Timepieces depictingthe melting clocks seen in the painting The Persistence of Memory by Spanish artist Salvador Dali.

The HKTDC Hong Kong Watch and Clock Fair, the largest fair of its kind in the world, opened this week at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

This year’s fair showcases more than 750 exhibitors from 18 countries and regions. Germany, Russia, Singapore and Turkey are first-time exhibitors.

Highlights include the new Timepiece Extravaganza. An expanded version of the popular Brand Name Gallery, it features more than 140 brands and includes four thematic zones: World Brand Piazza, Chic & Trendy, Craft Treasure and Renaissance Moment.

World Brand Piazza is spotlighting a dozen high-end brands: Audemars Piguet, Blancpain, Breguet, Chopard, FRANCK MULLER, Glashütte Original, H. Moser, Hublot, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Piaget, Ulysse Nardin and Zenith.

Nearly 90 brands are on display in the Chic & Trendy zone, from Hong Kong’s Arbutus, France’s Elle to Denmark’s Lego. Craft Treasure presents top-range functional mechanical watches and exquisite jewellery watches, including Beijing Watch, Fiyta from Chinese mainland and Memorigin from Hong Kong.

Renaissance Moment presents a variety of European brands, including Elysee from Germany, Van Gogh from Netherland and Yves Bertin from France.

Other special areas include the Small-Order Zone, offering more than 70 showcase units. And the Pageant of Eternity focuses on complete watches.

In the first seven months of this year, Hong Kong exported US$5.4 billion (HK$42.4 billion) worth of timepieces, parts and components, up 2.6 per cent, year-on-year. Switzerland, the United States and the Chinese mainland were Hong Kong’s top three export markets.