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SIHH 2017 open house policy includes day for the general public

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May 2016


Open the flood gates. Next year’s Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie will include new brands and a day open to the general public.

The 2017 edition of the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie will take place from 16 to 20 January at Palexpo in the picturesque Swiss city of Geneva. But planning for the luxury watch and jewellery trade show is already well underway. Come next January, the event is expected to be bigger, better, and more accessible.

SIHH is definitely continuing its transformation, which started last year with the entirely renovated Cité de l’Horlogerie and the creation of a new format with the “Carré des Horlogers” – an area dedicated to artisan-creators and independent watchmakers.

SIHH 2017 open house policy includes day for the general public

For next year, two new Maisons will be participating in the Salon: Girard-Perregaux and Ulysse Nardin. For Girard-Perregaux, it’s a return back home of sorts. Before the brand was purchased by the Kering group in 2011, it was one of the cornerstones of the Salon, which has leaned heavily on Richemont brands. Similar story with Ulysse Nardin, the second newcomer which has been under the group since 2014.

As for the special Carré des Horlogers, it will welcome five new members: Grönefeld, Manufacture Contemporaine du Temps (MCT), Ressence, Romain Jerome and Speake-Marin.

Complementing the expansion with seven new brands in total, maybe the more important news is that next year’s edition will be open to the general public for one day. This is a first for the show, which has been held privately only for industry professionals and the media. The news comes soon after the Las Vegas based Luxury Suisse and World Watch Market opened it’s doors to the public too.

The new open door policy is an attempt by SIHH to stay more current by mirroring changes in the watch industry as a whole. With the latest additions to the 2017 show, there will be a better representation of historical brands and more daring contemporary brands. And by including the general public starting next year, the show will be able to reach a wider audience of watch enthusiasts.