Watches Return To The Vegas Shows, But Did The Organizers Get It Right?

The short is yes and no. The good news is that all three of the Las Vegas shows (Luxury by JCK, JCK, Couture) made a genuine effort to bring watch brands back in a meaningful way. The equally important question, though, is if those brands received the visibility and traffic they needed to justify the investment.

For several years now—arguably since the pandemic—watch brands have been slowly drifting away from the major Las Vegas jewelry shows. Some pulled back because of changing retail strategies, others because of tighter budgets, evolving global show calendars, or a simple reassessment of where they were getting the best return on investment. Additionally, many brands felt that ROI just didn’t exist at the retail-only Las Vegas shows.

This year, however, was a little different. For the first time in a long time, the major Las Vegas jewelry events—JCK, Luxury by JCK and Couture—appeared to be making a serious effort to bring watch brands back in a bigger way. One might even call it the Vegas watch wars, as each show sought to remind retailers and attendees that timepieces still deserve a meaningful place in the conversation.

Announcements began flowing early in the spring. Luxury by JCK revealed an expanded timepiece presence, announcing that more than a dozen brands would participate. Among them: Citizen, Bulova, Accutron, Frederique Constant, Movado and G-Shock, with additional names joining once the larger JCK show opened, including Praesidus, the Fossil Group, Vostok, D1 Milano and others. Additionally, the show partnered with the FHH, Red Bar and WatchPro, which held their annual Power List event.

Meanwhile, over at Couture, an interesting partnership emerged. The independent collective Time to Watches—typically associated with Geneva during Watches and Wonders—announced that roughly a dozen of its participating brands would exhibit within Couture. The lineup included names such as Nivada Grenchen, Ikepod, Dennison, Tutima, Favre Leuba, Zannetti, U-Boat, and others eager to test the Las Vegas waters.  A few “regulars” like Bell & Ross, Wolf and Swarovski also returned to their large villa and main-floor spaces.

On paper, it sounded promising, Frankly, I was excited. After watching timepieces steadily lose visibility in Vegas over the years, I wanted to see whether the shows had finally figured out how to reintegrate watches successfully—and, more importantly, whether retailers would follow.

So now, we take a look at what worked, and what still needs work.  First and foremost the shows brought watch brands back in the conversation.

That alone matters. Retailers increasingly understand that watches can diversify their business, bring in new clientele and help create repeat customer engagement. Seeing brands recommit to Vegas is an encouraging sign for an industry that once relied heavily on these shows as an important annual touchpoint.

Even though some brands exited Couture in favor of Luxury and JCK this year, new brands showcased at Luxury. It was an important move for both shows to entice brands and lure them back. Additionally, I love the commitment by the show organizers not just  to reel in the brands, but also industry organizations. Luxury by JCK did an exceptional job to this thanks to its partnerships with the industry associations for cocktail parties and events. It also boasted a larger-brand line up.

Yet despite all of the progress, some of the challenges that have historically limited watch participation in Las Vegas remain unsolved.

Perhaps in an effort to spotlight their watch offerings, each created designated “timepiece” sections or corridors. The problem? Those corridors were consistently positioned at the far edges of the show floors. This was a discussion most of the watch brands had with me: perhaps that placement wasn’t the best strategy.

These are jewelry shows. If organizers truly want to give watch brands visibility, then watches need to be integrated into the heart of the action—not hidden at the end of a hallway where attendees have to intentionally seek them out.

Put the brands front and center. Place them where every retailer naturally walks. Let buyers stumble across a watch brand and think: Maybe we should consider adding timepieces to the mix.

Because the reality is simple: if a retailer isn’t already planning to buy watches, they’re unlikely to trek to the outermost corners of a convention hall searching for them.

That, to me, remains one of the biggest opportunities for improvement.

In short, there were some practical issues about locations.

At Couture, the Time to Watches exhibitors occupied Row 900. The problem was that, depending on where you entered the show floor, Row 900 essentially appeared not to exist. The numbering seemed to stop at Row 800, forcing visitors to turn left, walk a distance and then turn again to discover the watch area tucked away almost as an afterthought. Even knowing the watches were there, I still spent several minutes trying to find them.

At Luxury by JCK, the dedicated timepiece section sat at the far end of a hallway, with signage that was minimal on that side. If one looked down the hallway from the jewelry ballrooms, only the largest names—Citizen, Bulova and Accutron—stood out through oversized branding on their booths.

To be fair, both Couture and Luxury/JCK clearly invested significant energy into rebuilding their watch presence this year, and that effort alone deserves recognition. The question now is how to build on that momentum and create an even stronger environment for participating brands.

Luxury by JCK says that next year it is moving the Timepiece brands to the third floor of the Venetian ballrooms, instead of the first floor. The organizers say the new space will boast an experiential area for brands to host activities and have a dedicated wine lounge in an effort to showcase the watches as a show within a show. Still — it is planning to separate it from the main floor. Is that the right solution or is it further isolation?

While this may sound overly critical, the criticism comes from a good place. I want to see the shows bring more watch brands on board. I want to see the watch brands and the retailers happy. It is great business for everyone.

These shows matter. And if organizers genuinely want watch brands to return year after year, they need to make the experience work for them. That means better placement, stronger traffic flow, clearer signage and greater prominence.

I spoke with a number of participating brands, and most said they were willing to give Vegas another try next year. This was especially true over at the Luxury and JCK shows where there seemed to be a buzz about being there and having events in the evening to attend that were watch related.  At Couture, the Time To Watches brands seemed likewise happy with the company they were keeping — all independent brands with something to talk about.

My hope is that, by next year,  the watches will be easier to find, more thoughtfully integrated and far more front-and-center in the overall show experience.

Despite the shortcomings, several brands stood out in meaningful ways—proof that watches still deserve a bigger stage in Las Vegas. We’ll take a closer look at some of the most noteworthy brands and launches in a separate report coming soon.