Rolex, Patek Philippe, Tudor, Chanel and Chopard Leave Baselworld

It was announced this morning that Rolex, Patek Philippe, Tudor, Chopard and Chanel will be leaving Baselworld. The brands will be teaming up with the group responsible for Watches & Wonders, Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (formerly known as SIHH), for a new expo in Geneva in early April of 2021. This new show will run congruent with Watches & Wonders at the Geneva Palexpo.

This atom bomb comes as no surprise to many, as the powerhouse brands Rolex, Tudor, and Patek recently announced that they would be postponing their 2020 releases to later this year or possibly even 2021. Shortly after launch dates were postponed, it was reported that Rolex executive Hubert du Plessix reached out to Baselworld management requesting refunds for all major brands set to show at the cancelled 2020 exhibition.