The Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair, Asia's largest watch and clock fair, took place from 3 to 7 September, with over 700 exhibitors from China and 14 other countries around the world.
Important numbers for the 43rd edition of the Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fairthe annual trade fair in Hong Kong dedicated to the world of watchmaking, and was attended by some 17,000 visitors/buyers. "The Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair and Salon de Time," said Sophia Chong, Deputy Executive Director of HKTDC (an acronym of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council), "brought together more than 700 exhibitors from 15 countries and regions. In addition to welcoming international buyers, this year's Salon de Time was for the first time completely open to the public, providing a unique procurement platform and creating new business opportunities.
Exhibitors were able to get an immediate insight into customer preferences, which will help to strengthen product design, research and development, and improve competitiveness in the future. Global buyers from outside Hong Kong came mainly from mainland China, Taiwan, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
The fair featured pavilions from Guangdong, Guangzhou, Taiwan, as well as South Korea, which returned after the pandemic. But also new exhibitors from Belgium and Denmark, as well as Greek, Turkish and British brands. The World Brand Piazza of the Salon de Time this year featured limited edition watches from ten major brands: Baume & Mercier, Bovet, Corum, Custos, DeWitt, Franck Muller, Kerbedanz, Montblanc, Parmigiani Fleurier and Sarcar. In the other exhibition areas of the Salon de Time there were several stands from European countries, such as France, Switzerland, Germany and Italy, underlining the importance of Hong Kong as a watch trade centre.
Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair: operators' forecasts for 2025
The HKTDC conducted a survey at the fair, interviewing some 900 exhibitors and buyers.
The survey showed that 42% of the respondents expect overall sales to grow in the next 12-24 months, while 47% think they will remain unchanged. Japan, Taiwan, Australia and the Pacific Islands and South Korea are considered to offer the best growth prospects over the next two years among traditional markets. While ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations), the Middle East and India are considered to offer the most promising growth prospects over the next two years among emerging markets. These interviews also revealed that Many believe that smartwatches will become the most popular watch category in the future. However, by participating in a number of forums during the fair relating to market trends, industry players expressed confidence in the development of mid- to high-end timepieces, with a possible return to vintage lines in terms of design.
Another new feature of this year's edition was the Green Solutions Suppliers label. "In recent years," explained the fair organisers, "more and more watch manufacturers have used sustainable materials to make watches and straps. In the context of the sustainability trend, this year we introduced the Green Solutions Suppliers label to make sourcing easier for buyers. These solutions were used by 30 exhibitors.
'This label,' says Amy Chow, Vice President of Gordon C & Co Ltd., a Hong Kong-based watch manufacturer, 'helped attract buyers to our stand. They came in particular from the Middle East and South-East Asia, who were very interested in our environmentally friendly watches. The working atmosphere was good this year and we expect that new orders will increase by 10-20% compared to last year especially for environmentally friendly watches.
The opinions of some operators present at the Fair
Also this year, prizes were awarded to the winners of the design competitions.
At the stand of the Italian Gagà Milano the impressions are good. 'We are here for the second year,' the company managers tell us, 'and we are quite satisfied. We export the 80% to Asia, and this is the right fair, especially after Basel, where we have been for 10 years. Here we had interesting contacts with operators from Australia, Russia, India'. Also satisfied was Amarildo Pilo, of Pilo & Co. SA, a Swiss company: "I have been coming here since 2015 and before the pandemic I was exporting for 85% to China. Hong Kong is the ideal platform in Asia. It is an important fair for international visibility'.
Finally, the international design competition, now in its 41st edition, awarded in first place The time for flowers, designed by Cheng Pui Ling. The face of the watch is covered with four-leaf clovers and enamel butterflies. As the hand moves, each four-leaf clover near the hour indicator opens one by one. Second-classified Odissey, designed by Inspo Watches Company Limited. The winner of this year's Open Group was Vertical 6.0, designed by Wong Ting Bong, a watch inspired by racing cars.
