News At the beginning of September the FH thematic exhibition made a stopover in Singapore, the epicentre of watchmaking culture in this part of the world. Mission report.
Think Time - Think Swiss Excellence, the thematic exhibition of the Swiss Federation of Watch Manufacturers’ Associations (FH), took part from 5 to 9 September in the event entitled Tempus - The Temple of Time. Organised in the Raffles Congress and Convention Centre complex in Singapore by The Hour Glass, the country’s most important retailer of Swiss made watches, the aim of the exhibition was to raise awareness among potential consumers by bringing timepieces to a wider audience and, why not, serving as an introduction for budding collectors.
Through its succession of themes, Think Time - Think Swiss Excellence throws light on many aspects of Swiss watchmaking and its history, while emphasising how the industry took advantage of bold technological discoveries and broke the psychological barrier of the cost of a Swiss made watch by providing valuable information on research and development, or for example by highlighting the indispensable qualifications required by the workforce to manufacture a mechanical timepiece. It therefore fell perfectly into line with the expectations of the organisers who were looking to add a cultural and educational dimension to an ostensibly commercial event. During the five days of the exhibition, its eight panels were viewed by several thousands of visitors who were able to admire, in a relaxed atmosphere, more than 50 large collections of watches, which for once were presented outside the confines of shop premises.
Most of the 80 directors and master watchmakers invited by the organisers attended the event, thereby constituting one of the largest gatherings of watchmaking experts outside Switzerland. Many seminars were held on subjects such as the value of brands, the merits of watchmaking and latest developments in the industry. Several master watchmakers also exhibited specialities on a collective stand, demonstrating that it is possible to forge a “new watchmaking language” by using traditional tools of the artisan.
After Tempus - The Temple of Time, which is set to become an annual exhibition (it was held for the first time in 2004), Think Time - Think Swiss Excellence will continue its tour of Asia by attending an event of the same type due to take place from 3 to 12 December at the Starhill Gallery Shopping Mall in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
October 05, 2007
