In pictures: Hong Kong’s watchmaking industry through the decades
How time flies: a look back at Hong Kong’s watch industry from the 1960s to the 2000s
From the 1960s to the 90s, Hong Kong’s watch industry thrived on the skill and hard work of watchmakers, factory workers and traders. Using imported movements and efficient assembly lines, the city’s watch exports increased eightfold during the 70s. By the early 90s, Hong Kong was the world’s leading exporter by quantity, the city having pivoted quickly to producing inexpensive quartz movements and supplying nearly 70 per cent of the world’s watches.
As production migrated to mainland China due to rising costs, Hong Kong transitioned into a hub for design, sourcing and trade.
Taken by South China Morning Post photographers, these images capture the craftsmanship and industrial scale behind the city’s rise as an exporter of timepieces.
