Horology Planet Exhibition Series — 18
In October 2026, Beijing becomes a meeting point for Chinese imperial aesthetics, traditional craftsmanship, and contemporary design. Held at the National Foreign Cultural Trade Base (Beijing), the “Forbidden City Divine Craft” Chinese Imperial Aesthetics & Contemporary Creation Exhibition and the “Horology Planet” International Creative Exhibition bring together a range of creative works that explore the connections between Eastern cultural heritage and modern craftsmanship.
The exhibition is about more than the objects on display. It also asks how traditional art forms can continue to evolve, finding new relevance through modern materials, innovative design, and precision engineering. From decorative techniques rooted in imperial workshops to the intricacies of independent watchmaking, the works on show offer different perspectives on how the past can inform the present.
As part of this exhibition series, Horology Planet takes a closer look at the participating watch brands and the ideas behind their creations.
Shanghai Watch: Nearly Seven Decades of Chinese Watchmaking
Shanghai Watch traces its origins to July 1955, when 58 engineers and watch repairers formed a prototype watchmaking team under the organization of Shanghai's light industry authorities and watchmakers' trade union. Working without technical drawings, materials, or proper equipment, the team persevered through months of intensive work. On September 26, 1955, it successfully produced 18 watches featuring a lever escapement and a central seconds hand. These timepieces became part of the first generation of domestically produced watches in the People's Republic of China, marking the beginning of a remarkable chapter in Chinese watchmaking.
The establishment of a dedicated watch factory preparatory office followed in 1956. In 1958, the Shanghai Watch trademark was registered, and the brand introduced its first mass-produced mechanical watch, the A581. Its distinctive building-shaped logo soon became familiar to Chinese consumers, while the brand itself came to represent reliable quality and the aspirations of everyday life.
Over the following decades, Shanghai Watch continued to develop its technical capabilities. Its milestones included a calendar watch in 1962, one example of which entered the permanent collection of the National Museum of China; a military watch with diving capabilities in 1967; and the influential 7120, introduced in 1973 with the SS7 movement. In 1986, the slim SB1H watch received a silver medal at the National Quality Award, achieving an outstanding result among competing products in its category.
Following the restructuring of Shanghai's watchmaking industry in 2000, the company continued to advance into higher-end watchmaking, developing movements featuring an orbital exposed balance, a centrally positioned balance beneath a central wheel, and a three-dimensional tourbillon. In 2019, Shanghai Watch joined the Hantang Watch Group, opening a new chapter in its development.
Today, the brand draws on both its technical heritage and the cultural richness of the East. Guided by its commitment to creating watches that bear witness to life's precious moments, Shanghai Watch brings traditional Chinese aesthetics and philosophy into contemporary design. Its vision, expressed through the tagline “It's SHANGHAI Time,” is to celebrate meaningful moments through watches that reflect the distinctive spirit of Shanghai and the evolving language of Chinese craftsmanship.
ARTISTIC Collection Danqing Watch — A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains Edition
Inspired by A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains, one of the most celebrated masterpieces of traditional Chinese blue-and-green landscape painting, the Shanghai Watch ARTISTIC Collection Danqing Watch — A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains Edition transforms a monumental painted landscape into an intimate work of art for the wrist.
Rather than reproducing the painting as a printed image, Shanghai Watch employs Suzhou embroidery, specifically the exceptionally fine jingwei embroidery technique, to recreate its intricate scenery directly on the dial. This approach pays tribute to the Gu embroidery tradition, which flourished in Shanghai from the Ming dynasty onward and was renowned for translating the expressive qualities of painting into needlework.
The embroidery demands extraordinary precision. Nearly 80 shades of green and blue-green thread are carefully selected to reproduce the painting's rich mineral-inspired palette. Through approximately 30 hours of painstaking work, the embroiderer builds up layers of color and texture, using threads of different thicknesses to distinguish the substantial forms of nearby mountains from the delicate, distant contours of the landscape. The result captures the painting's remarkable sense of depth, where immense scenery unfolds within a confined space.
The design extends beyond the dial itself. Inspired by the crossbars at the top and bottom of traditional Chinese hanging scrolls, the watch's lug-bar details reinforce the impression of a miniature landscape painting framed on the wrist.
The collection is available in 41 mm and 36 mm versions, both featuring rose-gold-tone PVD-coated stainless steel cases and brown alligator leather straps. The men's version emphasizes the painting's imposing mountain formations, creating a sense of grandeur and depth. The women's version presents a more delicate composition of rolling peaks and winding paths, complemented by a diamond-set bezel and blue sapphire accents on the lugs and crown.
By bringing intangible cultural heritage into contemporary watchmaking, the Danqing Edition offers a compelling interpretation of Chinese artistic tradition. Every stitch contributes to the landscape, making the dial not merely a decorative surface but a miniature canvas shaped by time, patience, and human skill.
Specifications
- Case Material: 316L stainless steel, rose-gold-tone PVD coating
- Case Diameter: 36 mm / 41 mm
- Case Thickness: 9.44 mm (36 mm version)
- Case Back: Transparent sapphire crystal
- Water Resistance: 5 bar
- Movement: ST18 automatic mechanical movement
- Power Reserve: Up to 42 hours
- Frequency: 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz)
- Jewels: 25
ARTISTIC Collection Magpies and Prunus
In Chinese art and folklore, the magpie is a symbol of good news and happy encounters, while plum blossoms represent resilience, elegance, and the arrival of spring. Together, these motifs form the auspicious expression xishang meishao (喜上眉梢), suggesting that joy is on the horizon. Shanghai Watch brings this familiar cultural imagery to life in the ARTISTIC Collection Magpies and Prunus, a timepiece that turns traditional symbolism into a sculptural composition.
At the heart of the design is a natural mother-of-pearl dial, whose iridescent surface evokes clouds and shifting light. Against this luminous background, delicately sculpted 18K rose gold forms a pair of magpies perched on a plum branch at the nine o'clock position. Facing one another, the birds convey the warmth of reunion and the promise of good fortune. At six o'clock, five-petaled plum blossoms open gracefully along sturdy, elegantly curved branches, balancing the composition with a sense of quiet vitality.
The use of precious materials enhances the depth of the design without overwhelming its poetic character. Natural mother-of-pearl brings subtle variations of light and color, while the gold relief introduces dimension and texture. Together, they evoke the atmosphere of a traditional Chinese garden captured in a small, carefully composed scene.
The collection is offered in two versions: a 40 mm model with a deep black dial and a 36 mm model with a pearlescent white dial. Both feature 316L stainless steel cases finished in rose-gold-tone PVD and refined leather straps. The curved lugs follow the contours of the case, creating a more harmonious silhouette on the wrist.
Through the interplay of magpies, plum blossoms, and precious materials, Shanghai Watch transforms an auspicious Chinese motif into a contemporary expression of beauty and craftsmanship. More than a decorative design, the watch carries a message of joyful encounters, enduring affection, and the hope that good things are just around the corner.
Specifications
- Case Material: 316L stainless steel, rose-gold-tone PVD coating
- Case Diameter: 36 mm / 40 mm
- Case Thickness: 10.45 mm
- Case Back: Transparent sapphire crystal
- Water Resistance: 5 bar
- Movement: ST18 automatic mechanical movement
- Power Reserve: Up to 56 hours
- Frequency: 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz)
- Jewels: 25
ORIGINATE Collection Fangyu Watch
The Shanghai Watch ORIGINATE Collection Fangyu Watch takes its inspiration from the historic former Shanghai Municipal Government Building, whose distinctive enclosed architectural form reflects the city's layered urban heritage. Its name, Fangyu (方隅), draws on a line from Chapter 41 of the Tao Te Ching: “The greatest square has no corners.” The phrase expresses an Eastern philosophical idea in which the highest form of perfection transcends rigid appearances.
Shanghai Watch translates this architectural and philosophical reference into an unconventional square case measuring 38 by 38 mm. Its silhouette is based on the building's distinctive plan, with precisely cut surfaces and subtly rounded edges that evoke the curved recesses of its entrance arcades. The case and bezel form an integrated structure, combining vertical brushing with polished finishes to recall the layered composition of the building's exterior.
The dial features a delicate sunburst texture inspired by the washed-stone finish of the original architecture. Applied baton hour markers and a surrounding minute track provide a clear, balanced display, while sword-shaped hands and a lollipop seconds hand incorporate luminous material for improved legibility in low light.
A key element of the design is its Alcantara® suede-like strap. Soft to the touch yet designed for durability, the material complements the case's architectural geometry with a more tactile, contemporary character. Through the transparent sapphire crystal case back, the automatic movement remains visible, allowing the mechanical craftsmanship to become part of the watch's overall aesthetic.
The Fangyu Watch demonstrates how architecture can inform more than a case shape. By translating the structure of a historic Shanghai landmark into materials, surface treatments, and proportions, the design creates a wearable interpretation of the city's cultural memory. Its restrained appearance and philosophical inspiration make it a distinctive expression of Shanghai Watch's ongoing dialogue between heritage and modernity.
Specifications
- Case Material: 316L stainless steel
- Case Dimensions: 38 × 38 mm
- Case Thickness: 10 mm
- Case Back: Transparent sapphire crystal
- Water Resistance: 5 bar
- Strap: Alcantara® suede-like material
- Movement: Caliber 2130 automatic mechanical movement
- Power Reserve: Up to 42 hours
- Frequency: 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz)
- Jewels: 28
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Exhibition Guide
- Exhibition Name: “Forbidden City Divine Craft” Chinese Imperial Aesthetics & Contemporary Creation Exhibition, and the “Horology Planet” International Creative Exhibition
- Opening Date: October 23, 2026
- Exhibition Dates: October 23, 2026 – December 16, 2026
- Venue: 3rd Floor Art Space, Building D7, National Foreign Cultural Trade Base (Beijing), No. 3 Jinhang East Road, Shunyi District, Beijing
- Organizer: National Foreign Cultural Trade Base (Beijing)
- Academic Support: Research Group on Qing Dynasty Court Craftsmanship Inheritance Examples, The Palace Museum; Watchina
- Executive Curator: Horology Planet
