On China time
Watches & Wonders in Sanya capitalises on the rising demand for luxury chronographs on the mainland.
In case you missed the chronological action of the last two months, there's still time to see Watches & Wonders in Sanya. Hosted on the island province of Hainan, the fair has brought 11 prestigious watch brands to CDF Mall, the biggest duty-free complex in the world, until the end of October. This event follows the fair's debut in Shanghai in September.
Demand for timepieces in China continues to rise. According to the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry, despite the difficulties global markets faced in August, China's watch demand grew for the third month in a row – by 44.9%. "Cumulative performance for the first eight months of the year shows that China has already returned to growth at 1.6%," according to the trade association.
The brands exhibiting in Sanya include A.Lange & Söhne, Baume & Mercier, Cartier, IWC Schaffhausen, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Panerai, Piaget, Hermès, Montblanc, Roger Dubuis and Vacheron Constantin. All of them are showcasing their latest releases along with hands-on introductions to watchmaking, augmented-reality experiences, and a series of talks and discussions.
Watches & Wonders Sanya is the result of a cooperative agreement between China Duty Free Group (CDFG) and Switzerland's Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie. Set up in 1984, with more than 1,000 brands in its portfolio, CDFG develops duty-free business across China. "It is an embodiment of our common pursuit for demonstrating and communicating the aesthetic and cultural values of watches and jewellery," says Charles Chen, the president of CDFG. "I am fully confident that this cooperation will offer a gala for watch and jewellery lovers in China, usher in the 'China time' for the Chinese tourism retail market, and open up new landscapes for duty-free cooperation in China and worldwide."
For those of you who can't make it to Sanya before October 31, you can follow the exclusive event online at watchesandwonders.com.
