An exhibition for the watch lovers who have time, and money

Time flies for Swiss watch manufacturer Vacheron Constantin's 'Excellence of Craftsmanship' travelling exhibition, now at Tsim Sha Tsui's Harbour City.

The exhibition has been on the move since September, in Taiyuan , Zhengzhou , Hangzhou , Ningbo , Chengdu , Guangzhou and Shenzhen. It will make its last stop at the shopping arcade of Macau's Four Seasons hotel before returning to Geneva.

'Zhengzhou is one of the most memorable [cities on the tour] for me,' Charlie Lai (pictured), the brand's managing director for Hong Kong and the mainland, said. 'Being a second- or third-tier city in China, I am impressed by its development. Customers seem to have a good understanding of watchmaking and brand value, as well as strong purchasing power.'

Managing director for Asia-Pacific Yann Bouillonnec joined Lai and guests for a tour of the exhibition housing more than 100 timepieces, including the first watch made by Jean-Marc Vacheron in 1755 and 21 other vintage pieces. But the real eye-popper is a diamond-crusted Malte Tourbillon Regulator, worth more than HK$6 million, which debuted last year but is on view in Hong Kong for the first time at the exhibition.

The best way for a watch lover to get immersed in haute horlogerie, however, is to make the pilgrimage to Geneva, Lai said. 'I visit the headquarters a few times a year,' he said. 'Our museum in Geneva makes for the full Vacheron Constantin experience - with archival exhibitions, an opportunity to view tools and master craftsmen restore antique watches, leaf through the library or watch video footage of artisanal techniques.'

Sounds like a time traveller's ultimate destination.