Launched in 2020 at the height of the pandemic, Geneva Watch Days was Jean-Christophe Babin’s radical answer to Baselworld’s collapse—part necessity, part rebellion. What began as an agile, open-air gathering putting independents in the spotlight has grown into the watch world’s own Milan Design Week. Hotels, boutiques, and lakeside galleries become stages, and the city itself transforms into a showcase for a traditional industry that needs to pivot in the face of challenging times.
Now in its fifth year, the roster has swelled. Alongside the founding brands, which include Bulgari, Breitling, and MB&F, big-brand newcomers like TAG Heuer shared the limelight with daring independents like Singer, Ulysse Nardin, Czapek, and microbrands, creating a melting pot of heritage and creative risk-taking. And it’s that last part that makes Geneva Watch Days the boldest watch fair on the calendar and a canvas for horology’s wildest instincts. Here are five watches that capture that spirit.