HISTORY OF BASELWORLD
Rolex GMT-Master II ref. 126710BLNR, launched at Baselworld 2019 / Credit: Petite Genève Petrović
As we’re sure many of you are aware, Baselworld has been struggling as of late. Thus, we thought it essential to highlight the history of Baselworld and discuss its significance to horology over the past century.
Baselworld (Baselworld, The Watch and Jewellery Show) got its start in 1917 as the Schweizer Mustermesse Basel; Tissot, Longines, and 27 other exhibitors represented the watch and jewelry industry at the first edition of the fair, and others like Zenith and Patek Philippe joined in 1923 and 1932, respectively. The first edition was especially important for Baselworld as Europe was still recovering from WWI, luckily it was a success and attendance continued to grow, culminating in 1931 when the fair was given its own pavilion, dubbed the ‘Swiss Watch Fair’. 1973 marked another important year for the fair, as it opened its doors to French, German, British, and Italian brands, eventually leading led to its full independence by 1984 as attendance had now soared. Many important watches and innovations were launched at Baselworld over the years, including: the Rolex Submariner, the Zenith El Primero, and the Heuer Caliber 11. Today the event hosts over 200,000 people every year!
Baselworld / Credit: MCH Messe Schweiz AG
Despite its contribution to horology, particularly the famous watches that have been launched at the event, Baselworld has fallen on hard times. As with any great empire, monopoly or otherwise, staying in power means learning to adapt and it seems as though Baselworld is having trouble doing just that. We must remember, however, how difficult it is to shift when you’re looking down from the top.
By: Andres Ibarguen