SALMANPK's insightful post challenges the conventional narrative surrounding major watch exhibitions like Watches and Wonders. He argues that focusing solely on established 'Horological Legacy Primes' overlooks a vibrant ecosystem of independent watchmakers and startups globally. This piece encourages readers to broaden their perspective beyond mainstream reports to truly understand emerging trends in global watchmaking.
In their recent excellent video discussing the Watches and Wonders 2026 both Tim Mosso and Jack Forster had an interesting discussion about how they didn't see any real innovation, things felt repetitive and prices overall have become too expensive.
The show took up so much of their time they couldn't deal with the logistics of visiting the other exhibitions taking place all over Geneva that showcased the Independents and "Microbrands" (a term I loathe, which I'll explain why later). They also talked about their nostalgia for Baselworld where all the brands big and small were all under one roof and of the fully comped SIHH.
The most interesting thing for me is that at the end they said they didn't see any trends emerging from this year's Watches and Wonders. Well Gentlemen if you couldn't visit the Beau-Rivage, Chronopolis at the Les Halles de l'Γle or the Masters of Horology then for sure you won't be able to discern any emerging trends.
The Morgan Stanley, Vontobel and Deloitte Annual Watch reports focus on just the Swiss Watch Industry. While an important source of watches in the world these reports provide only a small snapshot of the overall global watchmaking industry.
Over the past months the series of posts I've done on watchmaking in different parts of the world has given myself some insights on the overall trends in watchmaking today which I would like to share with you.
I would like to use US Defense Industry as an Analogy, in the 1990s there were over 60 Prime Contractor companies that had to consolidate over a 15 year period and the number eventually became 5. The over consolidation reminds me of what happened during the same period with Richemont, Swatch Group, LVMH, Rolex and Kering. This over consolidation gave too much power to these Horological Legacy Primes where they expanded production, rearranged the way watches were distributed and increased prices. However the problem with becoming too big is that you start to believe in your invincibility, get disconnected with your customers and lack the agility to respond to changing market conditions and trends.
This disconnect allowed the rise of Independent Watchmakers and Microbrands not just in Europe but across the World. The term Microbrands is highly derogatory in my opinion, they should be referred to as watchmaking startups or just startups.The Startups are in direct contact with their customers and nimble enough to respond to their needs and trends.
My posts do not cover the full ecosystem of Independents and Startups across the world but do give a flavor of the state of things currently. Most of these startups have been setup within the last 15 years with more starting up every month.
My understanding is that while Slowing demand in China and Tariffs have hurt the Legacy Primes, the rise of Independents, Startups, new Brands in China will continue to put pressure on them and we will see continued weakness as the focus will slowly shift away from them. This will hurt them and their watchmaking in everyway. Audemars Piguet's board realizes this shift and attempted to regain cultural relevance with their recent Swatch Collaboration. Time will tell if this will help them and whether the Swiss Watch Industry will be able to face reality and reform itself in time.
What do you all think? Agree or Disagree with my thoughts? Or do you have another perspective.
To conclude I will share my favorite watches and brands from each region of the World from my earlier series of Posts.
That Concludes the Series. Thank You for Reading and Your Appreciation ππ
Source: Steve Eisman "How Silicon Valley Took Over the Defense Industry with Peter Arment", Google Images.
Key Points from the Discussion
The post's comprehensive nature and extensive research are highly appreciated by the community, highlighting the significant effort involved in compiling such a global overview.
An additional independent watchmaker, Theo Auffret, is suggested for inclusion in the discussion of French watchmakers, indicating a community interest in expanding the scope of recognized independents.
A contributor questions whether some industry commentators might be limited by their reliance on social media data rather than broader market observation, suggesting a potential blind spot in trend analysis.
The community engages with the comprehensive list by humorously inquiring about other regions, demonstrating the post's success in sparking broad interest in global watchmaking.
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The Discussion
AE
aelred
Jun 5, 2026
Sometimes I'm not sure if they see beyond the data-harvesting of their social media app...
Or maybe that's my cynicism.
SA
SALMANPK
Jun 6, 2026
You have a valid point, there is a disconnect some where
GR
Gregineugene
Jun 5, 2026
That's a pretty comprehensive list you've put together SALMANPK...
...what about Middle Earth?
SA
SALMANPK
Jun 6, 2026
Thank You ππ, I hooked them up with The Ring
MI
Mike H
Jun 5, 2026
Great comprehensive post my friend πππ
Many thanks for gathering all this info you must have spent quite a long time to gather it π€¦ββοΈ so thank you for the workβ¦ I know it is still very niche but I would definitely ad Theo Auffret in your list of French watchmakers π I know you knowβ¦ www.watchprosite.com
SA
SALMANPK
Jun 6, 2026
Thank You Sir πππ, that is a Great Suggestion, I love his work and that of his mentor....
I asked Vianney Halter once "Which Watchmaker in your Opinion is non commercial and not in it for the money?" he replied "Jean Baptiste Viot". π
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