Las Vegas plays home to the Couture, JCK and Luxury Shows.
For watch lovers around the world, the surge in watch exhibitions feels like a candy store opening around the corner. The latest and perhaps most significant development is happening in Las Vegas, where each of the city’s major jewelry trade shows — Couture at the Wynn and JCK and its sister show Luxury at the Venetian — have announced new, dedicated watch exhibition space for their May/June 2026 events.
It’s a bold and forward-thinking move, though not an entirely new idea. In fact, it harkens back to the 1970s and ’80s, when regional and local watch exhibitions flourished across the United States. During that era, brand executives gathered in hotel suites and ballrooms from midtown Manhattan to Phoenix to showcase their latest creations to retailers and press. Those grassroots events eventually gave way to the large international fairs — Baselworld, the Hong Kong Watch & Jewelry Fair, and Geneva’s SIHH (now Watches & Wonders) — that came to define the modern watch calendar.
Frederique Constant Classic Worldtimer Manufacture. T he brand is exhibiting at the Luxury Show in 2026. .
Now, the pendulum appears to be swinging again — not away from the big European fairs, but toward a new generation of more accessible and regionally focused exhibitions. The addition of significant watch presence in Las Vegas suggests a reawakening of the American watch show scene, with organizers recognizing the growing appetite for curated, community-oriented experiences.
The Couture show, long established as the premier luxury jewelry and watch event in America, has announced a partnership with Time to Watches, the Geneva-based exhibition that runs concurrently with Watches & Wonders. The collaboration will bring a curated selection of heritage and avant-garde independent watch brands — the same kind of creative mix that defines Geneva’s watch week — to the Wynn Las Vegas. This move not only elevates the horological offering at Couture but also underscores how intertwined watches and jewelry have become. Many of the finest watchmakers are also the greatest jewelry houses, and Couture’s environment provides the ideal stage for both.
The Couture Show takes place at Wynn Las Vegas.
Meanwhile, the JCK and Luxury shows — held concurrently with Couture — are also doubling down on timepieces. They have announced the launch of Timepieces at Luxury, a new dedicated section designed to highlight brands with strong retail appeal, including Accutron, Alpina, Bulova, Citizen, Frederique Constant, Movado, Shinola, and more. Many of these brands have exhibited at Couture in the past, and it remains to be seen whether they will now show at both or focus their presence on the Venetian events. In addition, JCK’s Clockwork area will continue to feature highly affordable watch brands, ensuring that the full spectrum of the industry — from accessible to aspirational — will be represented under the Vegas spotlight.
The expansion of watch exhibition space in Las Vegas holds meaningful implications for both retailers and the broader American watch landscape. For years, some brands have voiced frustration about limited visibility and inconsistent editorial coverage at U.S. trade shows, as well as challenges in reaching key retail buyers. The reconfiguration of watch space within Couture and JCK/Luxury suggests that organizers are responding to those concerns, aiming to reenergize the category and strengthen its presence within the jewelry trade ecosystem.
For retailers, the renewed emphasis on watches at these high-profile shows signals opportunity — a chance to reconnect with brands, see new product firsthand, and explore potential new partnerships. For watch brands, it’s an opening to engage a concentrated group of professional buyers in one of the most influential retail markets in the world.
While the Las Vegas events remain industry-only, their influence will inevitably ripple outward. A stronger watch presence at the American trade level means more visibility, greater investment, and renewed excitement that will filter down to consumers. In the broader picture, this resurgence of U.S.-based exhibitions mirrors a global trend: watch brands seeking more touchpoints — not fewer — to connect meaningfully with audiences.
Las Vegas, with its dynamic mix of luxury, entertainment, and commerce, is perfectly positioned to become the next major hub in that evolving landscape. As watch shows worldwide continue to grow, the city that has long defined spectacle is now adding a new kind of shine — one measured in the steady rhythm of ticking seconds and the gleam of polished cases under the desert lights.
(Portions of this article by Roberta Naas first appeared on Forbes.com)
