On June 5, 2026, around 300 guests gathered at The Dolder Grand in Zurich to discuss the new meaning of luxury. The central theme was one that is being debated with increasing intensity in an ever more selective market: It is no longer just about whether you can afford luxury, but whether it is truly worth it to you.
As a partner of the event, smzh was present alongside renowned maisons, independent entrepreneurs, investors, and creative minds. The message from the impressive line-up of speakers was clear: in the future, luxury will no longer be defined solely by ownership but by meaning, heritage, craftsmanship, and long-term value. This focus on the intersection of emotion and wealth was at the core of our contribution to the summit.
This is precisely the perspective that shapes our daily work: at smzh, we support our clients not only in owning luxury assets, but in integrating them into a diversified wealth strategy.
Our CEO and Founder Gzim Hasani was part of the speaker line-up. In his conversation entitled "From Passion to Asset," he discussed how emotional value, rarity, and heritage turn objects of passion into assets. Using a rare watch that initially was a gift but then became an investment, he illustrated just how close emotions and wealth are.
Would you like to learn about how rare watches, exclusive real estate, art, and classic cars work as part of a well-thought-out wealth strategy?
Download our white paper "Investing in Luxury Assets" today to gain valuable insights into value preservation, value appreciation, and the strategic inclusion of luxury assets.
The opening keynote, "The State of Luxury in 2026," was delivered by Felicitas Morhart, Founder of the Swiss Center for Luxury Research and Member of the smzh Board of Directors. She distinguished between dominance and prestige as two very different paths to achieving status, supporting her analysis with data from Interbrand as well as Wang & Morhart. In recent years, brands driven by dominance have lost around 11 percent of their value, while brands driven by prestige have grown by 5.5 percent.
In the conversation about the topic of "Let's Write History: Montblanc's Cultural Signature," Alexandra Bagehorn talked about the cultural meaning of writing and about how a brand creates relevance without betraying its heritage. In a fast-paced digital world, she said, conscious pauses and writing on paper is regaining value. Craftsmanship is at the heart of the Montblanc brand, according to Bagehorn: Every product is crafted and tested in Hamburg.
What was discussed on stage as a cultural and emotional question has strategic significance for us: Rare watches, exclusive real estate, works of art, or classic cars are often much more than just objects of passion. When properly integrated, they become part of a diversified wealth strategy, with potential for value preservation and appreciation.
On our Luxury Assets page, you can learn what luxury assets are and what matters when investing in them. You will find valuable tips on valuables insurance as well as various publications with further information. This is how you can see emotion and wealth come together at smzh.
The emotional highlight of the event were the words of Jean-Claude Biver: “Chasing Eternity: Lessons From 50+ Years in Watchmaking.” The man who revived the mechanical watch industry during the quartz crisis and shaped brands like Hublot, Omega, and TAG Heuer stood on stage for the first time without representing a large corporation and without a title.
On stage, Biver shared how he recently handed over the leadership of his company to his son Pierre and asked him only to reach out for advice if he truly needed it. And his own role? With every visit, it was he who asked his son what he could learn from him – firmly convinced that the new generation is the future and that continuous learning is what determines whether you remain relevant.
At the Luxury Summit 2026, luxury was not treated as a product category, but rather as a business, cultural, and investor issue. The discussions ranged from established maisons to independent founders, from desire to assets. It became clear: in 2026, luxury is no longer just about what people buy, but rather why something endures and who assigns meaning to it.
This is exactly where we see our role: luxury isn’t disappearing – it’s becoming more conscious. And anyone who wants to create lasting value needs guidance, long-term thinking, and a strategy that combines emotion with wealth.
We thank FACES and Forbes for the partnership, all the speakers for their valuable insights, and the guests who enriched the summit with their conversations and perspectives.
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