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This year, Vicenza Oro adds a new chapter to its offering and keeps growing in awareness, extending its lead to the contemporary watchmaking industry more than ever before. 2022 marks the launch of “VO’Clock Privé”, a new format whose name and brand logo relate to the Italian fair’s take on the watch event, which adopts a “boutique” community-based approach instead of mainstream, old-school and high-volume formula.
Vicenzaoro presents VO’Clock Privé.
It comes as no surprise that VicenzaOro is growing its foothold as a watch fair; jewellery and watches share a common background, either culturally or historically, while Italy has long been a favourite destination to watch connoisseurs as much as a trendsetter for decades, primarily during the seventies. Nowadays, the Swiss Made industry counts on many highly-skilled suppliers producing parts for the most luxurious watchmakers, including steel cases and bracelets, for instance.
I have met and spoken to dozens of Italian professionals whose expertise has fostered Switzerland‘s leadership in the industry, and today several Executives hold vital roles in several premium luxury watch brands, from Marketing to Product Development. As far as VO’Clock Privé is concerned, it follows up the huge success achieved by VO Vintage, and Vicenza thus becomes the venue for a selection of brands coming from across the globe. Here is a shortlist of the participating brands:
- Zenith
- Girard-Perregaux
- Eberhard & Co.
- Corum
- Perrelet
- Vincent Calabrese
- Locman Italy
- Junghans
- Wyler Vetta
- Timex
It is worth highlighting a few facts: Eberhard & Co. is an Italian-owned but Swiss Made (and founded) brand, while Locman will soon release a 100% Italian-made watch due to the ongoing exclusive partnership with legendary Italian calibre manufacturer Oisa 1937. Stay tuned since we will tell the whole story behind the project anytime soon. Let’s now take a virtual tour of VO’Clock Privé; why won’t you want to miss the event?
Please welcome VO’Clock Privé: what to expect once you’re there.
I’ll summarize the event’s formula with three bullet points, as follows:
- Product: Whether you’re a serial buyer or an enthusiast approaching watchmaking, the fair connects people and brands; here is the standard cluster whose aim is to help visitors try new watches and brands’ people introduce their latest releases to a targeted market audience. There’s nothing new but meeting and testing as per any ordinary fair.
- Discovery: the brands will organize sessions with watch enthusiasts where executives and watchmakers will discuss products, industry, and trends with the community. This area replicates what made VO Vintage so appreciated (case in point, VO Vintage will occur at a separate time of the year).
- Training: Switzerland and Italy join forces to organize learning/training sessions. You can register and attend specific courses regarding the most wanted complications like the Chronograph, the Tourbillon, or the Perpetual Calendar. Classrooms will be organized by the FHH (Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie) in conjunction with the CAPAC institute in Milan and will include a test session.
When will VO’Clock Privé take place?
VO’Clock Privé will take place from 18 to 20 March 2022.
How to access VO’Clock Privé and why we think it’s worth attending.
Before getting there, make sure you register by filling in the form at the following address. In brief, I believe Vicenzaoro‘s VO’Clock Privé sounds excellent since it sets itself apart among the watch-themed events. I approve the template and think it’ll work until it doesn’t change such a boutique, customer-oriented approach.
Kudos to the fair’s executive management for making Italy the venue for all things watchmaking again and promoting ourselves as purveyors rather than followers in the industry. Also, Italy‘s fightback won’t clash with current International fairs; it adds a spicy, out-of-the-box perspective and plays as a knowledge platform to attract the fun base. Moving forward, I’d like to see the project extend over the fully mechanical timepiece and include all the available timing technologies such as quartz, atomic timekeeping, and more.
(Photo credit: courtesy of VO’Clock Privé)
Gaetano C @Horbiter®
