21 September

The day in brief

Portojóia closed four days at Exponor in Matosinhos yesterday, 20 September, keeping the connection between jewellery, goldsmithing, watchmaking, training and technology at the centre of Portugal’s sector agenda.

In Geneva, M.A.D.Gallery ended its Yinka Ilori pop-up on the same day, centred on the M.A.D.1S “Grow Your Dreams” series: three 400-piece editions bringing together accessible mechanical watchmaking, colour and contemporary design.

The Swiss weekend also featured the Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix on 19–20 September on Lake Geneva, once again bringing timing, technology and sport together in the home city of Swiss watchmaking.

Portojóia closes its 35th edition with Portugal’s sector in focus

Portojóia concluded its 2026 edition yesterday at Exponor. Running from 17 to 20 September, the professional fair brought together around one hundred exhibitors spanning brands, designers, craftspeople, retailers, suppliers and sector organisations. The organiser continues to position it as Portugal’s largest event for jewellery, goldsmithing and watchmaking.

The “Luxury Redefined” theme put authenticity, sustainability and exclusivity at the heart of the discussion. Technology also had a prominent role, including debate around artificial intelligence in creative, production, communication and commercial processes, while manual skills and specialist training remain structural to the sector.

For Portuguese watchmaking, Portojóia’s value lies less in a calendar of major international launches and more in concentrating retail, equipment, training and industry in one place. Its exhibitor list included tool and technology suppliers, sector bodies and CINDOR, keeping the technical and professional infrastructure behind jewellery and watchmaking visible.

M.A.D.Gallery closes Yinka Ilori pop-up

MB&F concluded the Yinka Ilori pop-up at its Geneva M.A.D.Gallery yesterday, 20 September. Open since 19 August, the installation placed the “Grow Your Dreams” collaboration in context around the M.A.D.1S, with three interpretations — Sun, Nature and Water — each limited to 400 pieces.

The collaboration uses the M.A.D.1S visual architecture as a platform for Ilori’s colour language. The three versions deliberately contrast strap, dial and rotor colours, while leaf motifs on the straps echo the idea of growth running through the artist’s work. Each watch also comes with a second white strap.

The end of the pop-up is not a new product launch, but it marks the close of a physical presentation particularly consistent with M.A.D.Gallery’s philosophy: treating the watch as an object within a wider world of kinetic art, design and visual culture. That boundary is what makes the series interesting beyond its exuberant palette.

In brief

Rolex again linked its timing identity with SailGP as the championship returned to Geneva. Racing took place on 19 and 20 September on Lake Geneva, with 13 teams in the 2026 season. Rolex has been a Founding Partner and Official Timepiece since the championship began in 2019 and became Title Partner ahead of the 2025 season.

What deserves attention

Portojóia remains a useful barometer of the Portuguese infrastructure surrounding luxury crafts — training, tools, retail, production and communication — even when watches are not the sole protagonist. In parallel, the close of Yinka Ilori’s installation illustrates an increasingly visible direction among independents: presenting watchmaking through distinctive cultural environments rather than limiting the experience to a single-reference launch.