The 44th HKTDC Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair and 13th Salon de TIME concluded successfully, attracting approximately 16,000 trade buyers from 95 countries and regions. The five-day physical event reinforced Hong Kong's position as a global watch commerce hub, with significant participation from Mainland China, Taiwan, India, Japan, the United States, and ASEAN nations including Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.
Industry survey data collected from 920 exhibitors and buyers revealed optimistic market projections, with 59% of respondents anticipating overall sales growth over the next 12 to 24 months, while 36% expect stable sales performance. The research identified key growth markets, with the Middle East (82%), Taiwan (79%), Korea (78%), Latin America (76%), Australia (76%), and ASEAN countries (73%) viewed as particularly promising territories for expansion.
Product category analysis showed smart watches leading growth expectations, with 47% of respondents identifying them as having the most significant potential, followed by fashion watches (30%) and casual watches (26%). The exhibitions featured over 650 exhibitors from 15 countries and regions, including dedicated pavilions from Guangzhou, Taiwan, the Swiss Independent Watchmakers Pavilion (SIWP), and the French pavilion organized by Francéclat.
Substantial business transactions emerged from the event, including Saat ve Saat from Turkiye procuring automatic mechanical watches from Hong Kong exhibitor Dailywin Watch Products Mfg Ltd with an expected annual order value of US$1 million. This transaction was facilitated through the https://hkwatchfair.hktdc.com/en/Click2Match AI-driven business matching platform. Su & Co Trading Company from Myanmar secured US$600,000 worth of branded watches and established a sole distributor agreement with Mathey Tissot from the SIWP.
Innovation highlights included Hong Kong exhibitor Dayton Industrial's Watch2Care TCM smart watch, which attracted potential distributors from Germany, Mainland China, Singapore, and the United States. German brand Lilienthal Berlin introduced an environmentally conscious timepiece featuring a dial manufactured from recycled tea leaves, generating significant global buyer interest. The concurrent Salon de TIME event, open free to the public for the second consecutive year alongside CENTRESTAGE, attracted over 19,000 public visitors and featured approximately 400 watch and fashion brands, including "Guochao" series watches from Mainland China.
The hybrid EXHIBITION+ model will extend business discussions online until September 13, with upcoming trade exhibitions including the https://hkelectronicsfairautumn.hktdc.com/en/HKTDC Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Autumn Edition) and electronicAsia scheduled for October. HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Sophia Chong emphasized the platform's critical role in launching innovative products and facilitating international market entry, underscoring Hong Kong's continued vitality as a commerce and creativity hub for the global watch industry.
