Nearly 15,000 buyers from 95 countries and regions attended the physical exhibitions of the 42nd HKTDC Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair and 11th Salon de TE, organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), Hong Kong Watch Manufacturers Association Ltd and The Federation of Hong Kong Watch Trades & Industries Ltd. The physical exhibitions ended on 9 September but under the hybrid EXHIBITION+ format the online exhibitions continue until 16 September. During the fairs, the results of the 40th Hong Kong Watch Design Competition, also organised by the three organisers, were announced. Winning and finalist entries were prominently displayed to global visitors.To provide industry professionals with the latest market trends and insights from the global watch and clock industry, the HKTDC organised the Hong Kong International Watch Forum on the first day of the fairs (5 September). Representatives from watch associations in Mainland China, France, Germany, Japan, Korea and Switzerland were invited to discuss the industry's regional trade performance and global outlook. On 6 September, the annual Asian Watch Conference was held with the theme, Shaping the Future of Watch: The Next Design Trends. Speakers delved into sustainability in watchmaking as well as the latest trends and future directions of watch design to inspire new ideas.
Hong Kong Watch Design Competition - uncovering talent
The Hong Kong Watch Design Competition has been striving to elevate the design and quality of Hong Kong watches and clocks and encourage creative ideas, while also identifying local design talent and injecting a new impetus into the industry. The competition's 40th edition featured an Open Group and a Student Group, with the themes The Beauty of Perspective and Game Code, respectively. The competition was enthusiastically received, with 84 high-quality entries submitted. Winners were selected by a judging panel comprising nine industry leaders and celebrity judge Jessica Hsuan.
In the Open Group, Tam Kwok Tung emerged as champion with Scroll Bar. By ingeniously manipulating perspective, the design creates a sense of depth within the confined space of the wrist, revealing the aesthetic allure of traditional mechanical watches. The first runner-up was Chan Kar Him with TRAVERSE, which features an entirely transparent case and employs a horizontal assembly method to fully highlight the exquisite craftsmanship of watch movement. Second runner-up was Heromex Watch Company Limited for its design, Mondrian. Inspired by the Dutch artist Piet Mondrian, the watch uses basic shapes and primary colours to create an abstract composition. The radiating black lines on the dial are complemented by scattered colour blocks and a skeleton movement, expressing the aesthetics of perspective.
Within the Student Group, Wong Yin Yeung of the Youth College International clinched the champion title for his design, TANZZLE. The designer believed the distance between people brought by the pandemic could be bridged by games in the post-pandemic era. His watch features a foldable design and incorporates a Tangram on the watch face. Wearers can engage in exciting matches with friends anytime and anywhere by racing to form various shapes and graphics with the Tangram. The versatile game play and minimalistic design of the watch inspire limitless creativity.
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