The second“Watches and Wonders” Sanya Fine Watch Exhibition was opened on Tuesday at the Sanya International Duty Free Shopping Complex. The complex is the world’s largest duty free shopping venue, run by China Duty Free Group (CDFG) in Hainan province.
The 3-month exhibition is jointly held by CDFG and Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH).
Guests who attended the opening ceremony included Li Gang, Deputy General Manager of China Tourism Group Co., Ltd, Yin Chengling, leader of Sanya Municipal Government, Lin Haiyun, class-2 inspector of Hainan Provincial Department of Commerce, Xiao Hui, class-2 inspector of Hainan Provincial Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports, Zhao Feng, Deputy General Manager of China Tourism Group Duty Free Corporation Limited, Chang Zhujun, Deputy General Manager, Gao Xujiang, Deputy General Manager of China Tourism Group Duty Free Corporation Limited and executive director and secretary of Party committee of Sanya Downtown Duty-free Store Co., Ltd, Zhao Yuanzhao, General Manager of CDFG Sanya Downtown Duty-free Store Co., Ltd and General Manager of Hainan Duty-free Co,. Ltd, Dennis Lee, Senior Executive Officer, SWM China. Richemont Commercial Company Ltd and Chief Executive Officer of China. TimeVallée Company Ltd; and representatives from various watch brands.
Zhao Feng noted that,“the year 2021 is destined to be an extraordinary year, in which we witnessed the rapid growth in size of offshore duty-free industry in Hainan, increasingly relaxed offshore duty-free shopping policies and fast growth in sales for years in a row. Over the past decade, CDFG has been actively involved in the development and construction of Sanya, realized rapid development in annual sales, industry size and promoting local tax revenue growth, became the number one global travel retail operator and created a new benchmark in China’s and even global duty-free industry by relying on the favorable offshore duty-free policies in Hainan and thanks to the generous support of government at provincial and municipal levels in Hainan and all brand owners. The second “Watches and Wonders” Sanya Fine Watch Exhibition brought in more rare and limited-edition high-class wristwatch works around the world while fully considering consumer needs, which fully reflects the good cooperative relationship between two sides, shows the common pursuit of spreading the culture of watches and jewelries, and even demonstrating the strong aspirations to improve the shopping experience of consumers.”
Dennis Lee said, “It is because of the close cooperation between Richemont and CDFG that the fine watch exhibition is made possible in Sanya for the second time. The famous coastal city will become the focus of the watchmaking industry this autumn. We look forward to deepening cooperation with CDFG in the future.”
Zhao Yuanzhao spoke highly of the first fine watch exhibition. “Under the leadership of China Tourism Group Corporation Limited, CDFG, the largest duty-free retailer in China, is committed to a customer-centric and market-oriented business model. We are dedicated to bringing high-quality popular products into the domestic market to meet Chinese consumers’ demand. Thanks to the first ‘Watches and Wonders’ Sanya Fine Watch Exhibition and the first CDFG Watch Carnival, sales across watch categories have increased significantly. Brands including Vacheron Constantin, Cartier, Jaeger-Lecoultre, and IWC enjoy huge popularity among consumers. On that basis, more brands and products have been introduced during the second‘Watches and Wonders’ exhibition, including Ulysse Nardin, Girard-Perregaux, and H. Moser & Cie. A series of minute repeaters will also be displayed, as will 179 of the latest watches and exceptional timepieces from 14 leading watch brands, fully meeting the individual needs of consumers, collectors, watchmakers, and watch enthusiasts.”
Based on the success of the first exhibition, this year’s event is expected to be even more impressive. Over the next three months, 14 leading brands in fine watchmaking will launch new watches and exceptional timepieces. With superior skills, delicate design, and a compact exhibition layout, the brands aim to present visitors with a comprehensive and immersive experience.
Special guests, domestic media, and industry representatives will take the lead in appreciating the watches and timepieces during the VIP visit period from Sept. 28 to 30. The exhibition will officially open to the public during the National Day holiday and last until Dec. 31. While following COVID-19 protocols, visitors will have the opportunity to learn about fine watchmaking art through the skills displayed by watchmakers, explore the latest trends in the clock industry, and discover the history behind classic watches and their complex functions. At the same time, participating brands will organize a variety of activities focused on their new series of works.
LIST OF THE BRANDS EXHIBITING AT “WATCHES AND WONDERS” SANYA
A. LANGE & SÖHNE | BAUME & MERCIER | CARTIER |
GIRARD-PERREGAUX | HERMÈS |
H. MOSER & CIE | IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN |
JAEGER-LECOULTRE | MONTBLANC | PANERAI |
PIAGET| ROGER DUBUIS | ULYSSE NARDIN |
VACHERON CONSTANTIN