Piaget Stella

Watches & Wonders 2015: First day

The exclusive watch show, Watches & Wonders has opened its doors for the third time today in Hong Kong. It will again play out on a luxurious backdrop, conceived more specifically for a basically Asian audience, and offers an ideal opportunity to discover many 2015 collections in addition to a few original pieces that are bound to liven up the second half of the year. 

By Vincent Daveau
Contributor

The latter are those surprising and at times idiosyncratic timepieces, some of which will not be commercialized in the West. that we, at Watchonista, aim to go dig up.  This horological confab, all little off the beaten path and away from the traditional market, will provide a different perspective on watchmaking at the other end of the world, as it were, through interviews with decision-makers, CEOs and designers from the brands present.

So let us discuss the brands. The ones present will be A. Lange & Söhne, Baume & Mercier, Cartier, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Montblanc Panerai, Piaget, Richard Mille, Roger Dubuis , Vacheron Constantin et Van Cleef & Arpels. According to the information received prior to the fair, these brands will be offering certain novelties aimed at a more local market, which, given the interest of the aficionados from the West for watchmaking products, could quickly graduate to "collector's item" rank.

Watches & Wonders 2015 Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center Watches & Wonders 2015 awaits visitors at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center

We also know that some companies, ones celebrating an anniversary this year, for instance, presented a different set of jewelry watches in Asia than they did at this year's SIHH. Montblanc will continue to impress us with its dynamism and the opulence of its collections, all in perfect sync with the realities of the market. Fans of Panerai will no doubt be seduced by what's on offer during this specifically Asian show. Of course, IWC will be showing a mono-pusher chronograph, which will surely become a talking piece within a short while. As for Van Cleef & Arpels, it will astonish us with extraordinary models, just like Cartier, which is showing up for the show with special creations to be deciphered by Carole Forestier herself. Naturally, Piaget will be unveiling some remarkable timepieces that will highlight the crafts much prized by the brand, whilst Roger Dubuis and Jaeger-LeCoultre will reveal their own visions of what it's like to skeletonize a watch. And as usual, Richard Mille will be showing his other-worldly vision of the meaning of original construction…

Stay tuned, more tomorrow….

And receive each week a custom selection of articles.

Watches & Wonders 2015: in the heart of the Middle Empire

By Vincent DaveauContributor
At the opening ceremony of this year's edition of Watches & Wonders, the brands present gave a very optimistic account of their situation. And all...