Swatch cancels Zurich watch event over coronavirus fears
The Swatch Drive-Thru Store at the company's new headquarters in Biel, Switzerland.
Keystone / Peter Klaunzer
Swatch Group has called off its “Time to Move” watch fair in Zurich, due to take place at the end of February, amid fears over the new coronavirus outbreak.
“Considering the uncertainty related to the 2019-nCoV Coronavirus outbreak, and in order to guarantee the welfare of our guests, partners, and colleagues, Swatch Group has decided not to hold the Time to Move event,” Swatch told the AWP news agency on Tuesday.
A presentation to suppliers was due to be held in Zurich from February 28 to March 2, followed by a press event from March 4-6.
The Biel/Bienne-based group said it wanted to “avoid partners having to make international flights during a period of insecurity”.
The World Health Organization (WHO) last week declared the flu-like virus a global emergency. It has spread from China to 23 other countries, with 20,636 confirmed cases and 427 deaths, mostly in China. The Philippines and Hong Kong have reported the first coronavirus death outside of China. No cases have been reported in Switzerland.
In 2018, Swatch Group announced that it would no longer attend the world’s largest watch and jewellery fair Baselworld and decided to organize its own event to present its products.
The Swiss watch manufacturer said on Tuesday that Swatch Group’s “Prestige” brands would still present their new models in regional events. “Prestige” includes brands such as Breguet, Harry Winston, Blancpain, Glashütte Original, Jaquet Droz, Léon Hatot and Omega.
Swisscom records over 200 million cyberattacks per month
This content was published on
Swiss state-owned telecommunications provider Swisscom has to defend against 200 million cyberattacks on its own infrastructure every month.
This content was published on
International Women's Rights Day saw some 4,800 demonstrators march in the Swiss cities of Lausanne and Geneva on Saturday.
Diversity and equality ‘under threat’: ex-Swiss minister
This content was published on
Dismantling diversity programmes is a backwards step for equality, warns former Swiss government minister Simonetta Sommaruga.
Swiss regulator fines US bank Citi over fat-finger crash
This content was published on
Citigroup fined CHF500,000 by Swiss stock exchange regulator after a fat-finger trade caused a 2022 flash crash in European stocks.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss citizens repatriated from Wuhan arrive in France
This content was published on
A plane carrying five Swiss nationals and three of their Chinese family members from Wuhan has arrived near Marseille in France.
Foreign demand remains high for luxury Swiss-made watches
This content was published on
Swiss watch manufacturers exported timepieces worth over CHF21 billion ($21.7 billion) last year – the industry’s third-best result ever.
This content was published on
Swiss watchmakers might have shrugged off the impact of protests in Hong Kong if it hadn't come at a time of industry transformation.
This content was published on
With the departure of its largest exhibitor from 2019, it’s yet another setback for the world’s largest watch and jewellery fair.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.