After the major defections from Baselworld that have already taken place over the past year and have been announced for next year (the Swatch Group will no longer participate in the show from 2019), comes now the news that for Richard Mille and Audemars Piguet, the next Sihh will be the last one in which they will participate. The decision to withdraw from the Geneva Salon is motivated for both brands by a strategic repositioning of their distribution. Richard Mille has opened several monobrand boutiques in recent years, drastically reducing the number of multibrand retailers in order to respond qualitatively to a constantly increasing demand. And Audemars Piguet has put customers at the centre of its corporate strategy, deciding to establish direct and personal relationships with watch enthusiasts around the world.
For its part, the Exhibitors' Committee, with the support of the Governing Board of the Fondation Haute Horlogerie, confirms its desire to pursue the objective of the Sihh to no longer be simply a trade fair for distribution, but rather a platform for communication, culture and experience for all professionals in the sector and end customers.
