Baselworld 2020 and the corona outbreak?

[Hazing]

With the Coronavirus outbreak, Baselworld 2020 has been postponed to (as of now) till January 28, 2021 and I am curious what’s going to be done in the mean time. I’d imagine that this entire coronavirus pandemic is a bell that can not be unrung. At least not within 9 months. I just can’t imagine a Basel in January either. With things the way they are, I’d bet Basel is essentially over as we know it,

These watch companies spend a lot of time developing new models they plan to release at Basel and Now that it’s cancelled, everything is just on hold (like everything else in the world).

So the question is... how and when do companies like Rolex, Patek, Panerai, and all the others announce and release their new models? I know the dealers are shut down so no one can sell anyway but just a thread where I thought I’d ask. I figure one of you lunatics has some 8nfo about what’s going on.

 

[muiramas]

I think these events are more for the press anyway. Sure, owners of the big AD’s get spoiled like bratty kids for a few days, but in terms of commerce BaselWorld is nothing like it used to be.

I think that new releases may be postponed until the situation improves. The luxury market is going to tank big time this year, there won’t be a demand for anything new - and i think no one wants a 10 year lifespan product that was launched in 2020.

The sooner this year is over the better.

 

[Hazing]

Yeah I just wonder because right now it’s schedule for Jan 28, 2021. I’m sure they’re going to cancel that too. At some point the makers are going to want to release their new lines. That is, if they’re even still open.

 

[muiramas]

I wouldn’t put too much on that date. They would have just put a provisional booking on the space.

But remember since Swatch pulled out of BaselWorld its been mostly irrelevant. Unless you’re a fan of high street stuff / Fossil.

Also I don’t think any manufacturer is in a rush to put new product into a market which is flatlined. They’ll wait.

If there’s a positive for rep world its that the factories can make better versions of existing lines. There is still no good BLNR (noob insert is still the wrong colour and the movement is crap), no good Yachtmaster and they got a lot of catching up to do with Panerai and AP.

 

[ebzen02]

All of 2020 has been postponed! They can just erase 2020 from the calendars.


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[muiramas]

All of 2020 has been postponed! They can just erase 2020 from the calendars.


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Yes. 2020 fucking sucks. Worst year ever.

 

[GhostRider83]

the real problem is another .... the world economy will need at least 4-5 years to recover, and consequently the whole world of luxury will restart very slowly (like other superfluous activities such as tourism) and new collections and projects will be set aside for better times or released very gradually because the portfolios will be empty for a long time .... mine does not want to be an apocalyptic warning but a concrete vision of what will await us from September onwards, that is an economic situation sunk as in a post-war period

 

[Hazing]

Oh, there’s no doubt about that. However, I think the economy will impact primarily to the lower class to the middle class (and maybe to lower-upper class) wealth holders. I don’t think the top 15% will be nearly as affected. Which are the primary buyer of luxury items I’d think.

And besides, even if people aren’t buying as many, I would think the major players are still introducing new products and producing new items. I mean we don’t expect Chevy, Toyota, or Jaguar to halt production or even development, do we? Sure, they might not reveal a new model at an auto show in Detroit attended by 50,000 people (or Tesla’s pickup truck reveal) but they are still going to make new models, redesign old ones, and continue to produce and sell. Even if sales are only a fraction of what they planned.

 

[muiramas]

Well both Rolex and Nissan have halted production this week. As for the top 15% or whatever - take a look at any product pyramid type chart - the top is held up by the bottom. There are those that are so rich it wont matter - but they aren’t going to be propping up the luxury goods industry by themselves.

 

[Azrail]

Yes. 2020 fucking sucks. Worst year ever.

Thats true. Now i should have been in south africa....but the sports event was canceled in feb.

 

[Hazing]

Well, Panerai releases are starting to leak.

They have a few Bronzo models releasing this year. Also a radiomir.

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[Hazing]

Patek canceled its 2020 releases stating they will not release any new models this year.

Which makes sense considering they can't make them anyway.

Rolex is probably going to follow suit very soon.

https://www.everestbands.com/blogs/bezel-barrel/is-rolex-cancelling-all-of-its-releases-for-2020



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