– Innovative designs break with convention, bringing new perspectives to the industry
HONG KONG, Sep 15, 2025 – (ACN Newswire) – The 44th HKTDC Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair and the 13th 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, closed their doors on 6 September after attracting some 16,000 trade buyers from 95 countries and regions. One of the highlights of the two fairs was the 42nd Hong Kong Watch and Clock Design Competition with winning and shortlisted entries on display together with an awards ceremony at the event stage.
Over the years, the Hong Kong Watch and Clock Design Competition has consistently worked to raise the quality of watch and clock design in Hong Kong by encouraging innovation and creativity. At the same time, by enhancing its exhibition offerings, it aims to boost sales of Hong Kong-made watches and clocks both domestically and internationally.
This year’s competition featured an Open Group and a Student Group, themed “Memorable” and “Believe in Yourself”, respectively. “Memorable” invited participants to express their feelings about unforgettable people by capturing those emotions in their watch designs. In contrast, “Believe in Yourself” encouraged designers to showcase confidence, perseverance, and courage in pursuing dreams and achieving goals through their creations.
This year’s competition received an enthusiastic response, with 116 entries. The judging panel consisted of eight representatives from the watch and clock industry, along with guest judge, celebrity Bowie Cheung, who selected the winners, first and second runners-up, and merit award winners in both groups.
Open Group entries break with tradition, offering playful design elements
The winner of the Open Group is “FREEZE”, designed by Tam Kwok Tung and sponsored by Wincy Horological Ltd. Tam’s design was inspired by his father who always had half of his face covered by the camera when taking pictures for him. The dial centres on a camera lens creating a layout that breaks from tradition. The right window displays the watch’s movement, while the left window features gears which drive the hands.
The first runner-up is “RB_ROBO”, designed by Wong Ting Bong and sponsored by Youngs Watch Company Limited and Po Fai Precision Company Limited. Inspired by toy robots, the design conveys the idea that “adults can still preserve their childlike innocence”.
The second runner-up, “Backtrack”, was designed by Oro Time Limited. It incorporates elements such as “game consoles”, “VHS tapes”, and “vinyl records”, allowing the watch to become a playful, Y2K-inspired fashion accessory by swapping out different “game cartridges”.
Watch Design by student group reflects on elements of success
The Student Group category is open to full-time students registered at schools in Hong Kong and aims to recognise and promote talented young designers through the competition. The winning piece, “Aspire”, was designed by Chan Tsz Ying, who studies at the Hong Kong Design Institute. In this watch, moving beads symbolise courageous and confident goal-chasing, while still beads signify moments of reflection.
The first runner-up is Lee Yuet Tung Eudora from Good Hope School. Her creation, “Believe in Yourself”, features the words “Love”, “Hope”, and “Faith” printed on the outer ring of the watch, highlighting these three crucial guides to achieving success and overcoming challenges.
The second runner-up, titled “Broken Stars in the Ripples”, was designed by Yip Yuen Sze Christine from the Hong Kong Design Institute. The watch features ripple patterns on its surface and uses a star as the hour hand, conveying the message “Even if life has ups and downs, it is still full of hope”.
This year, the Made-to-Sell Award continued to be a part of the event, with a judging panel comprising eight veteran watch manufacturers and Stephen Liang, former Assistant Executive Director of HKTDC. The judges select one work from the Student Group which they consider to have strong market potential. The award was once again won by the winner, Chan Tsz Ying of the Hong Kong Design Institute for her design, “Aspire”. The Hong Kong Watch Manufacturers Association Limited and The Federation of Hong Kong Watch Trades & Industries Limited will put her award-winning design into production and release it for sale at the HKTDC Design Gallery.
Photo download: http://bit.ly/4n9MgRQ
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| FREEZE: Open Group winner of the 42nd Hong Kong Watch & Clock Design Competition |
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| RB_ROBO: Open Group first runner-up of the 42nd Hong Kong Watch & Clock Design Competition |
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| Backtrack: Open Group second runner-up of the 42nd Hong Kong Watch & Clock Design Competition |
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| Aspire: Student Group winner and the Made-to-Sell Award of the 42nd Hong Kong Watch & Clock Design Competition |
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| Believe in Yourself: Student Group first runner-up of the 42nd Hong Kong Watch & Clock Design Competition |
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| Broken Stars in the Ripples: Student Group second runner-up of the 42nd Hong Kong Watch & Clock Design Competition |
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| The 42nd Hong Kong Watch & Clock Design Competition featured Open Group and Student Group category winners. Celebrity guest judge Bowie Cheung attended the award ceremony. |
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) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong’s trade. With over 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, 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.