Watches & Wonders suspended... What will happen with Baselworld 2020?

[Rokoru]

Looks like we are not having the Baselworld fair this year... I can´t imagine they will not cancel the already under pressure of the fair this year...

[Pantheon]

With what's happening in Italy I can say it's a very good chance Basel is as good as cancelled

Even Japan is already making changes for the olympics

[Zakalwe]

Baselworld is an anachronism anyway and if it is cancelled that will probably help to prove the point. Rolex will market the release of their new watches online, which will generate exactly the same sort of buzz amongst watch aficionados and YouTube wannabes alike as it does every year and we’ll wonder what the point of Basel actually was.

[beshannon]

I believe it is highly likely it will be cancelled.

[travisb]

I see it happening too.
Will be interesting to see if the new models will just be put up on the website the day Basel was supposed to begin.

[77T]

Originally Posted by Zakalwe

Baselworld is an anachronism anyway and if it is cancelled that will probably help to prove the point. Rolex will market the release of their new watches online, which will generate exactly the same sort of buzz amongst watch aficionados and YouTube wannabes alike as it does every year and we’ll wonder what the point of Basel actually was.

Agree

Over 50 million eyeballs can see the new models on the website in a few minutes versus a few hundred eyeballs seeing them in person at Baselworld.

Rolex could do a global unveiling via a CDN web stream like any live sporting event. As much as we love seeing new Rolex models, I don’t think the WIS load will break the internet


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[AcTc]

Originally Posted by beshannon

I believe it is highly likely it will be cancelled.

Originally Posted by travisb

I see it happening too.
Will be interesting to see if the new models will just be put up on the website the day Basel was supposed to begin.

I agree as this seems likely

[beshannon]

Originally Posted by travisb

I see it happening too.
Will be interesting to see if the new models will just be put up on the website the day Basel was supposed to begin.

Since Rolex cannot deliver product when released, online images make perfect sense.

[travisb]

Originally Posted by beshannon

Since Rolex cannot deliver product when released, online images make perfect sense.

Downside of this would be not being able to see real life images of the watches.
Only computer generated mockups.
Might have to wait until an AD Basel event to actually see them.

[beshannon]

Originally Posted by travisb

Downside of this would be not being able to see real life images of the watches.
Only computer generated mockups.
Might have to wait until an AD Basel event to actually see them.

While I do not disagree the past years events have shown that even seeing watches means next to nothing when it is known that they wont be shipped for months at least.

The industry has created this situation, they need to figure a way out.

[brandrea]

I wouldn't be surprised given the circumstances.

I guess I'm the only one here who likes a good ole fashioned trade fair Basel is something that I always look forward to, especially Jocke's report.

[mykii]

Originally Posted by Rokoru

Looks like we are not having the Baselworld fair this year... I can´t imagine they will not cancel the already under pressure of the fair this year...

Might restrict visitors but host private screenings for VIPs/Media still, with the rest obviously going live online.

[djgallo]

It will be interesting to see the display venue.....can’t wait.....

[hassantg]

isn't it a couple of months away? I thought it was later this year...

[beshannon]

Originally Posted by hassantg

isn't it a couple of months away? I thought it was later this year...

The world’s premiere show for watches, jewellery, gems and related industries is open from April 30 – May 05, 2020.

Close enough to be making travel arrangements, or cancelling them

[037]

Rolex will likely send dummy watches to all the major blogs so I suspect we'll get plenty of photos even if Basel doesn't happen. That's my guess anyway.

[RationalPragmatist]

As Zakalwe said, it's an anachronism. A company like Rolex could make a much bigger splash by doing an event online from it's headquarters ala Apple and announce/show off the new watches.

[seasubmariner]

Originally Posted by Rokoru

Looks like we are not having the Baselworld fair this year... I can´t imagine they will not cancel the already under pressure of the fair this year...

Looks like it will be cancelled. We will wait and see. And, thats good and bad....

[Rokoru]

Originally Posted by travisb

Downside of this would be not being able to see real life images of the watches.
Only computer generated mockups.
Might have to wait until an AD Basel event to actually see them.

Good point...

[enjoythemusic]

Originally Posted by 77T

Over 50 million eyeballs can see the new models on the website in a few minutes versus a few hundred eyeballs seeing them in person at Baselworld.

Rolex could do a global unveiling via a CDN web stream like any live sporting event. As much as we love seeing new Rolex models...

Agreed, and imho Baselworld has been a HUGE disappointment for not doing live streaming. Sheeeet, i did live streaming of luxury high fidelity music system shows years ago.

I don’t think the WIS load will break the internet

Nope, yet years ago i nearly took down our entire town's servers / network due to being the first to report on Woodstock 1999 riots (pics and all) 'live' coverage long before any 'real news' media had the info.

[GradyPhilpott]

Originally Posted by travisb

Downside of this would be not being able to see real life images of the watches.
Only computer generated mockups.
Might have to wait until an AD Basel event to actually see them.

[Rrpdc]

Originally Posted by Zakalwe

Baselworld is an anachronism anyway and if it is cancelled that will probably help to prove the point. Rolex will market the release of their new watches online, which will generate exactly the same sort of buzz amongst watch aficionados and YouTube wannabes alike as it does every year and we’ll wonder what the point of Basel actually was.

+1.

[Nikrnic]

I heard it was cancelled a week ago but that was from an Omega AD saying it's mostly due to the Coronavirus. When i asked my Rolex AD after the same day he heard nothing official yet and doubted what i heard was true just saying the Swatch group pulled out.

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[fed_fan]

Originally Posted by Zakalwe

Baselworld is an anachronism anyway and if it is cancelled that will probably help to prove the point. Rolex will market the release of their new watches online, which will generate exactly the same sort of buzz amongst watch aficionados and YouTube wannabes alike as it does every year and we’ll wonder what the point of Basel actually was.

YouTube wannabes lol...not sure what's more insufferable the pre-Basel predictions or the post-Basel "analysis" if one would even call it that.