The Foundation of Haute Horlogerie (La Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie, FHH) announced that Fabien of Lupo, 15 years directing and FHH conducted the Geneva salon SIHH, is retiring. She was a victim of the coronavirus that hit the Swiss watch exhibition, says editor in chief “Style. Watch” Alexey Tarhanov.Organization that brings together all the major watch brands in Switzerland — La Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH) has announced that Fabien of Lupo resigns at his own request. “After 15 years of an exciting journey at the head of FHH, culminating in the creation of the second clock fair in Geneva, in collaboration with our brand partners, it’s time for me to take on new projects”,— explained the situation to the former headmistress.Hardly the current situation in the Swiss watch industry can be considered favorable for “new projects”. The watch industry Federation (Federation de l’industrie horlogere — FH) expects a decline in exports of Swiss brands by 30%. So you should think that could lead to voluntary or involuntary resignation of Mrs. Lupo, which since 2005 has headed FHH. For 15 years she ran a thriving Geneva salon of Haute Horlogerie SIHH. In contrast to the more democratic the Basel Baselworld, it was closed and strictly professional event. Only a year ago, the public had the right to be one day admitted into the halls of the Geneva Palexpo exhibition centre.Therefore, in 2019, the leadership SIHH announced that instead of a closed cabin come open city festival of Watches & Wonders, with branches in Asia and America. Noisy premiere Watches & Wonders was scheduled for April 25-29, and for this was even agreed upon dates with longtime competitors from Basel. Agreed for the next five years. While to a certain time of the Geneva salon every year a crepe, but the Basel — hirel eyes. Fund FHH moved into the building in the center of Geneva and began to prepare for new victories.Hope knocked the epidemic. Simultaneous Watches & Wonders Baselworld was simultaneously cancelled. With their abolition of the lost advances advance made by the participants — it was about hundreds of thousands and millions of francs. Leadership SIHH could only bitterly regret his desire to go towards the progress. Watch brands LVMH immediately occupied the vacant time, had her own salon in Dubai and hit the jackpot in the form of media attention and early Prime time.Of course, Fabien of Lupo could not be responsible for the sanitary situation in the world, but she and her team had to take a shot. Basel were completely demoralized, Geneva tried to save the situation and instead of a feast for the whole world offered by the Internet platform with the news of the failed Watches & Wonders. Heads of stamps, with whom I had to discuss it, acknowledge that “it was better th�� nothing” and talking about “the experience”. However, neither one of them would not want this experience to repeat.The Geneva watch salon was established brands of the Richemont group. In 1991 the then head of Cartier, Alain Dominique Perrin willed them moved from Basel to the shores of lake Geneva. Since then, SIHH, despite the presence of independent watchmakers like Parmigiani Fleurier, Audemars Piguet or Richard Mille, was predominantly a space where greatest weight still had the Richemont. It remained even after Geneva moved brands included in luxury group Kering: Ulysse Nardin and Girard-Perregaux. Crash leads Basel to Geneva a powerful new force. Such important players like Rolex, Chopard and Patek Philippe, as well as LVMH watchmakers, including Breitling, Hublot, TAG Heuer and Zenith decided to put it under or parallel to SIHH. The decision taken in the hearts and after the offence on the direction of the Basel salon, promises to Watches & Wonders is not only serious, but serious organizational difficulties. Now we have to negotiate in a much wider range. It is possible that Mrs. Lupo and her team failed to reconcile the interests of the main owner of the salon, with the ambition of the Basel watchmakers, requiring your weight position in the group of organizers. As announced, the Foundation of Haute Horlogerie, the place of the President and Director is, so far temporarily, a member of the Board of FHH, as well as one of the leaders of the Richemont group, Emmanuel Perrin.
