The global watchmaking industry will soon have its own annual day of celebration, as the inaugural World Watch Day was officially announced on the 7th of April at the Watches & Wonders salon in Geneva.
The initiative was unveiled during a dedicated panel focused on horology and its status as part of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The first edition of World Watch Day is set to take place on the 10th of October this year, a date chosen to reflect the traditional 10:10 display on watch dials. Organisers describe it as a “quiet symbol of balance, beauty, and joy in timekeeping.”
World Watch Day aims to celebrate the cultural, artistic and technical dimensions of watchmaking worldwide. The event will be streamed online, following time zones from East to West, and will feature contributions from media outlets, collectors’ clubs, associations and content creators across the globe. The celebration will encompass a broad range of themes, from craftsmanship and contemporary art to science, sport and economics.
A dedicated non-profit association has been established to coordinate the initiative. Its founding members include a range of respected organisations such as the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie, Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, Watch Library Foundation, Horopedia Foundation, Horological Society of New York, Europa Star, Le Figaro, Hantang Culture and Arc Horloger.
The new association describes the day as “an open, inclusive initiative” and encourages local and independent activities to join the worldwide celebration.
A preview webinar will be held on the 5th of May to introduce the goals and structure of the event. Registration is available at worldwatchday.org.
The initiative has received widespread support from its founding partners. Thierry Bailly of Arc Horloger called the day “a beautiful tribute to horological culture”. Europa Star’s Serge Maillard highlighted its accessible format, saying the day offers “an open-access celebration streamed around the globe”. Jessica Yu of Hantang Culture noted the symbolism of the 10:10 display and its connection to Eastern philosophy.
After decades of innovation and global admiration for the mechanical arts, the industry is now uniting to honour watchmaking annually—starting this October.
