Two days ago Logan went to the exhibition at HKCEC held by Richemont Group called Watches & Wonders. Please enjoy Logan´s report and his 90 photos …
Logan, thank you once again for this report. What a pity I did not make it to Hong Kong it looks like I missed something…
This is Logan´s report… to enlarge his photos please click on them once and then again… You will discover a lot of details …
Alexander has introduced this show already. Basically, the contents of this show are similar to SIHH in Geneva, but the conception is totally different.
Everyone who wants to enter the show needs an invitation of course. The interesting part is that not only watch related media got admission, but mainly VIPs of brands and VIPs of luxury hotels, airlines and buyers of automobile brands.
Richemont Group invited potential buyers into Watches & Wonders and taught them what is Haute Horlogerie, what is real fine watchmaking, what is the value of watches of its brands.
People could easily get an idea that how difficult it is to make a watch and how much they need to pay for it by listening and observing things in this interesting show.
Another fundamental difference between SIHH and Watches & Wonders is that people can only see watches at the SIHH but watches were sold here in Hong Kong.
The show was held in a main hall in HKCEC. The decoration had a feeling of minimalism. Just everything was in an ivory color.
Registration
Main entrance
Welcome desk
Tiny cubicles of media
You really could find the display of concept of this show everywhere. They set a separated region for showing the charming processes of making watches.
A watchmaker was decorating the plate of movement.
One was allowed to observe watchmakers’ working from a short distant. You can really see how they add value into a machine.
Not only would they show you how they do things, but also introduce the aesthetic meaning of doing this and how to understand the sprit of watchmaking. I really think that they successfully planted seeds in many people’s hearts and attracted plenty of potential buyers.
Some contrasts would show people the importance of watchmakers’ work.
One watchmaker was assembling a movement. The difference between a normal show and this live version is that they did not just assemble things but also describe the basic principle of the movement.
If you listen to this lady, you would know what builds enamel its beauty.
There were some watch related books available here to bring you into the kingdom of horology further.
The show
There was a little exhibition inside Watches & Wonders held by www.hautehorlogerie.org showing the history of watchmaking. I do think that history always can make people fall in love with something. In addition, the history of human’s mastery of time itself showed a sort of fascination.
They also held a watch class for people to learn how to assemble a movement; interesting and instructive.
Eleven brands presented in this show in total, including A. Lange & Söhne, Audemars Piguet, Baume & Mercier, Cartier, IWC Schaffhausen, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Montblanc, Panerai, Piaget, Richard Mille, Roger Dubuis, Vacheron Constantin and Van Cleef & Arpels (here in alphabetical order).
Most of them revealed some new versions of old series and some of them just simply showed their products line.
The outsides of booths of brands were similar to each other. They just differed by the designing of the inner scenes. The theme of Watches & Wonders was quite clearly presented by the decoration: Watches & Wonders & Watches & Wonders WWWWWWW…
A. Lange & Söhne brought this big model here.
Audemars Piguet
You could see staff introduce things to people everywhere in Watches & Wonders. The main job of staff was to let people understand the beauty and the prices of watches.
A watchmaker was explaining how the dials of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak are made.
Baume & Mercier
Big logo on the ceiling
Showing the parts of the “new” Baume & Mercier tourbillon movement (delivered from sister brand IWC) can help people understand how tiny things could be and how difficult to assemble it and that’s the reason for the price.
Cartier
Again, Cartier not only showed the watches, but also showed the art of making watches.
Cartier also brought the ID Two and some vintage watches.
IWC Schaffhausen
Jaeger-LeCoultre
Again, they not only showed the watches, but also showed the complication of movement and the complications of assembling them.
Montblanc
This is a little but impressive show of Montblanc telling the story of its watches’ functions. Again, it was aiming to express the value of watches to those potential buyers by using an acceptable way.
Panerai
It launched two new watches PAM502 and PAM503 in red gold and white gold respectively, incorporate caliber 2004. They put the watches inside some glass cylinders. Sorry for the degraded pictures…
Piaget
Richard Mille
A decoration of watch movement
The Richard Mille Celestial Machine
The gallery showed the aesthetics of watches as well
Roger Dubuis moved their eagle to here…
Roger Dubuis Excaliber Quatuor got a black version only limited in 3 pieces. Unfortunately, I just photographed the “ordinary” one because the black titanium one was not available for photographing after they were all sold.
Vacheron Constantin
Their machine, their vintage pocket watches, their model of the new minute repeater movement, their enamel dials…
Last but not the least, Van Cleef & Arpels
I left after lunch.
Watches are wonders!!!!!!!!
Logan cool, I appreciate your work!
From your Chinese friend’s contribution, I feel I have missed the show.
Thanks for the fine report and fabulous pictures!!!
Keep it up!!!
Wow – what a detailed report – almost feels like being there! Seems all brands have put an emphasis on making craftmanship tangible!
Thanks for sharing this great insight !
It’s a very very valuable and informative step of the brands to show the detailed work of their watchmakers live at the fair.
That’s what I enjoy most when visiting a fair – regardless what branch it is actually.