Everything that happened at Chronopolis 2026

Chronopolis 2026 was where the real action could be found at Geneva Watch Week

For more coverage from Watches & Wonders click here.

2026 saw the first-ever Chronopolis watch fair in Geneva, offering a refreshing change of pace for watch fans in town for this year’s Watches and Wonders. By comparison, after a full day inside Palexpo, stepping back out into Geneva can feel almost surreal. You have been immersed in watches and meetings for hours; your mouth has been turned to dust by complimentary coffee, and if you are anything like me, only a drink is going to bring you back to life.

Arriving at Chronopolis shifts that mood instantly. At Les Halles de l’Île, you are met not just with the warmth of the grand, window-lined hall, but also with the energy and enthusiasm of the brands bringing the fair to life. You couldn’t move for great watches, literally. The room was packed with eager collectors, industry journalists, content creators, and even a few familiar faces from the main fair brands, all leaning in for a closer look at the industry’s rising names.

It’s this maverick event style that the Time+Tide team gravitates towards. It’s where we can meet the emerging artisans in our industry and get hands-on with watches we’ve never seen before. Chronopolis and fairs like it are where our journey began, with many of the brands we stock at the Time+Tide Watch Discovery Studios in Melbourne, London, and New York.

Brands we’ve grown with, like AWAKE, Baltic, Beaubleu, Dennison, Echo/Neutra, Farer, Formex, Furlan Marri, Maen, Nivada Grenchen, Serica, and Studio Underd0g, were a pleasure to see thriving at the fair with some of the watches we champion every day. Some of our highlights included getting hands-on with the new Furlan Marri Meteorite Octa and the Baltic x SpaceOne collection that is coming soon.

Chronopolis provided the kind of space for discovery that drives our team to always look for what’s next and great in our industry. This enthusiasm boiled over in a head-to-head throwdown, with founder Andrew and our New York Studio’s very own Meighan battling it out to find the best in show.

First up was French brand Hegid, whose wickedly good talent for putting power in the people’s hands is showcased through the proprietary EVOL system, which allows users to swap the watch’s cases and straps to their heart’s content.

Arsene Lippens drew us all in with the execution of their fabric dials. The combination of textiles and watchmaking is a genuine novelty to take notice of. Why should your blazer be the only thing you wear made of fine Italian fabrics?

A highlight for the whole team was sitting with fan favourite Yema as we traded adoration for the dynamism of the brand’s tool watches on the iconic “scale” bracelets. Our Creative Director, Marcus, even had to throw down the camera rig when he saw Yema’s Wristmaster Slim Small Seconds CMM.29 Camo Special Edition, which was the behind-the-scenes team’s pick of the fair.

The massively successful week of Chronopolis ended with the least pretentious party Geneva may have ever seen. An erupting dancefloor spilt into a heaving crowd of the visiting watch industry’s best people, laughing under stars and imbibing in those drinks I mentioned earlier.

What set Chronopolis apart from any other watch convention was undoubtedly the people. There was something deeply heartening about seeing the brands we care about, brands that have worked so hard to build their crowds, now standing in Geneva with the world already gathered at their tables.

Until next time, see you in 2027!…Read more by Time+Tide