First London Watch Show opens

The inaugural London Watch Show opened its doors today at Freemasons’ Hall in Covent

Garden hosting many of the leading UK watch retailers.

The trade only show, features more than 50 exhibitors, including both home grown and international watch brands and watchmakers including numerous fashion brands such as Lulu Guinness, Versace, and Casio , as well as Accurist, 88 Rue du Rhone, Junghans, Bulova, Edox, Jog Gray, Michel Herbelin, Rodania, Timex and TW Steel.

The timing of the show has been chosen to follow international watch trade shows SIHH and BaselWorld, and a number of brands will be showcasing their latest product releases for the first time in the UK.

The event was opened by Patek Philippe UK managing director and director of the British School of Watchmaking Mark Hearn, who said that the growth of the UK watch industry meant that now was the ideal time to launch the UK’s first dedicated watch trade show.

The two-day event is expected to attract buyers from department stores such as Fenwick, John Lewis and Selfridges, online fashion retailers Asos and Amazon, as well jewellery retailers including Beaverbrooks, Fraser Hart, H Samuel, Ernest Jones, F Hinds and Goldsmiths.

The London Watch Show runs from July 2 to 3.