It was a great honour and privilege for me to attend Watches & Wonders 2013, which was organised by thirteen leading fine Maisons and was the first event of its kind held in Asia. Watches & Wonders was a private and exclusive event entirely dedicated to the culture, expertise and heritage of Fine Watchmaking, which took place on 25-28 September, last month. I got an invitation to visit the exhibition booth from one of the 13 luxury watch brands ROGER DUBUIS – a renowned Swiss watch-making brand, which stands out with watches that are bold, innovative and edgy.
Roger Dubuis is – Audacity, excellence, and technical sophistication.
“More than just a Manufacturer, Roger Dubuis reflects a world all of its own. A world where exuberance rules and creativity reigns supreme. It is a resolutely extravagant, rebellious and elegant brand, worthy of the best in Haute Horlogerie. For innovation is born from a heartfelt respect for tradition and craftsmanship.” In my stubborn, rigid and antiquated mind, what is essential for being a world-class brand, especially in fashion, jewelry and watch industries, such as Cartier and IWC, is history. Surprisingly, Roger Dubuis was only found in 1995, through a partnership between a talented master watchmaker – Roger Dubuis – and Carlos Dias, a brilliant designer, a match that vaulted the brand to dominate the watchmaking industry in less than 20 years.
A friend of mine came with me on the day, since the invitation card was for two guests, and my friend who is also a fashionsita just happened to be visiting me in HK at that time, so we spent a great time there. Thanks for the invitation again! We were running a bit late but fortunately, we still got a tender representative to explore the mysteries of an exquisite wristwatch journey with us. Luckily, I got a chance to meet the CEO of Roger Dubuis: Jean-Marc Pontroué, and got a shot of him while he was standing there for some press shooting.
Velvet Haute Joaillerie – is the most precious piece among female watches in the Roger Dubuis exhibition booth this time, which included 172 components and 304 diamonds cut to measure, and values at more than 3 million on the market. It was a pleasure to wear this watch that day, and after that we fell in love with this stunning timepiece. No woman can resist it.
Watches & Wonders exhibited the very latest creations in the world of soigné swank in a rich and fascinating culture that is a world apart. In addition to presenting their newest collections, their individual histories and symbolic values were also illumined, unveiling the human elements largely unseen but always crucial to the creation of fine timepieces. Moreover, The Mastery of Time is a unique element of the event – a stunning exhibit tracing the history of time-travelling through time, which lets the visitor imagine traversing from sundial to wristwatch, with all of the adventure and fascination that marks this journey of mysteries.
It was considerate to have a canteen and café inside the exhibition that provided exquisite dishes to visitors as well as some free snacks and drinks – after all, we need our cake – considering it would take at least half a day or even an entire day to visit all the booths in the exhibition.