Two major watch fairs are taking place in Hong Kong this month: the Hong Kong Watch and Clock Fair and Watches and Wonders, the latter billing itself as Asia’s first haute horlogerie exhibition.
Given the scale of the Asian market, it is not surprising that several luxury watch brands are continuing to target buyers, both men and women, with models inspired by Asian aesthetics.
Since acquiring the Hôtel des Ventes in 2006, Bernard Piguet has sought to reverse the fortunes of a business that struggled for much of its three decades. Now his efforts appear to be bearing fruit.
Shipments of timepieces to China from Switzerland, the world's dominant watch production center, have fallen below the levels of two years ago, after setting a record in 2012.
During his time in the more conventional side of the industry, Yvan Arpa was the architect of several "audacious" releases that have earned him a reputation as "quite a controversial character."