You can surf the web all you want, but there is nothing like actually seeing a watch in the metal, feeling its weight on your wrist, the firm yet gentle grip of the strap, and gazing into the depth of its dial and realizing: “This is The One.”  And a fair is one of the best places to find a match. 

September is the gateway to “watch season,” ushering in a veritable smorgasbord of events around the world, where you can flirt with watches to your heart’s content. My beat is Hong Kong, which hosts one of the world’s premium exhibitions. On September 1, the Hong Kong Watch and Clock Fair (HKWCF) opens its doors for the 45th time. This is the venue to feel the pulse of the industry from another perspective. The key to its effectiveness is not the size, but rather the diversity of industry branches represented.

Unlike the more product-oriented trade shows, the HKWCF brings together haute horlogerie, independent watchmakers, fashion brands, smartwatches, component manufacturers, and the vast OEM and ODM ecosystem that keeps much of the global watch industry moving. “Every market has its own nuances, and Asia is certainly not somewhere where you can take a one-size-fits-all approach,” Simon Wolf told me. He is CEO of Wolf1834, an almost 200-year-old company making watch winders, storage cases, straps, and other paraphernalia. “Asia is incredibly important, not simply because of its scale, but because there is a genuine appreciation here for craftsmanship, heritage, and the stories behind beautifully made objects. Hong Kong, in particular, has long been an important meeting point for the international luxury community.”

The fair is divided into halls in the large – and thankfully air-conditioned – convention centre, which offers a stunning view of Victoria Harbour. On the highest level is the Salon de Time, reserved for finished products – in other words, “real” watches. Brands and independents congregate here to exhibit, making it an ideal space to snoop around and compare and contrast national styles.

For convenience, the Salon de Time is divided into sections, including a stage where panels and presentations are held – occasionally running long and loud. The local heroes gather in the Craft Treasure section, the ideal place to discover the very special creativity pervading the Chinese industry firsthand. Over the past few years, it has evolved from a manufacturing base into a genuine competitor on international markets. This year they include CIGA Design, which in its ten-year existence, has built a devoted following ever since its Blue Planet won an award at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) in 2021.

The company isn’t presenting any premieres, but it still sees the fair as valuable ground. “It serves as an excellent global window for the brand,” Ben, CIGA’s Vice President of Global Sales & Marketing, wrote me. “It exposes CIGA Design to international audiences, meanwhile allowing us to connect with supply chain and industry partners across the sector.”

China’s oldest watch brand, the venerable Shanghai Watch, which celebrated its 70th year in 2025, will also be present. This year it takes up the Geneva gauntlet again and has placed its hopes in the brand-new Morning Gold Microcarving Minute Repeater model, a collaboration with master metal engraver Meihua, who provided the meticulously detailed Customs House on the Bund in 18kt gold on the dial with the city’s wild skyline behind it in white gold. The unique piece is part of a series paying tribute to the brand’s home city.

The Craft Treasure section is also the place to get acquainted with other rising names in the Chinese industry, like Agelocer and Memorigin, and to meet Chinese members of the Académie horlogère des créateurs indépendants (AHCI), Xushu Ma and Zehua Tan, on their home turf.

Europeans are also present. The World Brand Piazza showcases some of the top luxury models by big brands in a separate space. For a more varied and affordable selection, you have the Renaissance Moment section. France Éclat, an association representing French watchmaking, hosts a cluster of booths here. And this year the Swiss Independent Watch Pavilion (SIWP) is showing up in force, with a total of fourteen small but independent brands, much to the joy of the group’s head, Amarildo Pilo of Pilo & Cie Genève. “This is a fair where you can be genuinely surprised,” he explained. “We always see visitors from markets around the world, including from the Indian market, which is developing more and more.” Besides Pilo’s own house, the SIWP includes brands such as Gréco Watch, Epos, Marvin, and Vulcain.

At Microbrands you can see the latest from, for example, the recently founded Micromilspec, Zeppelin, Lannier or the Vario, a rising brand from Singapore that has managed to breathe new life into vintage designs. For Ivan Chua, Vario’s founder, Hong Kong is a stepping stone for expansion into Asian markets. “We are testing the waters and learning what works,” he told me, adding a little cryptically: “The current economic environment around the world makes that approach even more important.” 

Needless to say, in an era of permanent self-optimization, watches that monitor your every hiccup, your glucose levels, your heartbeat and other bodily functions have their own dedicate area called Wearable Tech. And the Chic & Trendy section features gaudy lifestyle products and other wrist-based fashion statements. 

What makes the HKWCF genuinely fun and instructive is being able to glimpse behind the scenes, as it were. To find out where the “other 40%” of some brands are made in, the place to go is the large hall on the second story, the Pageant of Eternity. The name is a little grandiose, but the bustling space has its own excitement, with hundreds of companies making components, accessories, straps, tools and other watchmaking equipment, packaging and display cases. The OEM and ODM watches are also located here, for people who need to make dedicated batches for special occasions, like enterprise anniversaries and other large-scale celebrations. 

Quo vadis?

The HKWCF also organizes several conferences offering insight into the state of the industry globally. On the opening day, experts and industry leaders gather to discuss trade trends and the rise of AI and smartwatches. On day two, September 2, it’s the turn of the Asian Watch Conference, which, we are told, will focus on how the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a trade agreement between fifteen Asia-Pacific countries, is creating opportunities for growth in the region, partly as a way to cushion the impact of the Trump-era tariffs.

Last but not least, the Federation of Hong Kong Watch Trades & Industries Ltd is once again co-organizing the Hong Kong Watch & Clock Design Competition, now in its 43rd year. It is themed “Contours of the Breeze” (student group) and “Transcending Time” (open group). Winners will be announced at the fair, with finalist pieces on display throughout. And for anyone running short on time at the physical fair, there’s always the Click2Match system that permits virtual communication after fair has shut down.

The Hong Kong Watch and Clock Fair is organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the Hong Kong Watch Manufacturers Association Ltd, and the Federation of Hong Kong Watch Trades & Industries Ltd. It runs from September 1 to September 5 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. For more information:
Hong Kong Watch and Clock Fair: hktdc.com/hkwatchfair 

Salon de Time: hktdc.com/hkwatchfair/te

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