A new year dawns and there’s a lot to be excited about in 2024 as a watch enthusiast. But what specifically should you be looking forward to? Well, there’s a full calendar of high-profile auctions, watch fairs, showcases and more on the way. In fact, to help you out, here is a calendar of the important watch events you should be aware of in 2024.
LVMH Watch Week, January 29th – 31st
Kicking off the year will be LVMH Watch Week at the end of January. LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessey) is one of the largest luxury goods groups in the world and their watch week highlights the high-end watchmaking brands in their stable – specifically Bulgari, Hublot, Tag Heuer and Zenith. Last year’s Watch Week saw a fleet of releases from all four brands including the Tag Heuer Monza and Zenith Defy Skyline Small Seconds. They also held a showcase in Singapore, a burgeoning market in the watch industry. It’s not long now until we discover what LVMH has in store for 2024.
More details at LVMH.
Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives, February 6th
A new initiative being run by Louis Vuitton is the Watch Prize for Independent Creatives, an award designed to promote and celebrate independent watchmaking. The winner of this new award is set to be announced on February 6th, with the winner being rewarded with a mentorship program at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, the brand’s watch manufacture. Supporting independents is of course important and the award will help to build visibility for these watchmakers, although it’s also hard not to be cynical and think LVMH is looking for new talent for themselves.
More details at Louis Vuitton.
London Watch Fair, February 11th
The London Watch Fair is set to take place near Heathrow on February 11th. The event sees watch dealers from across the UK, America, Europe come together to buy and sell a huge range of pre-owned, vintage and modern watches across all price points. Open to the public as well, it’s a great place to browse and buy watches at great prices.
More details at Eventbrite.
Inhorgenta, February 16th – 19th
Inhorgenta has been operating one of the most comprehensive luxury trade shows since 1973 covering wristwatches, jewellery, gems and more. Taking place in Munich this February it offers the opportunity to attend exhibitions, world class watch talks, live watchmaking with plenty of German brands in attendance like Mühle Glashütte, Junghans, Tutima Glashütte as well as a range of French, Swiss, Japanese and brands from across the globe.
More details at Inhorgenta.
Oracle Time 100th Issue, March 1st
It’s a big year for Oracle Time as we celebrate our 100th issue and a decade as one of the UK’s leading wristwatch and luxury lifestyle publications. We have a series of events and announcements planned to coincide with this significant landmark but for now, jot it down in your calendar and keep an eye out.
District Time, March 2nd – 3rd
District Time is otherwise known as the DC Watch Show, taking place as the District Architecture Centre in Washington D.C. Like many watch shows, it offers a chance for collectors and enthusiasts to meet a broad range of brands such as Delma, Formex, Vario and many more. Interestingly, there are also lots of up and coming brands in attendance such as Bremoir.
More details at District Time.
British Alliance of Watch and Clock Makers: British Watchmakers’ Day, March 9th
The British Watchmakers’ Day is a brand new event being hosted by the British Alliance of Watch and Clock Makers on March 9th at Lindley Hall (Royal Horticultural Halls) in Westminster. The event offers you the chance to meet the watchmakers and people behind your favourite British brands, with over 30 brands in attendance. Plus, attending the event will give you the chance to buy event exclusive timepieces that will only be available there.
More details at British Watch and Clock Makers.
Watches and Wonders, April 9th-15th
One of the most significant watch events of the year is Watches and Wonders, the premier wristwatch showcase. This is when the majority of the world’s luxury watch brands will descend on Geneva to announce their flagship collections of the year. While part of the event is reserved for press and retailers, this year the show will be open to the public for three days. If you want to get up close with the latest from Rolex, Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, Grand Seiko and 50 or so other major brands, head to Geneva in April.
More details at Watches and Wonders.
Time to Watches, April 10th – 14th
While Watches and Wonders takes place at the Palexpo in Geneva, take a walk into the city and you’ll discover a separate event running at the same time, Time to Watches. Time to Watches features a wide variety of exhibiting brands that range from the innovative refinement of Carl Suchy & Söhne to the cool retro vibes of Lebois & Co. and Airain, as well as the modern designs of brands like Behrens.
More details at Time to Watches.
The Geneva Watch Auction, May 11th – 12th
Wristwatch auctions happen throughout the year so if you want to stay up to date, check out our regularly updated Auction Calendar (at time of writing due to be updated in March 2024 to coincide with the spring auctions). However, to highlight one significant auction happening this year, Phillips are holding The Geneva Watch Auction XIX on the 11th – 12th of May, the 19th edition of their flagship watch sale.
More details at Phillips.
Oracle Time Watch Awards Begin, August 15th
In 2024 we are hosting our third annual Watch Awards event. Last year it was great to see so many of you engage with the shortlisting and voting stages of the awards to make it a truly community focussed event and we want to replicate that again in 2024. This is an event where you get to have your say on the best watches of the year and have a real influence on the results of who wins across multiple categories. Look out for news in the summer about how to take part this year.
Geneva Watch Days, August – September TBC
Geneva Watch Days has yet to announce its official dates for 2024, however tradition based on the last few years would place it in the last week of August or the first week of September. Geneva Watch Days is a multi-brand show operated independently that features exhibitions from around 40 watch brands. This is where the majority of brands in attendance will announce their summer releases.
More details at Geneva Watch Days.
Windup Watch Fair NYC, October TBC
The Windup Watch Fair is a consumer focussed event in America that sees brands and collectors come together to talk watches and discover the latest collections. While official dates are yet to be confirmed the New York show typically falls in October with other Windup events taking place in San Francisco and Chicago earlier in the year around April and July.
More details at Windup Watch Fair.
Watch & Match Geneva, November 9th – 10th
Watch & Match is an initiative being run by the same minds behind Time to Watches. It’s a pop-up event where you can meet the creators and minds behind the timepieces and buy them at the same time. You can expect a similar group of brands to Time to Watches with the addition names such as Louis Erard, Artya and Minase.
More details at Watch & Match.
Only Watch 2023, November (Maybe)
If you haven’t heard, one of the most famous and exciting charity watch auctions of the year that was supposed to take place last year has been postponed until 2024. As of yet no official date has been confirmed for the rescheduled event but historically the auction has always taken place in the autumn. The postponement comes after some serious questions about mismanagement but hopefully after a year of rebuilding, this fun event will be back in full force.
Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, November TBC
Often described as the Oscars of the watch world, the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) is the most prestigious awards show in the industry. Watch brands compete across a fleet of categories such as Complication, Tourbillon, Chronograph, horological revelation and more. Prominent winners from 2023 include the Audemars Piguet Code 11.59, Voutilainen World Timer, Tudor Pelagos 39 and Christopher Ward C1 Bel Canto. Who will walk away with the big prize in 2024?
More details at GPHG.
Oracle Time Watch Awards Results, December 1st
As has become tradition, the results of the Oracle Time Watch Awards will be announced in the December edition of Oracle Time. It makes for one of our favourite issues of the year, seeing the watches you care about celebrated in our luxurious print pages. Plus, the winner of the Reader’s Choice / Best Watch of 2024 will have the honour of gracing our cover, so start taking note of the watches you’d like to see on the front page.
Check out the results from last year here.
