Time Journey opens Geneva’s high-watchmaking world to enthusiasts

A watch fits in the palm of a hand. Its history does not. Behind a few centimetres of metal, glass and luminous material lie years of research, skills passed between generations, micron-scale calculations and countless aesthetic decisions.

Time Journey aims to reveal that hidden work. For its second edition, the event created with Le Temps and six watchmaking houses will open doors normally reserved for specialists. On October 1 and 2, visitors in central Geneva will see more than finished timepieces behind glass. They will explore how watchmakers make movements thinner without sacrificing power reserve, fit a calendar into a mechanical movement, machine exceptionally hard ceramic and identify an authentic piece from an increasingly convincing imitation.

The six experiences bring together Vacheron Constantin, Cartier, IWC Schaffhausen, A. Lange & Söhne, Roger Dubuis and Watchfinder & Co. The route moves from archives to laboratories, workbenches to augmented reality, and extreme thinness to examination under high magnification.

The format is designed as both a guided visit and a meeting. At Vacheron Constantin, the focus is performance through thinness. The Geneva manufacture will trace the development of its ultra-thin movements up to calibre 2550, presented at Watches and Wonders in April 2026. The calibre measures 2.4 millimetres thick and has an announced 80-hour power reserve.