Europa Star’s Shanghai bureau has been scouring the aisles of the Shenzhen Watch and Clock Fair, “the Chinese BaselWorld” this week. We participated in an interesting forum moderated by leaders in the sector, at which a number of actors from the scene spoke. We will be bringing you more details in forthcoming articles, but here is a taste of what’s to come.

Shenzhen watch & clock fair 2012

Forum
From morning to evening, the conference participants took to the stage in succession to answer the same question: how to reproduce the success of the Swiss watchmaking industry? Design, quality of movements, distribution, culture… all of these elements were calculated, measured and evaluated by numerous graphs and charts. Everyone is looking to find the key to the Swiss success in order to reproduce it! Are they simply forgetting that Swiss watchmaking has become an art, with its own element of irrational emotionality? At least the objective was clear…

Eterna, the “sleeping beauty”
Shang Jianguang, CEO of China Haidian, shares with us the goals he has for the two new brands his holding has acquired, Eterna and Porsche Design. He considers the brand from Solothurn as a “sleeping beauty” that he intends to give a wake-up call to on the Chinese market. Mr. Shang also talked to us about his two brands Rossini and Ebohr, champions in the home market. And finally we talk about the fastidious launch of Codex and its outlook for the future.

An island of Swissness
Codex, indeed, underscored its independence from its investor by setting out its stall in the Swiss Pavilion, and offered a first glimpse at a new collection. Eric Alban, designer, explained to us passionately every last detail of these new timepieces, which gain in elegance without losing any virility. The Swiss Pavilion groups together small independent watchmakers such as Edox, Evilard, Jo Siffert, Etoile and Pilo & Co. In fact, it is none other than Amarildo Pilo who is behind this pavilion, which is at the heart of the main hall. Its aim is to offer small Swiss watchmaking brands a direct link to the Chinese market, without any intermediary, and at a very accessible price. Pilo explains to us what is at stake here and how he expects twice the number of exhibitors next year. Nicolas Voyame, the young boss of Evilard, certainly doesn’t regret coming and advises the small Swiss brands to take the plunge. The resistance is getting organised!

Jiang Hong, left and Jean-Luc Adam representing Europa Star at the Shenzhen Watch Fair