The 44th HKTDC Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair and the 13th Salon de TIME, jointly organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), Hong Kong Watch Manufacturers Association Limited, and The Federation of Hong Kong Watch Trades & Industries Limited, successfully ended yesterday in physical fair format. Meanwhile, the Click2Match AI-driven business matching platform will remain open until 13 September, allowing global exhibitors and buyers to continue business discussions.
Over the past five days, the physical fairs attracted some 16,000 trade buyers from 95 countries and regions on-site. Buyers from outside Hong Kong mainly came from Mainland China, Taiwan, India, Japan, t
Salon de TIME was open to the public for free for the second consecutive year. Together with CENTRESTAGE, which was held at the same time, the events attracted more than 19,000 public visits to purchase their favourite items. Around 400 watch and fashion brands were showcased on-site.
HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Sophia Chong said: “The Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair and Salon de TIME are annual highlights for the industry. This year, the events brought together over 650 exhibitors from 15 countries and regions.
This year's exhibition featured pavilions from Guangzhou, Taiwan, the Swiss Independent Watchmakers Pavilion (SIWP), and the French pavilion by Francéclat. It also welcomed the return of exhibitors from Germany, Japan, Lebanon and the Netherlands. The number of brands at Salon de TIME reached a new post-pandemic high.
Many exhibitors used the platform to launch innovative products showcasing exquisite craftsmanship, serving as a springboard for entering international and mainland markets. This underscores Hong Kong's vitality as a global hub for commerce and creativity.”
She mentioned that a series of trade exhibitions will be held in the fall, including the HKTDC Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Autumn Edition) and electronicAsia, which will take place simultaneously from 13 to 16 October at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Following these, the HKTDC Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition) will be held from 27 to 30 October, and the Hong Kong International Outdoor and Tech Light Expo will run from 28 to 31 October, at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and AsiaWorld-Expo, respectively.
All four exhibitions will adopt the EXHIBITION+ hybrid model, allowing global buyers and exhibitors to continue discussions online after the physical fairs.
Survey indicates that markets such as the Middle East and East Asia are viewed optimistically.
During the exhibition, the HKTDC conducted a survey, interviewing some 920 exhibitors and buyers on-site. The aim was to understand global trends in the watch industry, as well as exhibitors' and buyers' perspectives on the industry's outlook and product trends.
The survey results show that 59% of respondents expect overall sales to grow in the next 12 to 24 months, while 36% anticipate that sales will remain stable.
Respondents considered the growth prospects for the watch industry in the following target sales markets to be promising or very promising in the next two years: the Middle East (82%), Taiwan (79%), Korea (78%), Latin America (76%), Australia (76%), and ASEAN countries (73%).
Regarding product trends, 47% of respondents consider smart watches to have the most significant growth potential, followed by fashion watches (30%), and casual watches (26%).
CREDITS: This information was compiled from ACN Newswire press release and has not been edited or reviewed by our team.
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