Podcast Summary: The Real Time Show — Geneva Watch Days 2025 with Catherine Eberlé Episode Date: September 6, 2025

Episode Overview

In this engaging episode recorded live from Geneva Watch Days 2025, host Rob Nudds and guest interviewer Scarlett Baker sit down with Catherine Eberlé, the driving force behind Geneva Watch Days and Head of Communications at Bulgari. The discussion offers an insider perspective on the event’s growth, ethos, uniqueness, and the evolving landscape of watchmaking fairs. Catherine discusses the cultural shift in Geneva Watch Days, its hands-on and communal spirit, and the challenges and triumphs of this year's record edition.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Atmosphere and Energy of Geneva Watch Days 2025

• Catherine's Mood and Event Atmosphere
  Catherine describes feeling "super good," fueled by the high energy of Geneva Watch Days and the city itself. She references the event's widespread appeal—collectors, enthusiasts, press, influencers, and retailers—all converging in a vibrant, communal atmosphere.

  "The level of energy is so high that I'm just fueled. So feeling good, happy with this sixth edition." – Catherine Eberlé [00:48]

2. The Unique 'Fluidity' of the Event Structure

• Openness and Accessibility
  Catherine attributes the growing presence of collectors to the "fluid" event format—less formal, highly accessible, where collectors can connect directly with CEOs, designers, and brand teams, often without an appointment.

  "This fluidity is unique and this is really for me, as an organizer of the event, a key point to maintain..." – Catherine Eberlé [02:47]

• Comparison to Other Watch Events
  The hosts and Catherine agree that Geneva Watch Days stands out for this informality and openness, contrasting it with other more strictly managed fairs.

3. Growth and Brand Participation

• Exponential Expansion
  From 15 brands in 2020 to 66 brands in 2025, the event has grown carefully, maintaining its spirit of accessibility and personalization.

  "Very carefully, because this could kill the whole thing." – Catherine Eberlé [08:52]

• Brand Onboarding
  Most new brands approach the organization to participate. There’s a deliberate cap to ensure manageability for both journalists and collectors, emphasizing quality over unchecked growth.

• Maintaining the Spirit of 2020
  Brands must embrace the event’s decentralized and agile ethos, managing their own showrooms and press schedules.

  "We offer a platform... then that will drive the profiles that we want to have..." – Catherine Eberlé [13:59] "Every time we do meetings... I read the manifesto of the Geneva Watch Days saying that it was based on agility, flex and decentralization in 2020, and that it is still it remains and that they have to keep that in mind." – Catherine Eberlé [13:00]

4. Community and Familial Vibe

• A Campus-Like Spirit
  Both interviewer and guest liken the event’s atmosphere to a university campus—informal, familial, full of serendipitous meetings and shared experiences.

  "It's like the campus of your big university where you're happy to meet your friends." – Catherine Eberlé [07:47]

• Organic, Flexible Experience
  Attendees can curate their own experience, choosing between familiar favorites and discovering new "nuggets" among the brands.

  "You can make choices... And same for the collectors." – Catherine Eberlé [09:37]

5. Cultural Positioning and Festival-Like Vibe

• Shifting from B2B to Cultural Event
  A focus on hands-on experiences and cultural programming sets Geneva Watch Days apart—examples include the chronometry competition and collaborative educational initiatives.

  "There's not a rebranding, but a slight repositioning of Geneva Watch Days as a cultural event..." – Rob Nudds [15:36]

• The Culture Hub & Engaging Activities
  Catherine details the creation of the "Culture Hub," partnerships with key industry organizations, and innovative programs like the movement regulation competition—an accessible, participatory activity that exposes the artistry and technical challenges of regulating mechanical movements.

  "With COSC, Sellita and Ecole d', Orlogerie, which is a way to show a job that nobody knows... how you regulate the precision of a movement, of mechanical movement." – Catherine Eberlé [16:29] "This is very cultural, but this is also a fair where you need to use your brain. You really need to. We expect those people to think together, not just to speak." – Catherine Eberlé [19:50] "I like to call it a festival. I think that Antoine likes to call it also a festival." – Catherine Eberlé [20:11]

• Engagement Between Watch Days and the City
  The event spills into Geneva itself, using city spaces and even bike rickshaws for mobility, reinforcing the festival-like, city-wide engagement.

6. Challenges of 2025 Edition

• Logistical Hurdles
  This year, hotel renovations created space scarcity for brands’ showrooms. Event organizers had to help brands secure suitable venues amid reduced hotel availability.

  "For the brands? The challenge to find a showroom, to find a place to exhibit and to conduct their appointments..." – Catherine Eberlé [21:35]

7. Proudest Achievements of 2025

• The Success of Calibership Competition & Exhibition
  Catherine highlights the success of the movement regulation (calibership) contest and the event’s exhibition of contemporary watch pieces, which is free and expertly curated, offering both guided and interactive app-based experiences.

  "The calibership and the success of it... seeing people joining the sessions to watch the guys sweating on their movement, it drives me crazy. I'm so happy. I'm so thrilled." – Catherine Eberlé [23:01] "The entrance is free. You can come and just enjoy it or you can join a guided tour by the expert of Federation d' Autologie fhh. You have an app that you can play with that will tell you if you are more into this type or this type of watches..." – Catherine Eberlé [24:00]

Memorable Quotes

• On Event Growth:
  "Very carefully, because this could kill the whole thing. I think that we've reached a significant number..." – Catherine Eberlé [08:52]

• On the Essence of Geneva Watch Days:
  "Everyone owns a little bit of those Geneva Watch days spirit and can make it like it was his or hers... This nourishes this notion of I'm here like I am at home, I am welcome, I am really welcome as a collector..." – Catherine Eberlé [04:45]

• On Cultural Initiatives:
  "This is very cultural, but this is also a fair where you need to use your brain... We expect those people to think together, not just to speak." – Catherine Eberlé [19:50]

• On the Festival Spirit:
  "I like to call it a festival. I think that Antoine likes to call it also a festival... Like in Avignon in the summer, it creates something different." – Catherine Eberlé [20:11]

• On Personal Pride:
  "The calibership and the success of it... seeing people joining the sessions... it drives me crazy. I'm so happy. I'm so thrilled." – Catherine Eberlé [23:01]

Notable & Light Moments

• Fashion Shout-outs
  At the close, Scarlett points out Catherine’s Geneva Watch Days-themed outfit matching her event bracelets, and Catherine reciprocates with compliments on Scarlett's style. [25:53–26:29]

• Playful Banter
  Rob jokes about getting steps in during the fair and the “sins of the night before," highlighting the event’s laid-back vibe. [21:04–21:09]

Important Timestamps

• [00:48] – Catherine on the energized, communal atmosphere of the event
• [02:47] – Explanation of the event's fluidity and openness
• [08:52] – On managing growth and brand participation
• [13:00] – Upholding the event’s agile “manifesto” and new brands
• [15:36] – Repositioning Geneva Watch Days as a cultural festival
• [16:29] – Introduction of the "Calibership" chronometry competition
• [19:50] – The fair as a space for deep engagement and discussion
• [21:35] – Logistical challenges in securing showrooms
• [23:01] – Pride in the success of the Calibership competition and exhibition
• [24:00] – Details on the exhibition and interactive experiences
• [25:53] – Fun fashion commentary and closing thanks

Conclusion

This episode offers a rich, behind-the-scenes look at Geneva Watch Days 2025: its origins, explosive yet managed growth, and its transformation from a trade fair to a vibrant, cultural “festival” for the entire watchmaking community. Catherine Eberlé’s leadership and passion shine throughout the conversation, as she articulates a vision of inclusivity, engagement, and meaningful experience—inviting both industry insiders and new explorers into the heart of modern horology.