Advanced designs highlight Hong Kong’s strength in innovation
The physical exhibitions of the 43rd HKTDC Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair and 12th Salon de TIME, 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, successfully concluded on 7 September. The two fairs attracted some 17,000 buyers from 106 countries and regions. The results of the 41st Hong Kong Watch & Clock Design Competition, also facilitated by the three organisers, were announced. All winning and finalist entries were displayed during the Watch & Clock Fair.
The annual Hong Kong Watch & Clock Design Competition promotes the development of Hong Kong’s watch industry. In addition to encouraging local designers to create more innovative work, the competition also identifies emerging industry talent.
The competition has an Open Group and a Student Group, with Go Beyond Innovation and Talent Moment as their respective design themes. The Go Beyond Innovation theme for the Open Group focused on new concepts and technologies. The Talent Moment theme for the Student Group encouraged participants to explore new frontiers for quartz watches inspired by AI.
70 entries were submitted. The winner, first and second runner-up and merit award recipients were selected by a judging panel comprising eight industry leaders and celebrity artiste Benjamin Yuen.
Open Group creations break with tradition and inspire
This year’s Open Group winner was Vertical 6.0, designed by Wong Ting Bong. This car-racing inspired watch allows the wearer to experience the pursuit of speed and thrill of racing. A metal case placed above the surface presents an industrial aesthetic.
The first runner-up was The time for flowers, designed by Cheng Pui Ling. The watch’s dial is layered with enamel four-leaf clovers and butterflies. As the hand moves, each four-leaf clover near the hour marker unfurls one by one, as if caressed by a spring breeze.
The second runner-up was ODYSSEY, designed by Inspo Watches Company Limited. This watch includes an innovative dual-dial world time display. A unique automatic movement drives two hemispheric time zone dials, with only a simple adjustment needed to check the time in different time zones.
Student Group creations combine elegance with practicality
The Student Group, for students from local registered colleges, looked for up-and-coming watch industry talent. This year’s winner was Liminality, designed by Lau Cheuk Lai who studies at Creative Secondary School. This creation blurs the boundaries between watches and jewellery, showing transitory forms that combine AI with tradition and decoration with practicality.
The first runner-up was Celestial Feathered Symphony, designed by Lee Kwan Ho from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. This peacock-inspired watch combines ethereal and artistic elements. The pointer movement evokes the imagery of a peacock, dancing amidst a symphony of feathers.
The second runner-up was The Watcher, designed by Yu Po Kwan from the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong. This creation features an eye, inspired by surveillance cameras, while a rotating mechanism in the watch face signifies the passage of time.
Newly introduced this year was The Made-to-Sell Award, recognising a student creation that demonstrates exceptional marketability. The award went to Yip Yu Ching from the Hong Kong Design Institute for her creation Starlight. Inspired by stargazing, the watch design included a location tracking function and a constellation diagram.
This watch will be produced under the guidance and support of the Hong Kong Watch Manufacturers Association Ltd and The Federation of Hong Kong Watch Trades & Industries Ltd and will receive its official retail launch at the HKTDC Design Gallery. The winner was selected by another eight industry leaders and the Assistant Executive Director of the HKTDC.
The competition’s Award Presentation Ceremony was complemented by a Fashion x Watch Parade.
Websites
Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair: hkwatchfair.hktdc.com
Salon de TIME:https://www.hktdc.com/event/te/en
Also read: 9th Belt and Road Summit draws to a successful close
About the HKTDC
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong ’s trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly SMEs, in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via trade publications, research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus.
