Switzerland isn't the only place to find an exhaustive exhibition where the world's top watch brands come together to show off their most exquisite models. From September 25 to 28, Asia's first Haute Horlogerie exhibition, Watches & Wonders, will make its way to Hong Kong. Over 700 exhibitors will be present, including Chinese and Hong Kong watchmakers. According to The New York Times, the exhibition is decidedly high-end:
The new Watches and Wonders salon squarely focuses on high-rolling private customers. Organized by the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie in Switzerland, which also runs the annual Geneva Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, it is, like the Geneva salon, essentially a display case for brands from the Richemont luxury goods group. But there is a difference.
Nicolas Bos, the chief executive and creative director of Van Cleef & Arpels, a Richemont jewelry and watch brand, said the aim was to show the products and to provide potential customers with an insight into their history and heritage. The Geneva salon “is a trade fair — we’re only open to the press and the trade,” he said in an interview in Singapore. “This new fair is like an art fair, in a way, for the clients to come and see.”
The extensive list of international brands represented at the event includes A. Lange & Söhne, Audemars Piguet, Baume & Mercier, Cartier, IWC, Jaeger LeCoultre, Montblanc, Panerai, Piaget, Richard Mille, Roger Dubuis, Vacheron Constantin, and Van Cleef & Arpels.
[Correction, 9/10/13: The list of brands exhibiting previously included Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie partner brands that will not be exhibiting. Above is the correct list via the event announcement.]
Visit the event's website for more information.