Review of the 2018 Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair, the world's largest!

Home

2018.12.27

Watch fairs, including Baselworld, are full of ups and downs. One that stands out among them is the Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair, held in Hong Kong. Originally a small exhibition for OEMs, it has grown in size every year. In 2018, it became the world's largest watch fair, attracting approximately 830 companies.

The Hong Kong Watch and Clock Fair is now the world's largest

　Hong Kong is the world's largest watch market, and the area centered around Hong Kong and Shenzhen is one of the world's leading watch manufacturing regions. At the heart of Hong Kong's watch industry is the Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair. The 37th fair was held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Hong Kong from September 4th to 8th, 2018. According to the organizers, the number of buyers attending was 21,000, a 2% increase from last year. Although the number of attendees was about one-fifth of Baselworld, most of them were buyers, making it even more of a trade fair.

The entrance to the Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. In terms of the number of exhibitors, it has surpassed Baselworld to become the world's largest watch fair.

　What was interesting was the lineup of participants. In addition to a full range of manufacturers from Hong Kong and China, various manufacturers from Europe also participated, aiming to expand sales. There were also many manufacturers that produce watch-related items such as packaging, boxes, and straps, as well as OEM manufacturers from Hong Kong and China. In addition, the secretariat held several conferences for media and related parties during the event. The secretariat's attitude of not leaving it up to the manufacturers, but working together to liven up the market, was notable.

Press passes were distributed to reporters. Journalists had gathered not only from Asia, but also from Europe and the Middle East.

There are more than just watchmakers

　The Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair is spread across several floors of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The main floor is Salon de TE, dedicated to watch manufacturers primarily from Hong Kong and China. Memorgin, which has now grown to become a leading watch brand in Asia, rather than just Hong Kong, and Seagull, a leading Chinese manufacturer, tower over the entrance. The products of these two companies once had a strong image of being inexpensive, but this has now changed dramatically. As if to symbolize this, Seagull's booth even had a minute repeater ebauche on display. From what I could see, the quality of the finish was not bad.

The Salon de TE, located on the main floor, is a corner that symbolizes the Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair's focus on luxury, with 150 brand manufacturers gathered.

　Incidentally, on the main floor, top Swiss brands have set up booths in what's being called the "Worldwide Brand Piazza." However, these are local retailers and are not official. That said, it's clear that the organizers are trying to make this event more luxurious, and there are apparently plans to separate Salon de TE from the Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair from next year onwards and make it its own event. If this happens, it could potentially become one of Asia's leading luxury fairs.

At the entrance, two major Asian brands, Memorigin and Seagull, were lined up. As you would expect from both companies, there was a constant stream of people visiting during the event.

In the center of Salon de TE was an event space where various companies held their events. The photo shows an event held by Memorigin. The guest was Mr. Hu Siu Kwang, a famous bowler from Hong Kong.

　On another floor, the Salon de TE was similarly packed with Asian watch brands and suppliers. Not only were Hong Kong and Chinese manufacturers present, but Japanese companies like Epson and Seiko Instruments, as well as Korean manufacturers, also had booths. The interesting part was at the back of the floor. There were rows of small strap and tool shops, giving it the feel of a Hong Kong trade fair. A tool shop that has been exhibiting for over 20 years had its booth behind an up-and-coming manufacturer, a sight you'd never see at Baselworld or SIHH.

The floor was packed with Asian brands, including Seiko Instruments subsidiary TMI, ebauche manufacturer Ronda, and Seiko Epson. However, all of the Japanese manufacturers were exhibiting through their local subsidiaries.

At the back of the booth was a hardware store called "Watch Me International." Everything on display was a magnifying glass. There were also a crammed array of other tools and accessories. If you're a Japanese watch shop struggling for ideas, this is a must-visit.

　Also, on the floor specializing in watch parts and OEM, they sold everything watch-related, from paper bags and boxes to the watches themselves. By the way, photography was prohibited on this floor. When I asked the paper bag seller why, he said, "Because there's a risk that other companies will copy them." Perhaps it's also because people don't want their suppliers' manufacturers to be known. However, both exhibitors and attendees were very well-behaved, and no one was taking photos without permission.

It's not Bovet, but Juvet. It's a Swiss manufacturer founded in 1842. It was revived in 2010 and is now sold in Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, and Taiwan. The average price range is around 30 to 50 yen.

A-tek is an up-and-coming Hong Kong brand. In addition to being reasonably priced, it stands out for its pop style, typical of Hong Kong brands. It is one of the brands that people are eagerly awaiting when it arrives in Japan.