For the very first time, more than 240 years of Swiss watch press archives are being physically brought together during Geneva Watch Days at the Maison de l’Horlogerie. The exhibition is open to the public, brands and enthusiasts.
A Shaniah Asha Gibson’s selection / @TRP, Public Relations Cabinet
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At the dawn of the 1990s, before watchmaking media aimed at the public at large arrived on kiosks and before the internet took over, two pioneering and historical publications were the focal points of news in the watchmaking and jewellery sectors in Switzerland and abroad. Their role as ‘’information providers‘’ makes them essential institutions.
Geneva Watch Days, from 28 August to 2 September 2024
As part of the key watchmaking event of the 2024 summer season, the Maison de l’Horlogerie gallery in Geneva is hosting a premiere: more than 240 years of watchmaking information available in old and bound volumes. They come from Europa Star and the Journal suisse d’horlogerie JSH, two legendary media that embody the life of the sector over almost a century and a half.
Vibrant archives, both physical and digital
For the first time ever, it will be possible to ‘touch’ and ‘flick through’ so many old volumes: a truly rare opportunity to get up close and personal with a key part of the history of watchmaking, which is inextricably intertwined with the history of Switzerland and the world. The Watch Library Foundation, partner of this exhibition, will be showcasing the digital side of the exhibition, allowing visitors to browse through the digitised archive treasures of the two publications.
Witnesses of inspiring times
The Swiss Watchmaking Journal (JSH) was launched in July 1876 at the Palais de l’Athénée in Geneva by the Société des Arts de Genève, which was celebrating its centenary, following a survey by the Watchmaking Section of the Classe d’Industrie et de Commerce. From 1925 onwards, it has been the official organ of the SSC and, for several decades, that of the Basel Fair. Since 2019, its editor-in-chief stands as journalist Joël A. Grandjean.
Also in Geneva, in 1927, Hugo Buchser, an entrepreneur and publisher, laid the foundations of Europa Star, a publishing venture dedicated to the whole industry and its international impact. This unbroken legend of the watch and jewellery press has been perpetuated by his grandsons Philippe and Pierre Maillard, and is still in family hands, run by Serge Maillard, his great-grandson representing the fourth generation, who is also co-founder and chairman of The Watch Library Foundation.
Panel discussion, Saturday 31 August at 1.30 pm. Venue: GlassBox, Geneva Watch Days
Practical information
Maison de l’Horlogerie exhibition
24, rue du Cendrier Place Kleberg, Geneva
From 28 August to 02 September 2024
Opening hours: from 10.30 am to 6.30 pm
(September 2nd, 6.00 pm)
Serge Maillard and Joël A. Grandjean, the current faces of Europa Star and JSH, will share the stories of their respective media, while Martine Depresle will talk about the preservation and accessibility of this heritage through The Watch Library platform. Above all, they will highlight the extent to which illuminating and understanding the past can offer promising perspectives for the future.
In 1927, Hugo Buchser, a young watchmaking entrepreneur, launched a guide to the industry that would soon become a reference and a tool for the entire sector. An experienced traveller, Buchser then introduced a series of specialized magazines around the world to support the international development of the watchmaking industry. From the 1950s onwards, these included editions in English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese, Arabic, Hindi, Urdu, Thai and Russian.
Since 1962, under the leadership of his son-in-law Gilbert Maillard, all the publications have been united under the ‘Europa Star’ identity. Over the decades, Europa Star became one of the world’s leading specialist watch magazines. The 1990s saw the third generation, led by Philippe and Pierre Maillard, take over. And in 2014, Serge Maillard, the fourth generation of publishing, joined the company to further the editorial mission begun almost a century ago, through a wealth of innovative formats.
Europa Star Head Office
Route des Acacias 25 | CH-1227 Les Acacias-Geneva
Europa Star Gallery
Rue Etienne-Dumont 4 | CH-1204 Geneva
It was established at the Palais de l’Athénée in Geneva in July 1876 under the patronage of the Société des Arts (1776). In 1925, it became the Official Bulletin of the Swiss Chronometry Society (SSC), founded a year earlier in October 1924. For several decades, it was also the official organ of the Basel Fair. Relaunched in 2019 by JSH Archives & Patrimoine, it is now aimed primarily at watchmaking professions. A world first, it has the unique feature of refusing to include the watch brands’ “product” advertising pages, and instead covers the latest news from the sector, focusing instead on highlighting the watchmaking suppliers network.
Journal suisse d’horlogerie JSH (N° ISSN 1422-9323)
Publisher JSH Archives & Patrimoine
Rue Etienne Dumont 5 | CP 3238
CH-1211 Geneva 3
redaction@jsh.swiss
La Fondation The Watch Library, reconnue d’utilité publique en 2021 par la Confédération suisse, est une initiative majeure pour l’ensemble de l’industrie horlogère. Elle a pour mission de préserver et de valoriser le patrimoine horloger auprès d’un large public. The Watch Library réconcilie patrimoine et technologie numérique et vise à démontrer comment le partage des données et des connaissances favorise l’innovation, la créativité et nourrit ainsi l’imagination des experts, des professionnels actuels et futurs et des passionnés d’horlogerie.
Fondation The Watch Library
Route des Acacias 25 |
CH-1227 Les Acacias-Genève
m.depresle@watchlibrary.org
