Swatch Group decides to quit annual Baselworld trade fair from 2019

According to NZZ am Sonntag newspaper reported on July 29, Swiss watchmaker Swatch Group is quitting the annual Baselworld watch and jewellery trade fair, calling time on an event that has been a fixture of the luxury industry calendar for a century. Omega maker Swatch is the most important exhibitor at Baselworld, which traces its history back to 1917, but more and more brands are deserting the fair held every March, blaming high costs and insufficient returns. “The Swatch Group has decided not to be present at Baselworld from 2019,” the newspaper quoted Swatch chief executive Nick Hayek as saying.