Watch fairs and auctions for dealers, September to December 2026

On 7 November a dealer can be in one of three places. Phillips opens the Geneva Watch Auction that morning. The GPHG ceremony is a mile away that evening. And in a hotel outside Munich, a members-only trading floor opens at seven. The last of the three is the only one where stock changes hands between dealers, and it is the one nobody writes about.

The four months to the end of the year hold the densest run of watch events in the calendar, and most of the coverage goes to the ones with brands in them. Below is the version a dealer needs, every date checked against the organizer's own site on 24 August 2026, followed by what is actually worth the airfare. This list excludes our own private member events, which are invite and member-only.

Every date, 1 September to 31 December

Christie's has not published a New York December sale. Last year it fell on 9 December.

The four Saturdays in Munich

The steadiest sourcing rhythm in Europe runs monthly out of one hotel in Unterschleißheim, north of Munich. The Watch Trader Association holds a members-only dealer show at the Infinity Hotel on 5 September, 3 October, 7 November and 5 December, doors at seven in the morning. It is business to business and closed to the public.

The part worth knowing is what happens the next morning. The Munich Watch Fair runs at the BallhausForum, entered through the same hotel, on the Sunday after each WTA Saturday: 6 September, 4 October, 8 November and 6 December. That one is open to the public and to the trade, €50 to get in at eight, €20 from half past ten. A dealer who flies in on Friday night can buy from the trade on Saturday and sell to collectors on Sunday without moving the car.

Geneva in November is a pricing event, not a shopping trip

The November Geneva sales are the single most useful three days of the year for anyone who needs to know what a reference is worth. Phillips runs the Geneva Watch Auction: XXIV on 7 and 8 November, Antiquorum sells the same weekend, Sotheby's Important Watches is on 8 November at the Mandarin Oriental with viewing from 5 to 7 November, and Christie's Rare Watches follows on 9 November at the Four Seasons Hôtel des Bergues.

Buying there is a different question. The premiums moved this year and they moved upward. Sotheby's went to 28% on the first $2 million on 13 February 2026. Christie's has been at 27% since September 2025. Phillips charges 27% on watches up to CHF 1.6 million, a discounted schedule against its 29% for other categories, effective 12 April 2026. Antiquorum is the cheapest room at 25% up to CHF 1 million.

Swiss VAT of 8.1% applies on hammer plus premium in Geneva, which is the line that turns a 27% premium into something closer to 37% on the invoice. Phillips also cuts up to four points off each tier for Priority Bidding, a binding written bid placed at least 48 hours before the sale at or above the low estimate. A dealer who knows their number before the room fills is paying less than the dealer who gets caught up in it.

Hong Kong follows: Phillips on 21 and 22 November, Christie's on the 25th, Antiquorum on the 29th. New York closes the year with Phillips on 5 and 6 December at 432 Park Avenue, viewing from 2 to 4 December, and Sotheby's Important Watches on 7 December.

The vintage and pre-owned fairs

Rikketik at Expo Houten on Sunday 15 November is the largest vintage fair in Europe and the one Dutch and Belgian dealers plan around. The London Watch Fair holds its autumn edition on Sunday 18 October, and it has moved: the venue is now the Renaissance Heathrow, not the Sheraton Skyline that older listings still show. About 70 traders, £50 for the 07:30 VIP entry capped at 100 people, £20 from nine, tickets in advance only with photo ID.

The Birmingham Clock & Watch Fair runs twice in the window, on 13 September and 29 November at the National Motorcycle Museum, roughly 100 traders, £15 in advance for the 07:30 opening and £5 from nine. Bring cash; the venue takes nothing else and has no machine. Smaller bourses fill the gaps: Lille on 20 September, €5 on the door, and Recklinghausen on 26 September.

The brand fairs

Geneva Watch Days runs from 2 to 6 September, which is next week. It is decentralized across hotels and boutiques with the Rotonde du Mont-Blanc as the hub, about 69 brands in the seventh edition, free and open to trade and public alike. It overlaps almost exactly with the Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair, 1 to 5 September at the convention centre in Wan Chai, which is trade only and drew 652 exhibitors and 15,787 buyers last year. Nobody attends both.

WatchTime Düsseldorf is on 23 to 25 October at the Rheinterrasse, €25 online or €30 at the door, and is aimed at end consumers rather than the trade. Watches of Italy holds its seventh edition at Superstudio Più in Milan on 14 and 15 November, free to the public, 50-odd exhibitors, and the Italian pre-owned market has been the fastest-moving in Europe for two years. The same weekend, Vienna's watch fair reappears under a new name and a new roof: the old Presse SCHAU has been split up, and the watch half is now Watches and Diamonds Vienna at the MAK on 14 and 15 November.

The Escapement takes Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on 20 to 22 November, with the Friday reserved for trade and press and the weekend open to anyone holding a ticket from AED 1,600. It is the one event in the window built around collectors rather than brands, which is a different room to sell in.

FAQ

Which of these is worth the airfare for a dealer buying stock? The WTA Saturday and the Munich Watch Fair Sunday, because both are trading floors rather than showrooms, and Rikketik on 15 November for vintage. The Geneva auctions are worth watching for price discovery whether or not a dealer bids.

Can I get into the WTA show in Munich? Only as a member. The association runs it business to business and states plainly that its services are for members.

Is Dubai Watch Week on this year? No. It runs every two years, the last edition was 19 to 23 November 2025, and the next is November 2027. Calendars still listing a November 2026 edition are carrying last year's figures forward.

When do the Geneva November sales actually start? The live sales run 7 to 9 November. The 6th is a viewing day, which is why some calendars show 6 to 9. Sotheby's viewing opens earlier still, on 5 November.

Sources

Watch Trader Association, show dates and Munich Watch Fair dates and admission

Phillips watch auction calendar, including Geneva XXIV, Hong Kong XXIII and New York XV

Phillips buyer's premium schedule (PDF) and Geneva guide for prospective buyers (PDF)

Sotheby's watches department calendar and Important Watches, Geneva, 8 November

Antiquorum upcoming auctions and viewings and Geneva conditions of sale

Antiques Trade Gazette on Sotheby's 28% premium, February 2026

Geneva Watch Days practical information

HKTDC Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair

WatchTime Düsseldorf 2026

GPHG, 26th awards ceremony, 7 November 2026

The London Watch Fair and its ticket listing

Birmingham Clock & Watch Fair

Rikketik at Expo Houten, 15 November

Bourse Horlogère Internationale de Lille

W.O.I. Watches of Italy 7, Milan

The Escapement, Abu Dhabi and ticket pricing

Dubai Watch Week — 2025 edition only, no 2026 event

Windup Watch Fair, New York dates