Today, in an article published by WatchPro, the industry got confirmation that Rolex and Tudor will be postponing 2020 watch releases indefinitely. The COVID-19 crisis has had an immense effect on nearly every facet of our day-to-day lives – from global economics to modernized healthcare, and the trivial hobbies we indulge in. The watch industry we focus on week after week is no exception, and today’s news feels like like another nail in the coffin as we continue to discuss longterm effects on the industry.
WatchPro has documented their comms with Rolex, summarized below:
“Following the cancellation of Baselworld 2020 in March due to the COVID-19 situation, we had announced that we would unveil our new products at the end of April and scheduled a number of press briefings to showcase them.
“In view of the continuing extremely difficult context impacting the entire world, and in order to protect people by avoiding gatherings and one-to-one meetings, we have decided to postpone the announcements to a later date. We have presently not defined a new timing for our release; we will get back to you in due time with further information.”
You can expect TBWS to continue monitoring this situation as the news evolves. Personally, I find it difficult to believe that a modern watchmaking house finds difficulty in launching press communications as the world is constantly pivoting towards a fully virtual space in the midst of this crisis. Stay tuned. You can bet that Kaz and I will be talking through this in next week’s TBWS podcast episode.
Co-Founder & Senior Editor
Michael Peñate is an American writer, photographer, and podcaster based in Seattle, Washington. His work typically focuses on the passage of time and the tools we use to connect with that very journey. From aviation to music and travel, his interests span a multitude of disciplines that often intersect with the world of watches – and the obsessive culture behind collecting them.
Rolex, who is know for stunning us with new colorways, not releasing anything in 2020 is a no big deal to me. Tudor dropped a turd in the punch bowl last year with the PS01. This stunning example of just how far they are from their market, over shadowed all other 2019 Basel releases for them. So again meh.
I did read Grand Seiko has put a hold on their Paris GS store due to Covid (see WatchPro article). This seem like a bigger hit to GS than the Rolex groups inability to show us a salmon pink and emerald green Datejust.
Although, GS seems to be embracing the digital/virtual communication platform with publishing a video showcasing two new movements. Pretty sure we were not going to see something like a new movement at Basel from Rolex.