One of the most extraordinary European brands on show was DØgn from the Norwegian company CogniTime. The time display is neither digital nor analogue; but a timeline of all 24 hours of the day in a figure of eight that lights up as time elapses. Christian Barmen, the company’s Co-Founder, explained that the rather unusual idea originally came from a Norwegian invention to help people with cognitive disabilities to read the time. Sometimes after an accident or illness the brain has trouble reading time in the conventional format; this simplified way of visualizing the time was more effective. Although the watch’s origins lie in the medical industry, there is nothing clinical looking about the watch - a pressure sensitive sapphire glass to activate functions, a computer link-up for the calendar and the sleekest Scandinavian design make this timepiece a truly original alternative that wasn’t missed by the fair’s buyers who were clambering for appointments.
Another original concept was being presented by Wize & Ope, a French brand founded by two ex-odm employees. Their idea was to create a cartoon character that changes outfits when fashion trends change. Sometimes the character is a rock ‘n roll fan and then he may get into the hip hop scene or rap, or even country and western (well, maybe not country and western, but you get the gist). Every time this little cartoon character changes trend, it is time to change the lugs on the watch. Owners of the watch can follow everything on the Wize & Ope website and even design their own lugs. In a world where interactive sites are becoming more and more popular, Wize & Ope has all the chances of being a big hit.




DØgn by CogniTime, LAtitude, 1Th One


One of my personal favourites at the fair this year was Venexx, the perfume watch from Germany. I saw this watch in Inhorgenta in Munich too, but I have never seen it in the shops. I don’t know why, because it is such a great idea. There is a little perfume flask in the back of the watch that the owner can fill with her favourite fragrance, and a little pusher on the side to have a little squirt whenever required. Now, how ingenious is that? The watch is great looking too, coming in a variety of dial and strap combinations.
There are some fantastic digital watches with a multitude of functions that are made in Hong Kong. Heart rate monitors, calorie counters, weather forecasters and altimeters seemed to be on every corner of the fair. One of the forerunners in the digital field is a Hong Kong company called LAtitude. The brand has all the regular digital function watches but also some really advanced technology for all kinds of extreme sports. One timepiece that really caught my attention was their gamma radiation detector. Obviously not for the mass market, but members of the British Army in Iraq and geologists and miners in Canada have apparently been snapping it up. For the customer looking for a ‘talking piece’ for around a couple of hundred dollars, this would certainly start a good debate!
Another Hong Kong exhibitor, 1HE ONE, was showing some original collections using a binary format with LEDs for telling the time. The large dot for the hours, the smaller dot for the five-minutes and the smaller squares for the individual minutes. The time on the photo here is 4:18, for example. Here is proof that the lower-end of the market is just as inno-vative in its search for interesting new ways to tell the time as the high-end.




Wize & Ope ad, Venexx


Glittering growth
The number of ODM (original design manufacturer) brands exhibiting at the Hong Kong Watch and Clock Fair has skyrocketed since the organizers set up the Brand Name Gallery in the year 2000, attracting watch brands from all over the world. The gallery started with a modest nine exhibitors, and in only seven years, has expanded to include 113 brands. But it is not only the Brand Name Gallery that has been expanding, Hong Kong watch and clock exports are also on the rise. “In the first seven months of this year, Hong Kong watch and clock exports increased by 4.5 percent to US$3.4 billion,” shared Jerry Tsang, Co-Chairman of the fair’s organizing committee at the opening presentation. “The Hong Kong watch industry is enjoying glittering growth,” he continued. “Such numbers underline the industry’s competitive edge, its international reputation for speedy response, consistent quality and reasonable price.”
The fair is a great springboard into Asia and many international exhibitors expressed their wish to meet with new distributors and new retailers in the Asian market. The influx of European brands at the fair is proof that Hong Kong is moving away from its OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) or private label image and, thanks to the boost given by the Hong Kong Trade and Development Council for Hong Kong companies to concentrate on developing design, companies from all over the world are now joining the momentum.
To see more from the Hong Kong Watch and Clock Fair 2007, see our Hong Kong Gallery with a selection of the best timepieces from the show on www.europastar.com.




Hong Kong watch and clock design competition
One of the highlights of the Hong Kong Watch and Clock Fair is the design competition, which has been running for 24 years. The winners get the opportunity to visit BaselWorld and spend the following two and a half months training intensively with a top Swiss designer. Europa Star caught up with Alfred Chan and Eddie Tang, two of last year’s winners, during their work experience with Antoine Tschumy, the Founder and CEO of Neo Desis in Le Locle.
The difference in work philosophy between Switzerland and Hong Kong is vast, so the exchange gives new insight to both parties. The Hong Kong designers studied the intricacies of European design, the importance of respecting the codes of a brand and the characteristics of luxury design. “Because we make so many products in Asia, we often rush and make mistakes. We just don’t have the time to think about it. In Switzerland, designers work to create the perfect piece, a final work that doesn't require revision,” explains Tang.
Antoine Tschumy got involved with the exchange thanks to the seminars he teaches at the watch school in La Chaux-de-Fonds. The school operates an exchange programme frequented by students from the Hong Kong design school. The students spoke about Tschumy on their return to Hong Kong and he was asked to get involved in the design competition. “The programme is a partnership between companies and the university,” explains Tschumy “It is very positive for us to see what is happening on the outside. Eddie and Alfred are very creative and have a completely different vision. They don’t have a watchmaking tradition so they think about watches from a different point of view. They are very linked to the world of computer games, manga etc. They are influenced by the world of play, which I find very positive.”



Tempus - The temple of time
While business was booming in Hong Kong, a completely different horological event was taking place across the South China Sea in Singapore called Tempus – The temple of time.
Tempus is organized by the retail group The Hour Glass, which has boutiques in Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Japan, Thailand and Australia. Michael Tay, The Hour Glass’ Executive Director, calls it “a five-day hotbed of horological culture”.
With CEO discussion forums, plenary sessions, live demonstrations and exhibitions of the latest and greatest timepieces, Tempus isn’t really a watch show, but more of an educational insight into this fascinating industry of ours. Nowhere else have I seen consumers talking directly with company CEOs in such a relaxed and informal environment. This kind of interaction was an exceptional experience for Asia’s watch connoisseurs and collectors. It was this uniqueness that attracted over 80 CEOs, watchmakers and craftsmen and 50,000 visitors to the event.
Such an extravaganza costs a staggering S$3.5 million (1.7 million Euro) to stage, but the rewards are plentiful as it strengthens the ties between The Hour Glass, its consumers and the top brands, building solid relationships for the future, educating new generations of watch collectors, not to mention the numbers of people who left with a new acquisition on their wrist. The only criticisms I heard were why can’t Tempus happen every year instead of every three years!


Source: Europa Star December-Januar 2008 Magazine Issue