The 43rd Hong Kong Watch & Clock Design Competition results announced

- Emerging designers shine, injecting innovative momentum into the watch and clock industry

Hong Kong (ANTARA/ACN Newswire) - The 45th Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair and the 14th 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, concluded their physical exhibitions on 5 September, attracting over 17,000 trade buyers from 115 countries and regions.

Meanwhile, the results of the 43rd Hong Kong Watch & Clock Design Competition, also jointly organised by HKTDC, The Hong Kong Watch Manufacturers Association Ltd., and The Federation of Hong Kong Watch Trades & Industries Ltd., have been announced. The fair showcased all winning and shortlisted entries, and an award presentation ceremony was held on the event stage.

Since its inception, the Hong Kong Watch & Clock Design Competition has aimed to raise the design standards and quality of Hong Kong watches and clocks, encourage innovative and creative ideas, enrich the fair's content, and promote sales of Hong Kong-made timepieces in both local and overseas markets.

This year's competition featured an Open Group and a Student Group, with the themes 'Transcending Time' and 'Contours of the Breeze' respectively. The theme 'Transcending Time' invited participants to translate sensory languages such as visual, auditory, and tactile experiences into design elements, creating an abstract, transcendent realm that breaks through the boundaries of time. Under the theme 'Contours of the Breeze', participants were encouraged to capture the movement and flow of wind through watch design, reflecting the limitless possibilities encountered in life's journey.

The competition received an enthusiastic response, attracting 130 entries. The judging panel comprised eight representatives from the watch and clock industry, together with celebrity guest judge Joey Thye, who jointly selected the Champion, First Runner-up, Second Runner-up, and Merit Award winners in both categories.

The 43rd Hong Kong Watch & Clock Design Competition featured Open Group and Student Group category winners. Celebrity guest judge Joey Thye attended the award ceremony.

Craftsmanship meets creativity to reimagine the concept of time

The Champion of the Open Group, Tectonic Indeterminacy, was designed by Chan Pak Hei and Yang Tianxu and sponsored by Golden Hawk Manufactory Ltd. Inspired by the organic geometric form of pebbles, the design was shaped through a rigorous process of subtraction. Angled geometric facets were carved from a solid form, transforming the dial into a tangible representation of time, while a sculpted void seamlessly integrates the crown into the watch body. Through pure spatial and geometric manipulation, the timepiece transcends the conventional function of timekeeping, turning reading time into an experience rich in spatial depth and tactile tension.

Tectonic Indeterminacy: Open Group winner of the 43rd Hong Kong Watch & Clock Design Competition

The First Runner-up, Channel, was designed by Wong Ting Bong and sponsored by Youngs Watch Company Limited and Po Fai Precision Company Limited. The dial incorporates the scale and pointer of a VU meter, commonly used in audio equipment to indicate volume levels, transforming the abstract concepts of time and sound into visible physical traces.

Channel: Open Group first runner-up of the 43rd Hong Kong Watch & Clock Design Competition

The Second Runner-up was Pang Sze Nga who designed the Moment of Stillness depicting mountain ranges and outlined in gold wire, with enamel forming rivers and peaks, while a relief swallow weaves through the landscape as a messenger of time.

Moment of Stillness: Open Group second runner-up of the 43rd Hong Kong Watch & Clock Design Competition

Watch Design by student group reflects on elements of success

The Student Group was open to full-time students in Hong Kong to discover emerging talent in the local watch and clock industry through the competition.

The Champion, Traces of Storm, was designed by Yip Yuen Sze, Christine of the Hong Kong Design Institute. The watch face features patterns resembling cyclones seen in satellite cloud images, while the hands are shaped like lightning bolts. The design symbolises the idea that true limitless possibilities begin with the courage to gather storm clouds, unleash lightning, and break new ground.

Traces of Storm: Student Group winner and the Made-to-Sell Award of the 43rd Hong Kong Watch & Clock Design Competition

The First Runner-up went to Tam Hei Yiu of Pope Paul VI College for Running through the breeze. The hour, minute, and second hands take the forms of a girl, a tree, and a windmill, respectively. As the hands move, the girl appears to run across a grassy field, conveying the message of continuously striving towards one's goals in life.

Running through the breeze: Student Group first runner-up of the 43rd Hong Kong Watch & Clock Design Competition

The Second Runner-up was Carpe Diem, designed by Lo Hoi Pui of the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong. The design draws its inspiration and form from the feathery seeds of a dandelion, while the central hand is modelled on a weathervane.

CaptCarpe Diem: Student Group second runner-up of the 43rd Hong Kong Watch & Clock Design Competitionion

This year, the Made-to-Sell Award was once again presented to recognise a Student Group entry with strong commercial potential. Judged by a panel of eight watch manufacturers, the award went to Yip Yuen Sze, Christine, the Student Group Champion from the Hong Kong Design Institute, for her winning design, Traces of Storm. The Hong Kong Watch Manufacturers Association Ltd., and The Federation of Hong Kong Watch Trades & Industries Ltd. will bring the design into production, after which it will be launched to the market through the HKTDC's Design Gallery.

Photo download: https://bit.ly/4x7XPNn

Websites
Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair: hkwatchfair.hktdc.com
Salon de TIME:https://www.hktdc.com/event/te/en

Media enquiries
Please contact the HKTDC's Communications & Public Affairs Department:

Johnny Tsui

Tel: (852) 2584 4395

Email: johnny.cy.tsui@hktdc.org

About HKTDC

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. The HKTDC is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With over 50 offices globally, including 13 in the Chinese Mainland, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus.