide at a later date whether to return to Baselworld in 2021, the industry has speculated whether Swatch Group would return to the fair, but insiders at the company say the message internally is an emphatical no Swatch Group hosted retailers at a separate event in Bienne in March and is planning a similar event called Time to Move for press next month, which will reportedly be a more in-depth experience than Baselworld can offer, including manufacture tours for each of its prestige brands: Harry Winston, Breguet, Jaquet Droz, Blancpain, Glashutte and Omega Michel Loris-Melikoff, managing director of Baselworld, is said to be trying to transform Baselworld into a more experiential show, but it may be too late. Source