Because the Christmas markets in central Prague come alive with buyers, the ballroom at a historic resort there’s to be the venue for a brand new occasion showcasing watch microbrands, companies outlined by their small-scale manufacturing.
The Micro Praha Pageant is scheduled for Dec. 2-3 within the Ballroom Franz Josef of the Resort Kings Court docket, which occupies a Neo-Renaissance constructing within the Czech capital that stands on the location of a 14th-century palace commissioned by King Wenceslas.
Together with drawing watch lovers from across the nation and all through Central Europe, the occasion hopes to draw worldwide guests. Tourism officers say about one million of them are anticipated to buy the Christmas markets through the season.
Festivalgoers will be capable of attempt on and purchase watches in addition to discuss with the individuals who designed and constructed them, in accordance with Ondrej Vislocky, who organized the occasion together with Bhanu Chopra, editor in chief of the horological publication Revolution USA and a former senior editor of the net discussion board WatchUSeek.
“With the ever-escalating costs of massive watch manufacturers, persons are realizing the excellent high quality and worth supplied by the micro model,” Mr. Vislocky wrote in an e-mail. “What’s clearly lacking is the chance to expertise the microbrand watches in individual.”
Entrance to the occasion might be free and reservations will not be required, though anybody who registers prematurely on the competition web site, micropraha.com, can have an opportunity to win considered one of 5 watches.
Thirty-four manufacturers have agreed to take part. Most are from Europe, together with the German label Kieser Design, Gavox Watches from Belgium and Nordic Marine Devices of Denmark, however Havaan Tuvali from Taiwan and Dumoreau, primarily based in California, additionally plan to look.
“There have been no particular necessities, as there isn’t a strict definition of a microbrand,” wrote Mr. Vislocky, a watch fanatic who has labored as a watch photographer. “It could possibly be a single watchmaker, a mother and pop atelier or a small firm promoting watches priced underneath 5,000 euros. We needed a various group of manufacturers from around the globe.”
Formex Watches of Switzerland, for instance, stated it meant to current an up to date model of the model’s Reef dive watch sequence, which permits straps or bracelets, clasps and bezels to be modified with out instruments.
Having seen the curiosity in its merchandise throughout a go to final 12 months with the RedBar chapter of watch collectors in Prague, Formex readily accepted the organizer’s invitation, the model’s head of promoting, Markus Wälchli, wrote in an e-mail.
“As producers, it’s simple to change into insulated inside our personal views,” he wrote, “however connecting with people who derive real enjoyment from proudly owning and sporting our timepieces could be an invigorating expertise.”
