by Ian Skellern
With Geneva Watch Days (GWD) now less than a month away (August 26-29), and COVID-19 outbreaks flaring up both in Europe and worldwide, I’m still hesitant enough not to have booked my travel and accommodation just yet. But it has become evident that there is a good chance the event will take place. And I very much hope it does.
But whether GWD takes place or not, and whether it’s deemed successful or not because of all the travel and quarantine restrictions, doesn’t change the fact that there was a good chance that it could have run very successfully. If we (meaning most of the world) hadn’t been so complacent about social distancing and wearing masks.
While I do still think that running the distributed event might contribute to the spread of the virus — not so much from visiting the brands, but from journalists, retailers, and collectors catching up over evening dinners and drinks, breakfasts and lunches, mixing in hotel lobbies, and taking public transport — I now feel that the potential upsides of helping to kickstart a ravaged watch industry outweighs the potential health risks.
I apologize, Mr. Babin, for my last open letter. It was an overreaction, and events have proved me wrong.
If the situation in Geneva and France remains stable for another week or so, I’ll be booking my trip and hope to (contritely) see you soon.
Regards, Ian Skellern
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I too wish a return to normalcy. Your statement “that the potential upsides of helping to kickstart a ravaged watch industry outweighs the potential health risks” is very odd. Do you really believe that? If so this pandemic will never end.
I’m sorry not to have been clearer with that point. What I mean is that the coronovirus situation in much of Europe and in Switzerland in particular did seem to be under control for a couple of months after the shutdowns lifted. And with the virus under control, the transmission risks involved in holding a distributed watch exhibition i.e., not everyone congregating in one place would be minimal. The fact that getting the virus under control was possible merits my apology.
Cases are rising now in Europe, and in Geneva, due to both the authorities being too lax e.g., Switzerland has been very slow implementing mandatory mask wearing in enclosed public places, and people travelling more on holidays and being complacent about social distancing and wearing masks, which is why I’m holding off on committing to attending Geneva Watch Days until I’m more confident that would not make things worse.
But the fact that our complacency has put the exhibition at risk doesn’t negate the fact there was (and still is) a good chance that the event could have run relatively safely. Which means that it was worth planning for.
I would only attend myself and recommend that anyone else attend if I thought that the risk of increasing the spread of the virus was minimal. I in no way meant to imply that it’s worth helping to kickstart the watch economy no matter what the risks.
If cases keep rising in Europe and Switzerland then the best thing we can do for the watch economy (and all economies), no matter how painful, is to not attend GWD or cancel it completely. But in any case I now feel that it was worth planning for, so merits my apology.
Regards, Ian
It’s worth noting that at present, “If Geneva were a country, it would be just below the Swiss government’s threshold for ‘high-risk’ countries that require a ten-day quarantine on arrival.” https://www.thelocal.ch/20200729/coronavirus-where-are-switzerlands-new-hotspots
Mr. Skellern, I find your “change” of opinion most disturbing. It makes me believe you’re trying to make nice to a psychopath. To put an event before human life, so an industry can attempt to recover its profits, and you acting as an apologist, while rationalizing it’s the world at large and its carelessness, which is true, but doesn’t negate that Babin is contributing to that carelessness, is irresponsible and dangerous. You should be ashamed of yourself.
I take consolation in that I’m not the only one with strong feelings on the subject, Ron. My change of thinking was driven by the fact that I no longer assume that Mr. Babin was driven by the thought of “to hell with the risk to everyone’s health, we need to sell watches,” but that, IF there’s a chance that the virus under control in Geneva and Europe by late August then we should use that opportunity responsibly in holding a distributed, mask-wearing, social-distanced exhibition. And a few weeks ago it did seem that the virus was well under control in most of Europe.
The fact that it appears that the virus is less under control now doesn’t negate that there was (and perhaps still is) a good chance that Geneva Watch Days could be held safely.
I recently moved to France where we had a fairly draconian lockdown for a couple of months, which brought the virus under control. Now restaurants, bars, and shops are open (with obligatory mask wearing and social distancing measures in place), and I am appreciating the opportunity to eat out and shop at will, and am happy to do so because I want my local restaurants and businesses to survive.
I’m well aware that if we all stayed locked up at home then it would greatly minimize the spread of the virus, but I also know that a flood of bankruptcies and unemployment causes great harm as well and do my best to mitigate overall harm.
The watch industry isn’t just big companies looking to maximize profits, it provides many thousands of jobs for people and there are already significant layoffs of staff due to the downturn.
I’m not at all advocating that Geneva Watch Days goes ahead hell or high water, I’m simply recognizing the fact that it had, and has, a chance of being held safely and that it was worth planning for.
Regards, Ian
Mr. Skellern,
While I understand the point you’re making, it doesn’t make sense. Although there are those that say we’re in phase two of the pandemic, which is supposed to be worse (higher rates of infection and death) than phase one, all medical indications support the view we’re still in phase one with phase two to follow. The virus is mutating thereby causing different strains of the virus infection and making therapeutics and a vaccine more complicated and time consuming in developing. To advocate for a situation for a large gathering of people who will be congregating in close quarters and where social distancing will be problematic, given the circumstances of the event itself, is more an exercise in hope rather than reality. And given how the world at large is still reacting, the idea of holding this type of an event during this month of August is, and I say this with all due respect, patently absurd on the face of it. Babin has no compass for his advocacy except the obvious one. And we know what that is.
Dear Ian,
you have written, re-written… accused… taken it back… re-accused… written again… all this, so many times, going on record and changing your mind so many times… if this is a regular pattern, then it is one that makes Q&P unreadable for me from now on.
Whitewashing this specific CEO makes things even worse for your own credibility as well as the credibility of Q&P.
You remind me of a certain political party in Germany that was (is?) famous for changing their opinion like a leaf in the wind!
To this and the ongoing change of opinion you showcase all I can say is: it is shameful. It does not show honesty. It shows fear from your own responsibilities.
Either you stand by something you write, and can thus be taken seriously or you don’t and thus you turn Q&P into a bunch of pages never to be taken seriously again.
Sad sad sad and shameful.
Oh, and I did not even mention the fact that you – again – put whitewashing of ridiculous people (and probably your own interests) before human lives. In the face of the pandemic the world is facing, you should really be more careful with what you write. Especially since you mention the rising numbers recorded in the region of Geneva and in the whole of Switzerland.
I am sorry…
Best regards
Hi Petros and thanks for taking the time to comment and share your thoughts.
In the words of John Maynard Keynes, “When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?”
In my defense I’ve only changed my mind once. I stand by my first two articles referring to Geneva Watch Days scheduled for April 2020:
Open Letter To Bulgari CEO Jean-Christophe Babin: I’ve Cancelled My Geneva Watch Days 2020, Now It’s Your Turn (But You Should Have Been First)
Geneva Watch Days 2020 Is On: Good News Or *Covid-19 Cough* Desperate, Short-Sighted, Money Grab?
My apology to Mr. Babin is in reference to Geneva Watch Days scheduled for late August 2020, which, until virus cases started rising over the last couple of weeks, looked very likely to be able to be held safely and responsibly.
My apology is an acceptance of that fact, not a wholehearted (or even halfhearted) endorsement that GWD should run come what may. I just accepted the fact that as there was, and still may be, a good chance it could run safety that it was worth planning for. I am following the virus situation in Europe and Geneva closely and will only attend GWD if I both think it’s both safe for myself and for others. But I still assert that just the fact that it might have run safely in August (unlike in April) warranted my apology.
When I make a mistake I admit it. Would you seriously prefer if I stubbornly stood my ground while believing I was wrong?
Regards, Ian
Kudos for having the balls to apologise and admit to being wrong. In this modern world of blogg— sorry, “journalism”, it is very, very, very rare (and it shouldn’t be). I’m honestly amazed.
But in your previous posts (umm “letters”), you have shown to be a very, very little man, so…
Thank you for your comment Patrick,
I’m not a “big man” so not offense taken and I’m comfortable with being referred to as a blogger or pundit rather than a journalist. I think I have too many biases (liking fine watches for one) to ever be objective enough be a good journalist.
I’m happy if I inform, entertain or make people think. I just do the best with the limited skills and knowledge that I’ve got.
Regards, Ian
Given that Mr Babin has thus far declined to publicly accept your apology; can we look forward to a fourth installment in this series of articles?
I’m thinking something along the lines of “Why I was correct all along about the arrogant Babin!”
If it’s replies you’re fishing for I think it might just coax him to the surface…
I’m not fishing for a reply from Mr. Babin, Greg and I don’t think he is any more arrogant than I am; we’ve just had differences of opinion at times. It is only a couple of weeks now until Geneva Watch Days is scheduled to start and, assuming it runs, which is still not a given considering the virus flareups in Europe, and having been vocal in expressing my opinion thus far, I think you can expect that I’ll be saying more on the subject at the end of the month. Stay tuned
Regards, Ian
Thanks Ian I appreciate and hope to see you there. Enjoy your holiday break!
You will certainly see me there, and I’m looking forward to it
Regards, Ian