Maurice Lacroix Pontos Chronograph Silver Dial Men's Watch PT6188-SS002-130

WORLDTEMPUS - June 7, 2011

When it was announced at the close of last year's shows that the 2011 JCK Show would not be held at the Sands Convention Center, many were up in arms. It moved to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, located at the opposite end of the Strip from the Wynn, where the Couture show is held. Shows organizers and exhibitors feared that retailers would not know which show to attend, certain they couldn't split their time between both. The shows opened as scheduled - with Mandalay Bay and its adjoining convention center the new home for the Swiss Watch by JCK, JCK, and Luxury shows - sort of.

The Logistics
The Swiss Watch by JCK show was predominantly held in suites of Mandalay Bay's hotel. The LVMH Group opted to exhibit at Swiss Watch by JCK at this venue, while Breitling and a few others elected to participate at the Four Seasons Hotel. These two hotels are connected through the lobby of the Mandalay Bay. Since it was a real time commitment to get from the Couture Show at the Wynn to the JCK show at Mandalay Bay and vice versa, Couture provided shuttle bus transportation between both shows during show hours. The JCK show, with new floor organization due to the new venue, took some getting used to for routined retailers and journalists.

JCK Show Floor
On the show floor, the Hall of Time watch exhibitors seemed somewhat disgruntled. Certain brands wishing to remain anonymous were disconcerted with their position. Several even mentioned that they were asked to pay a premium for a space close to the doors, or for another supposed high-traffic area, though in reality the area left them hanging at one end of an aisle. Still, traffic seemed up and buyers I spoke to - when they weren't grumbling over the time they were losing because of being lost or shuffling between four hotels and various suites - seemed interested in scoping out new product.
Exhibitors at the JCK Show on the show floor included newcomers such as Vulcain, back on the U.S. market for the first time in years, exciting new fashion brand IZOD, and Rumba Time, an incredibly affordable brand with creative new ideas. Other exhibitors included established brands such as Luminox, Reactor, Modus and Timex.  
"We have been very busy. There has been a steady stream of retailers coming through," said Yanir Gvirtzman, CEO of Divino, North American distributors of Italian-made Officina Del Tempo timepieces.

Swiss Watch by JCK
Swiss Watch by JCK is concurrent with the JCK Las Vegas Show and held in luxury suites of varying sizes. Exhibitors here typically rented their suites for Friday, Saturday and Sunday (even though the show floor was opened from Friday through Monday), and worked via appointment-only meetings with retailers and press. As previously mentioned, this year instead of the suites all being in one hotel, they were somewhat scattered - at the request, it would seem, of the brands. The majority, however, were located in the Mandalay Bay hotel.
"We are very pleased with the Mandalay Bay suites, they are new and spacious. We know some of the retailers are unhappy about the location this year, but everyone hates change initially. It will take some getting used to," said Ron Stoll, head of Carl F. Bucherer in the United States.
 
Others exhibiting in suites this year included Ulysse Nardin, Cuervo y Sobrinos, Frederique Constant, Maurice Lacroix, Tissot, Hamilton, and Longines.

Couture
At the simultaneously competing Couture show taking place up the Strip at the Wynn, it was fairly status quo. While some watch brands such as Breitling and Fendi left Couture to exhibit at JCK, others including Bell & Ross and a host of independents such as those distributed in the USA by Totally Worth It (Hautlence, Linde Werdelin, Armin Strom and Ladoire) migrated to Couture, where brands exhibit either on the show floor, in suites or in luxurious "villas."
"We moved here to take a villa because we wanted a truly luxurious setting," said Stacie Orloff, president of Bell &Ross in the United States. "We are very happy here."
Among the brands on the show floor were Tutima, Ernst Benz, Ball Watch, SEAH, Philip Stein, and newcomer Gerge. Brands exhibiting in suites included Ellicott, Franc Vila, Bedat, Peter Speake-Marin, Totally Worth It, and Bremont.
Show Time
New this year was the Couture Time by Watch Journal concept - created and sponsored by the magazine of the same name- to bring more attention to the watch companies. Under this umbrella, the inauguration of what will become an annual event took place: the Couture Time watch contest. This juried event was open to all watch exhibitors, each of which was allowed to enter one watch for one of three categories: Watch Architecture; Technical Excellence; and Innovation. Nearly 100 percent of the brands exhibiting participated. Winners honored at the award presentation included Peter Speake-Marin with the Marin 2MK1 Thalassa for Technical Excellence, Ladoire with Mr. Green for Architecture, and Christophe Claret with 21 Blackjack for Innovation.