The 43rd Hong Kong Watch & Clock Design Competition concluded with the announcement of its winners, spotlighting emerging talent and innovative approaches in horology. The competition, jointly organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the Hong Kong Watch Manufacturers Association Limited, and The Federation of Hong Kong Watch Trades & Industries Limited, was held alongside the 45th Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair and the 14th Salon de TIME. The physical exhibitions, which ended on 5 September, attracted over 17,000 trade buyers from 115 countries and regions.
The annual competition aims to raise design standards and quality of Hong Kong watches and clocks, encourage innovative ideas, enrich fair content, and promote sales of Hong Kong-made timepieces globally. This year's event featured an Open Group and a Student Group, with themes 'Transcending Time' and 'Contours of the Breeze' respectively. The themes challenged participants to translate sensory experiences into design elements and capture the essence of wind, reflecting life's limitless possibilities.
This year saw 130 entries, with a judging panel of eight industry representatives and celebrity guest judge Joey Thye selecting winners in both categories. The Open Group Champion, 'Tectonic Indeterminacy,' designed by Chan Pak Hei and Yang Tianxu and sponsored by Golden Hawk Manufactory Ltd., drew inspiration from pebble forms. The design uses angled geometric facets and a sculpted void to integrate the crown, creating a timepiece that transcends conventional timekeeping and turns reading time into a spatial and tactile experience.
The First Runner-up in the Open Group, 'Channel,' designed by Wong Ting Bong and sponsored by Youngs Watch Company Limited and Po Fai Precision Company Limited, incorporates a VU meter scale and pointer, commonly used in audio equipment, to visualize the abstract concepts of time and sound. The Second Runner-up, 'Moment of Stillness' by Pang Sze Nga, depicts mountain ranges outlined in gold wire with enamel rivers and peaks, featuring a relief swallow as a messenger of time.
In the Student Group, the Champion, 'Traces of Storm,' was designed by Yip Yuen Sze, Christine of the Hong Kong Design Institute. The watch face resembles cyclone patterns from satellite images, with lightning bolt-shaped hands, symbolizing that limitless possibilities begin with courage and breaking new ground. The First Runner-up, 'Running through the breeze' by Tam Hei Yiu of Pope Paul VI College, features hour, minute, and second hands shaped as a girl, a tree, and a windmill, conveying a message of striving towards goals. The Second Runner-up, 'Carpe Diem' by Lo Hoi Pui of the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong, draws inspiration from dandelion seeds and features a weathervane-like central hand.
Additionally, the 'Made-to-Sell Award' recognized a Student Group entry with strong commercial potential, going to Yip Yuen Sze for 'Traces of Storm.' The winning design will be produced and launched through the HKTDC's Design Gallery, bridging creativity and marketability. The competition's focus on nurturing young talent and fostering innovation promises to inject fresh momentum into the watch and clock industry, potentially influencing future design trends.
