The second Siam Paragon Bangkok Watch Week attracted more than 40,000 visitors over six days, including more than 400 international collectors. Hosted by Siam Piwat at the Siam Paragon shopping centre from 22 to 27 September, the event brought together more than 45 watch houses and independent makers.
Cartier, Vacheron Constantin, A. Lange & Söhne and BVLGARI returned, and MB&F, Ressence, Tudor and Greubel Forsey joined for the first time. More than 200 new models were on show. Roger Dubuis presented its Knights of the Round Table collection for the first time anywhere, Universal Genève made its Southeast Asian debut, and Oris launched a special Bangkok Limited Edition Aquis limited to 50 pieces. Breguet staged a display marking 225 years of the tourbillon. Collectors travelled to Bangkok for the week from the Middle East, Japan, Korea and China.
Caroline Murphy, president of strategic project development at Siam Piwat, said the company did not want to stage “another commercial event”. Her aim was a week in which collectors, watch houses and the wider community could raise the profile of watch culture in Thailand, a goal she said took years to reach. Southeast Asian buyers are well travelled, she said, and look first for a strong watch and strong service, but also want to understand how a watch is made. Thanaporn Tantiyanon, managing director of Siam Paragon, said the programme of talks and experiences set the event apart by giving every brand a place in the conversation.
The week also marked the first Southeast Asian appearance of the Geneva-based Fondation Haute Horlogerie, which opened its FHH Academy Lounge and offered its Watch Advisor Certification as interactive training. Vice president Aurélie Streit said the foundation’s role is to share reliable knowledge so people can form their own taste, and that curiosity matters more than technical expertise or owning an expensive watch. She noted that manufacture workforces are roughly half women, citing Switzerland’s historic farmer watchmakers and movement developer Carole Kasapi.
Murphy expects the event to grow over the next two to three years and gain weight on the international calendar. She also plans a year-round series of watch events in the city, saying Bangkok has long been a watch hub that lacked attention, and that the week finally gave the city that spotlight.
