Credits: Article and images by Marton Radkai @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2024/09/08/hong-kong-clock-and-watch-fair-a-party-with-benefits-plus-a-typhoon/
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The great marketplace
Given the excitement, it is difficult to sum up the experience in a few pithy lines. In addition, such events often result in serendipitous encounters and conversations with individuals and journey through some of the scanning the booths and the wares in the display cases until something called for attention.
To get a feel for the commerce side, Hall 1, the most logical place to begin. It is named “Pageant of Eternity” and is home to myriad booths, probably making up three quarters of the 700 or so exhibitors present. Many of those are companies manufacturing finished watches and clocks and those whose main business is OEM/ODM, which means essentially that they make watches on order.
Peacock Black Hole Central Tourbillon
It is where one of China’s more famous horological groups, Peacock, was exhibiting its prized products, notably the Black Hole, a central tourbillon which managed to capture a Muse Award in 2023. And it costs just $3,000-$3,750!
They have many more watches on tap, notably some very beautiful enamel dials featuring Chinese motifs, perhaps a concession to the trend towards more national themes. More recently, riding a vintage wave, they also came up with a clean bicompax chronograph in several hues including a chic, retro salmon.
As for the OEM/ODM companies, they come in droves. Browsing the alleys of Hall 1, scanning the crowded displays, resisting the many invitations from smiling reps standing outside said booths, I finally stopped at the large, brightly lit stand of the Yonghong Watch Co., Guangdong, where the company has modern facilities.
Lynn Chen, General Manager and daughter of the founder, gave me a very cogent run-down of the company. It was launched as early as 1996 as a purely OEM/ODM manufactory and now has clients ranging from Disneyworld to Brazil, Columbia, and, yes, even Switzerland (will someone admit it?). It’s a business model that demands very competent designing skills, and as, Ms Chen said, their head designer has been with the company almost since the start, which is a good thing as it suggests continuity.
“We have about 5,000 models the customer can choose from, some are more for Europe, some for America, some for the Middle East, or Southeast Asia,” she explained. “Customers from Europe are ready to pay a bit more, but we have many customers from Asia, too.” Lately, to understand their customers’ needs better, the company has resorted to AI. In 2000, they began to branch out with what is now four full-fledged brands.
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Credits: Article and images by Marton Radkai @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2024/09/08/hong-kong-clock-and-watch-fair-a-party-with-benefits-plus-a-typhoon/
