Preview: Key Watch Fairs for Late Summer and Autumn 2025

The latter half of the year traditionally marks one of the busiest periods in the horological calendar. After the relative quiet of summer, the global watch industry resumes its seasonal momentum with a sequence of fairs and curated events. These gatherings extend beyond product launches. They offer insights into evolving market preferences, independent creativity, and the geographical diversification of collecting cultures. The following overview outlines the major events confirmed for late summer and autumn 2025.

Watch Week Aspen: 7–10 August 2025

Watch Week Aspen, now in its fourth edition, continues to build its reputation as North America’s most refined regional event. Located in Colorado’s luxury mountain town, the fair combines outdoor culture with fine watchmaking in a format that appeals to both private collectors and boutique retailers.

Organised by Oliver Smith Jeweler alongside Meridian Jewelers and Betteridge, the event has attracted independent maisons and established manufactures alike. The confirmed participants include A. Lange & Söhne, Glashütte Original, Bremont, Arnold & Son, Norqain, Moritz Grossmann, and Gerald Charles. A curated collectors’ dinner and alpine test-wearing sessions are scheduled, underlining the experiential nature of the event.

Aspen’s high-net-worth demographic and scenic setting offer brands an opportunity to present timepieces in a more personal, informal environment than traditional trade shows, creating closer engagement between manufacture and client.

Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair: 2–6 September 2025

Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, this fair remains the largest B2B watch event in Asia. While not a traditional luxury showcase, it plays an essential role in global manufacturing, sourcing, and private-label coordination. The 2025 edition is set to host more than 700 exhibitors from over 15 countries and regions.

The Salon de TE section focuses on finished timepieces and includes exhibitors such as Memorigin, Kairos, Peacock Watch Company, and smaller Swiss firms seeking Asian market entry. Notably, the Watch & Clock Fair functions as a barometer for trends in affordable mechanical movements, digital hybrids, and fashion-led designs.

As the region continues to recover from earlier travel restrictions, attendance by buyers from Southeast Asia and the Middle East is expected to increase, restoring the fair’s status as a logistical hub in the global supply chain.

Geneva Watch Days and FHH “Watch Makers” Exhibition: 4–7 September 2025

Now in its sixth edition, Geneva Watch Days (GWD) is confirmed to return with over 40 participating brands, functioning as a decentralised show model. Brands host clients and journalists in lakeside suites, hotel salons, and private villas across the city. Participants for 2025 include Bulgari, Greubel Forsey, Czapek, H. Moser & Cie, MB&F, Urwerk, and Ulysse Nardin.

The event is endorsed by the Canton of Geneva and supported by Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH). Complementing GWD is the “Watch Makers” exhibition curated by the FHH and staged at Pont de la Machine. Open to the public and free of charge, the installation explores more than 40 traditional métiers, such as perlage, anglage, regulating, and casing-up.

Interactive stations allow visitors to engage directly with craft processes, reinforcing the pedagogical mission of Swiss watchmaking. This dual format — exclusive brand access coupled with public education — enhances Geneva’s role as both a commercial and cultural epicentre of horology.

After Time 2025 — Milano Watch Week: 3–6 October 2025

The 2025 edition of Milano Watch Week will concentrate solely on the After Time exhibition, shifting away from a traditional fair to a cross-disciplinary format. Held in architecturally significant venues such as the Rotonda del Pellegrini and Casa degli Artisti, the event favours design-led storytelling over direct commerce.

Independent and design-forward brands such as Serica, Baltic, Furlan Marri, M.A.D. Editions, and Oris are expected to return. Panels on the intersection of watch design and architecture, as well as roundtables on pricing transparency and sustainability in manufacturing, are planned.

With most participating brands positioned below €10,000, After Time 2025 appeals to a younger, culturally literate audience. Milan’s location within the European design axis lends credibility to this more curatorial approach. The event’s integration into the broader Milano Design Network signals a deeper alignment between contemporary object culture and horological craft.

Dubai Watch Week: 19–23 November 2025

Dubai Watch Week (DWW), organised biennially by Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons since 2015, has become a critical forum for both established manufactures and emergent voices within horology. The 2025 edition is set to feature more than 90 brands and institutions, including Rolex, Audemars Piguet, Grand Seiko, Chopard, Hublot, and independent watchmakers from the AHCI collective.

The event will again host the Horology Forum, a series of panel discussions featuring designers, watch historians, collectors, and artisans. Past editions have featured topics ranging from intellectual property in independent design to the cultural dimensions of collecting in the digital age.

Unlike traditional trade shows, DWW is fully open to the public, with curated installations, masterclasses, and collector clinics. Its emphasis on education, community, and transparency aligns with the broader effort to demystify watchmaking and expand its cultural footprint.