Review of 2013 Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair, China

The 32nd HKTDC Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair, the largest event of its kind in the world, last from 4-8 September 2013. This year’s fair showcases more than 750 exhibitors from 18 countries and regions. Germany, Russia, Singapore and Turkey are first-time exhibitors. The Watch & Clock Fair gathers leading brands and industry players from around the world for a five-day timepiece journey.

The Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair proved itself year after year to be an effective business platform for the global timepiece industry. As the world’s largest event of its kind, brings together major industry players around the globe to showcase their latest and most remarkable designs. Exhibit categories include: Brand Name Gallery (Brand Name Watches & Clocks); Complete Watches & Clocks; Part & Components; Machinery/ Equipment; Packaging; Trade Services.

Co-organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the Hong Kong Watch Manufacturers Association Ltd and the Federation of Hong Kong Watch Trades and Industries Ltd, the Watch & Clock Fair gathers exhibitors, buyers and industry experts from around the world for five days of networking, intelligence sharing and deal making.

Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair represents the ultimate one-stop sourcing platform with great efficiency and a range of services. From complete watches to components, timeless works of art to luxury packaging, the world’s largest event of its kind is an incomparable journey into the heart of global horology.

A pageant of time in every era, the Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair presents the past, present and future of horology, including the latest and greatest tech and smart watches. The fair display exquisite finished timepieces, parts, accessories, packaging and everything else needed to deliver a satisfying, efficient and premier sourcing experience. Beyond the latest and greatest in European watchmaking, opportunities for sourcing are in every corner of the fairgrounds.

Exhibitors are taking full advantage of the trade fair to pitch new watch designs and timepiece technologies to the market. Special Zones include the Small-order Zone and Pageant of Eternity. The Small-Order Zone caters primarily to the sourcing needs of small and medium-sized enterprises, while Pageant of Eternity is dedicated to premium complete watches. Other major exhibit categories are complete watches, clocks, machinery & equipment, packaging, parts & components and trade services.

Highlights in this year include the new Timepiece Extravaganza. An expanded version of the popular Brand Name Gallery, it features more than 140 brands and includes four thematic zones: World Brand Piazza, Chic & Trendy, Craft Treasure and Renaissance Moment.

Together with the debut of “Salon de TE”, a premium event that focuses on top-end brands and designer collections, the synergy effect will bring multiple benefits for both exhibitors and buyers, and provide myriad opportunities for new businesses.

“Salon de TE” caters to the surging market demand by providing a platform for luxury watch brands to convey their brand messages. It recognises different categories within the watch market through different zones, including “World Brand Piazza”, “Renaissance Moment”, “Chic & Trendy” and “Craft Treasure”, allowing buyers to identify their desired products easily.

“World Brand Piazza” showcase the fine arts and crafts of haute horlogerie, and feature luxury brands, namely Audemars Piguet, Blancpain, Breguet, Chopard, Franck Muller, Glashütte Original, H. Moser & Cie, Hublot, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Piaget, Ulysee Nardin and Zenith.

“Renaissance Moment” presents the design excellence of elegant and classic styles of famous European brand names. Different limited editions was on display. Together with the renowned Netherlands’ Vincent Willem Van Gogh Museum, the watch brand “Van Gogh” (Netherlands) presents “Van Gogh 160th birthday watch – Limited Edition”, a fully Swiss-made, stylish watch collection. This timepiece collection comprises 10 different paintings by Van Gogh. Each of them with a limited edition of 160 pieces only. Incorporating the well-known paintings and giving a specific number as an identity proof, these watches are exclusive collectable items.

Elysee (Germany) presents a special edition for the Formula 1 Racer Jochen Mass, limited to 100 watches worldwide. Each limited number is shown on the dial; with the white stripe makes the watch very unique.

Other than “Salon de TE”, “Pageant of Eternity” is a premium zone for complete watches, dedicated to custom-built participants of truly outstanding timepieces. The elegant and stylish surroundings of this zone complement the quality of these high-end watches and clocks.

Clever Time Industrial Limited (Hong Kong) is a watch manufacturer with speciality in cartoon and fashion watches, owning the license of Hello Kitty to produce character watches to South-East Asia countries. This watch is an exquisite timepieces in stainless steel cases set with Japan movement.

Comtech Watches Company Limited (Hong Kong) presents Obaku Watch. This masculine watch is certain to impress. The heavy mesh bracelet fits well with the large case of this watch by Danish Obaku designer, Christian Mikkelsen. Steel case and heavy mesh, IP black plating.

Other major categories include complete watches, clocks, machinery & equipment, packaging, parts & components and trade services. Group Pavilions include Chinese mainland, International Exhibitors and Taiwan.

Keller Trading SA (Switzerland) from “International Pavilion” presents microfiber cloth “Haute Couture”. The colours of the most prestigious brands, their polishing clothes take care beautiful watch components, jewellery and ornaments. The polishing clothes are knitted and perfectly flexible. Effective for cleaning and polishing watches, crystal and all precious metals, and leave no dust..

Coming from “International Pavilion” zone, Piero Magli Watchstraps (Spain) presents “ene” watch. Piero Magli designers’ intuition makes ene watches slightly different. Dials in 3D with numbers in Luminox and an impressive lighting LED are some of the details featured by ene watches.

Zuccolo Rochet France (France), the world market leader of watchstraps replacement in leather, from “Parts & Components” zone presents ZRC 1094 luxury watchstraps. The new series ZRC1904 is qualified of luxury handcrafted watchstraps. Those watchstraps are 100% handmade in France by their most experienced craftsmen. These watchstraps only use first choice skins. They also provide on-demand service to manufacture any strap that will enable buyers to reach excellence.

Another zone “Chic & Trendy” gathers the on-trend watches with eye-catching design, yet maintaining high standards of accuracy. This year technological watch seems to play a role. Solus (Hong Kong) introduces “Solus 860 Finger Touch Heart Rate (FTHR) ana-digit Watch”. The all new collection is tailor-made for active business people who are health conscious but too busy to keep track of their well-being. This watch encourages users to get the reading of their heart rate on the digital screen in seconds by simply touching the around the dial.

“Craft Treasure” presents top-range functional mechanical watches and exquisite jewellery watches. For mechanical watches, Beijing Watch (Chinese mainland) presents “Tai Chi II”, which is equipped with TB04 movement, the 1st 3D tourbillon movement in China and independently developed by BWAF. The incredible 3D tourbillon is rotating on two axes. Meanwhile, Tai Chi II shows its accumulative working years in a special window. On the back of the watch, users can enjoy its beautiful enamel moon phase.

Further to the “The Dark Knight Rises” project, Memorigin (Hong Kong) cooperated with Warner Bros again to launch the “Man of Steel” tourbillon watch. The s-shaped logo merges with the pattern of Jor-El (Superman’s father)’s armor which forms the major design of the watch dial. Using the new plating technology, the contrast of the texture on the movement’s skeleton is remarkable. The two villains’ logos are hidden at the two bottom corners, leaving a subtle yet delicate element.

Further on exquisite jewellery watches, Longio (Chinese mainland) showcases “Longio Poetic – Fengqiaoyebo” which applies porcelain body painted enamel, the delicate technique inherited from Chinese Royal court production. The fine Enameled Porcelain, both its technology and artistic style reflect the brilliant achievements of the production of Chinese porcelain art.

White jade is rarer and more precious than green jade. The Chinese Timekeeper (Hong Kong) is using grade A Burmese white jade to offer a perfect contrast and greater legibility on the black dial on its “White Jade Automatic Watch – Limited Edition”. The illustrious material is skillfully used and its various shades are greatly inserted in the stunning and daring design.

Other special areas include the Small-Order Zone, offering more than 70 showcase units. And the Pageant of Eternity is located in Hall 1B, focusing on complete watches.

A programme of seminars put the focus on current market and design trends, providing valuable insights to buyers and exhibitors alike. Buyers can also learn new products and innovations through product launches, watch parades, and public-sharing sessions with expert representatives.

A panel of heavyweight speakers host the “Asian Watch Conference” including Mr Yvan Arpa, owner of ArtyA, a key brand in Switzerland and a panel of ASEAN market buyers. It provide insight into the world of innovative design and marketing as well as the latest ASEAN market trends. The “Hong Kong International Watch Forum” bring together experts in the industry from around the world and tackles key issues in an interactive atmosphere.

The “30th Hong Kong Watch & Clock Design Competition” carries the theme as “Time Goes On” and “The Mythmaker” for the open and student group this year and received over 200 entries. The 28 winners and finalists of this year’s design competition was on display, in the Hall 1 Concourse, throughout the Watch and Clock fair.

The design competition’s Open Group Champion was Tam Kwok Tung. His winning entry, “Face/Off,” features a bezel that works like the retractable roof of a roadster. The watch opens and closes to allow for the replacement of movements and dials, depending on the occasion or the mood of the wearer.

The Student Group’s top prize went to Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Lee Wai Lee)’s Cheung Sui Cheung. His winning watch design, “Shuttle,” was created as a tribute to the Russian space programme’s 1961 launch of the first man into space. The sleek watch’s hour and minute hands slide on independent tracks, as if the watch were a shuttle travelling through space.

HKTDC
Established in 1966, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body dedicated to creating opportunities for Hong Kong’s businesses. With more than 40 offices globally, including 13 on the Chinese mainland, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a platform for doing business with China, Asia and the world. With 50 years of experience, the HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to provide companies, particularly SMEs, with business opportunities on the mainland and in international markets, while providing information via trade publications, research reports and digital channels including the media room.