Editor’s Note
This excerpt introduces the contrasting worlds within the Baselworld fair—the prestigious “Hall of Dreams” and the more diverse “Hall of Universe,” hinting at the latter’s significance for Chinese watchmakers.
Hall 1 of the Baselworld watch and jewelry fair is also known as the Hall of Dreams. Here, not only are the exhibits the dreams of watch enthusiasts, but the hall itself is also a lucky place for many watch companies. Hall 6, located just a three-minute drive from Hall 1, is called the Hall of Universe. This hall is considered the most “marginal” exhibition space by watch collectors. In fact, the Hall of Universe is also seen as the China Hall, where hundreds of watch manufacturers and retailers from mainland China and Hong Kong gather. Since Chinese timepieces first appeared at Baselworld in 1996, for over a decade, all Chinese watch brands venturing into Europe have been housed here.
In 2001, Fiyta made its debut at the Baselworld fair. Subsequently, Fiyta consistently focused its watchmaking on themes related to China’s major historical events, “surprising international buyers every year.” However, Hall 1, just a few hundred meters away, once seemed like an unattainable “destination” for Fiyta and many other exhibitors in Hall 6.
This year, Fiyta, having secured a spot in Hall 1, did not completely abandon Hall 6; it still retained an exhibition space there. This was seen as a “final review” and also to help the old customers it had结识 over the past decade find Fiyta’s “new positioning.” In Hall 1, Fiyta not only found its “direction and positioning” but also clearly saw the gap between itself and the world’s top-tier brands. Du Xi, General Manager of Fiyta Group’s Business Division, once quoted the words of Xu Dongsheng, General Manager of Fiyta Group:
Being rooted in the Chinese market, its home base, offers an advantage. This advantage stems from the increasingly mature consumption concepts of Chinese consumers and their growing confidence in “domestic brands.”