On Newsstands: WOW Vietnam Summer #7 The Aesthetic of Time
In the midst of the upheaval when everything seemed “impossible” became “possible”, the rhythm of the watch universe is still translational into its own cycle. WOW Vietnam is not an exception: there were some obstacles since we could not report any watch fairs or the new novelties as planned, but it’s not an excuse for postponing this Summer issue. Hereby, we invite you to once again discover the exciting world of watches with WOW Vietnam Summer #7: The Aesthetic of Time
It is no coincidence that WOW Vietnam #7 reminds quite a lot of the concept of time, journey, and crises. Because that is exactly what is happening with the watch world currently. 200 years of history, so to speak, has never faced a crisis that is serious enough to bring all manufactures to a halt, all boutiques to close, and all events to cancellation or indefinite postponement.
The world of watches, before and after 2020, seems to get through a lot of changes. The gap is so large that we all have to take a step back to look at the overall picture, to understand, and to point out the new way ahead.
But, as stated in the Editor’s Note in April, the watchmaking industry has never been fragile, and this crisis is more like a test to reinforce the available trends, that the digital format of Watches & Wonders (page 48), the regretful departure of brands from Baselworld (page 36), the introduction of the third-generation smart watch by TAG Heuer (page 56), …, are just a few of them.
Time has never stopped. After a long period of hibernation, the “giants” in the world of watches have simultaneously awakened, to gradually return to the previous production and business rhythms (page 30). Audemars Piguet, with deep pride in its heritage, officially opened the Musée Atelier museum (page 28), while Patek Philippe inaugurated the new manufacture simultaneously launching a novelty following the legend of Calavatra family (page 38). The watch world, once again flourishing with the hope that the Geneva Watch Days raises (page 34), and one of the industry’s leading leaders, Montblanc CEO, strengthened the belief of the future of watch when sharing the story of steering his brand through crisis.
2020 is a memorable year for the world of watches, with disruptions, hopes, and a journey to rebuild trust. It was also the year marking the 20-year journey of one of the symbols of the watch world: Chanel J12 – the first ceramic watch to position itself firmly on the map of iconic watches. The 20-year journey of aesthetics (page 68), with the ultimate desire to touch the beauty, is also the cover story in this issue: as a confirmation that our real values will always exist, and the difficulties will be only very small obstacles along the way.
