Watches&Wonders 2014 – Hong Kong embellished by time
The second edition of Watches&Wonders drew to a close today after four amazingly rich days packed with encounters and exchanges amid stunning creations. The rare opportunity for visitors to see the very latest high-end timepieces and to meet and interact with their creators in an exclusive, tailor-made format drew some 16’000 visitors and 800 journalists, confirming that the unique exhibition is the Fine Watchmaking event for Asian collectors and aficionados.
Hong Kong, October 3, 2014 – Baggage claim screens at the airport, billboards and banners on lampposts, even trams zipping through the streets – all heralded Watches&Wonders 2014 in beautiful blue around Hong Kong this week as 13 European luxury Maisons, including their Chief Executive Officers, met with visitors to the Fine Watchmaking exhibit to share their passion and knowledge of the noble craft of creating fine timepieces.
In her opening speech, Fabienne Lupo, Chairwoman and Managing Director of the Geneva-based Fine Watchmaking Foundation, organiser of the event, stressed the paramount importance of this interaction, saying that a central purpose of coming to Asia was exactly for such transmission. “We aspire to send Fine Watchmaking across continents, generations and cultures,” she said, “to transmit our passion, to impart our knowledge, to share all the richness of what we do.”
“But it is important to remember,” Lupo says, “that exchange is always a two-way street. We are also here to deepen our ties in Asia, to know our clientele better and to learn as well.”
This process of exchange led many of the exhibiting Maisons to notice women’s growing appreciation for Fine Watchmaking and to imagine and create timepieces specifically suited to their taste and needs. For their part, the men’s collections displayed an unparalleled mastery of horological complications. Nearly every booth featured a master artisan or craftsman demonstrating technique, tradition and talent to each and every visitor.
In spite of some disruptive events in Hong Kong earlier, the second edition of Watches and Wonders had an incredible turnout and all of the Maisons were extremely satisfied with the results. Set to position Hong Kong as the Fine Watchmaking hub of Asia, Watches&Wonders will return next year.
“The event was open to the public for less time this year but we still had nearly the same number of visitors,” Fabienne Lupo said. “We are truly grateful for our warm reception and welcome here and we’ll be back in September 2015. Even if we do master time, we also know how quickly it passes – so mark your calendars now.”
