Since its creation, the Fondation Haute Horlogerie has set up a Cultural Council which functions as an industry Think Tank and as an Advisory Board for its activities. The Cultural Council is made up of renowned personalities in their field who bring their expertise to the FHH and contribute to the foundation's different content. To guarantee the complete independence of this Council, it was decided that its members, who all accepted their position "pro bono", would not come from watchmaking brands or groups.
A Think Tank for the industry and an Advisory Board for the FHH
CULTURAL COUNCIL. CULTURAL COUNCIL. CULTURAL COUNCIL. CULTURAL COUNCIL. CULTURAL COUNCIL. CULTURAL COUNCIL. CULTURAL COUNCIL. CULTURAL COUNCIL
Carlos Alonso
Publisher and editor-in-chief of Tiempo de Relojes magazine and director of the Salon Internacional Alta Relojeria in Mexico City, Mexico
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Carlos Alonso
Publisher and editor-in-chief of Tiempo de Relojes magazine and director of the Salon Internacional Alta Relojeria in Mexico City, Mexico
Carlos Alonso graduated in Communication Sciences from Universidad Complutense in Madrid. He began his career at Futuro Magazine (Rizzoli Group) in 1987. This was the first regular feature on watches in a business and lifestyle publication in Spanish. He then moved to Mexico and a new position as business editor for El Pais. In 1996 he founded Tiempo de Relojes, now with local editions in Mexico, Spain and Colombia. In 2006, Carlos Alonso launched SIAR, Latin America's first fine watch fair, which since 2014 has had a sister event in Spain. He is also the publisher of the Mexican edition of the monthly magazine Gentleman.
Aurel Bacs
Expert, collector, Senior Consultant, Philips in collaboration with Bacs & Russo
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Aurel Bacs
Expert, collector, Senior Consultant, Philips in collaboration with Bacs & Russo
International Co-Head of Watches for Christie's, Geneva, Aurel Bacs has been passionate about mechanical watches since his teenage years, when he would follow his father to auction houses, antique stores and the homes of other collectors in search of fine mechanical watches. In those days of quartz, aficionados had little choice than to turn to vintage timepieces. Aurel Bacs' interest in watches grew to the point that he abandoned his Law and Business studies for a position as a junior specialist at an auction house. What he thought would last only a few months turned into a lifelong passion and career.
Alessandro Bucchi
Marketing & Communication Manager, Pisa Orologeria
Alberto Cavalli
Managing Director of Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d’Arte, Milan, Italy
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Alberto Cavalli
Managing Director of Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d’Arte, Milan, Italy
Alberto Cavalli is managing director of the Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d'Arte, a private, non-profit institution for the promotion and preservation of fine craftsmanship. He is a professor at Milan Politecnico school of design, as well as a visiting professor at the Creative Academy, where he leads seminars dedicated to the applied arts. He is a correspondent for the Russian magazine Kak Potratit and contributes to the Centre du Luxe et de la Création in Paris.
Daniel Chan
Founder and managing director of Paragon International Limited, Hong Kong
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Daniel Chan
Founder and managing director of Paragon International Limited, Hong Kong
Daniel Chan is the founder and managing director of Paragon International Limited and has over 20 years' experience in the luxury watch industry. Paragon is the main operator of Cartier boutiques in Mainland China. Daniel sits on the board of directors of Po Leung Kuk, one of the most important charity organisations in Hong Kong, established over 135 years ago. He was previously chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Watch Trades and Industries Limited.
Charles H. Chaussepied
Recognized expert in the sustainable supply chains and responsible sourcing for the watch and Jewellery Industry
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Charles H. Chaussepied
Recognized expert in the sustainable supply chains and responsible sourcing for the watch and Jewellery Industry
Today, member of the board of the Responsible Jewellery Council -since 2006- former Chair and Vice Chair of the RJC. Until 2015, Piaget’s Deputy CEO in charge of the Jewellery Business Unit and later, Director of CSR and Corporate Affairs for a total of 13 years. Before joining the luxury sector, Charles was successively, Managing Director at Grange SA and CEO of Toshiba Consumers Products SA. Charles is certified as Chartered Business Administrator, he holds a MBA of the University of Montreal and a Master in Finance from SUPDECO Bordeaux.
Austen Chu
Founder & CEO, Wristcheck
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Austen Chu
Founder & CEO, Wristcheck
Austen Chu is the founder and CEO of Wristcheck – a pioneering watch platform bringing trust and transparency to the pre-owned watch space, featured on Forbes' 2023 ‘100 To Watch’ list. Launching @horoloupe on Instagram in 2016, Austen’s page soon amassed a community of more than 100,000. Developing relationships with primary watch brands along the way, Austen become the first collector to ever collaborate with Audemars Piguet for a commercial watch release in 2020 (The Royal Oak China Edition)– marking the first time a luxury watch brand had done so. Invited to be the youngest jury member of the 2021 GPHG Awards (The Oscars of Watches), Austen was also appointed a committee member of the Swiss Institute that same year, and in 2023, was invited onto the Expert Committee of the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize. Forbes further honored Austen's contributions by featuring him in their 30 Under 30 list for 2023. Through his unwavering passion and dedication, Austen has cemented himself as a respected tastemaker and champion of young voices in the watch industry.
Stephan Ciejka
Editor-in-chief at La Revue des Montres, France
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Stephan Ciejka
Editor-in-chief at La Revue des Montres, France
Stephan Ciejka is a french photojournalist and writer specialised for more than fifteen years in military affairs for french and foreign magazines and televisions who for he covered several conflicts from Africa to Bosnia. He began collecting and studying military, diver and pilot watches in the mid 80’s, before writing his first article about French Air Force and Navy chronographs. He became Director and chief editor of La Revue des Montres in Paris, the oldest French specialised monthly watch magazine for over 25 years. He created several books and films regarding sports and complication watches such as Blancpain and Jaeger le Coultre.
Ben Clymer
Founder, Executive Chairman Hodinkee
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Ben Clymer
Founder, Executive Chairman Hodinkee
Benjamin Clymer is widely considered to be a leading voice in the wristwatch industry. He is regularly quoted in major publications including The New York Times, Reuters, Forbes, Departures, GQ, and the Financial Times, and was dubbed “The High Priest of Horology” by The New York Times in 2013. Benjamin has acted as a consultant and guest speaker for Apple, and was named to “The Hypebeast Hundred” as one of the 100 most important influencers in global culture in both 2013 and 2014. As part of his entrepreneurial pursuits beyond HODINKEE, Benjamin frequently curates items for vintage watch sales. He spends the majority of his time traveling the world, jetting to everywhere from Geneva to Tokyo to tour watch factories and report on high-end watch auctions. Benjamin lives in downtown New York City and holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.
Diana Culillas
Secretary General, Swiss Better Gold Association
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Diana Culillas
Secretary General, Swiss Better Gold Association
Diana started her professional path at the International Committee of the Red Cross in the context of the first Russian-Chechen conflict. She then spent 14 years in Africa, Asia and Middle East by being involved in different humanitarian projects. From 2008 to 2018, as the CSR Manager at Chopard Group, she established and oversaw numerous sourcing, environmental, work-life balance and philanthropic initiatives of the group. Today, Diana leads the Swiss Better Gold Association, a pioneering network of industry, finance and service providers representing Swiss gold industry, which supports sustainable development of artisanal small-scale miners and facilitates establishment of responsible gold value chains from these operations to end market.
Céline Dassonville
Founder, Ethiwork
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Céline Dassonville
Founder, Ethiwork
Former CEO of TBWA Corporate and CSR Director of one of the leading fine jewellery brands, Céline has more than twenty years of experience in engagement and transformation issues. Passionate about responsible innovation, she loves exploring the new creative fields offered by circularity. Céline is also a member of the Ethics Chair of the FHH Cultural Council, B-Leader, member of the Zei board, CrushOn and UN Women France and a former student of the Circular Economy and Sustainability Strategies programme at Cambridge University.
Simon de Burton
Freelance journalist and author, United Kingdom
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Simon de Burton
Freelance journalist and author, United Kingdom
Simon de Burton is a freelance journalist and author whose work is published in titles such as the Financial Times, Architectural Digest, the Daily Telegraph and Vogue China. As an employee of Sotheby's, he specialises in the field of luxury living and is well-known for writing about cars, motorcycles, fine art auctions and watches. He has contributed to the Financial Times Watch and Jewellery report since 2002, and covers watches and the watch auction market for Patek Philippe magazine, Vanity Fair "On Time", GQ, QP, Revolution, Plaza Watch and the Daily Telegraph's "Telegraph Time" supplement.
Zhixiang Ding
Editor-in-chief of Chronos, China
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Zhixiang Ding
Editor-in-chief of Chronos, China
Zhixiang Ding has an inner passion for mechanics. After beginning his career as a cardiovascular surgeon in China and the United States, he became editorial director of Car & Motor magazine in Shanghai in 2001. He went on to occupy various editorial positions and oversaw the launch of several premium car brand magazines. A true watch aficionado, he has spent the last ten years as editor-in-chief of Chronos in China, where he has established himself as an undisputed authority in editorial content for high-end watches.
Elizabeth Doerr
Freelance journalist and author, Germany
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Elizabeth Doerr
Freelance journalist and author, Germany
Elizabeth Doerr fell under the spell of watchmaking on her very first visit to Baselworld in 1991. Her articles are now read by millions of people every year and appear in newspapers, magazines, and online media all over the world. Elizabeth published her first book, '12 Faces of Time,' in 2010; it was described in the International New York Times as a "love letter to independent watchmakers."
Manuel Emch
Strategic consultant, advisor and board member
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Manuel Emch
Strategic consultant, advisor and board member
Manuel Emch, creative thinker, trained in design at the ArtCenter, HEC business graduate. As CEO and Artistic Director, he created the powerful identity, developed iconic products and internationally grew Jaquet Droz then RJ-Romain Jerome, two haute horlogerie brands. He was a member of the Swatch Group management board with responsibilities that included East European countries, starting up the Russian subsidiary, and managing Swatch alongside N. G. Hayek, his mentor. He is a consultant and board member for watch, luxury and tech firms. He helped set up the first watch design course at Geneva School of Design-HEAD and sits on the school's academic board.
Jack Forster
Global Editorial Director, Watchbox.com
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Jack Forster
Global Editorial Director, Watchbox.com
Committed to building old-school excellence in next-generation communications. Life goal: working with as many people who know things I don't as I possibly can. In addition to professional experience below, I'm a lifelong practitioner of Chinese and Japanese martial arts (primarily taijiquan and xingyiquan, as well as aikido) and of Ch'an/Zen Buddhist meditation. Strong interest in science and science education, especially physics, cosmology and biology. Enthusiastic chess and Go player.
Nick Foulkes
Author of numerous books on art and history, and a contributor to a wide range of newspapers and magazines around the world, United Kingdom
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Nick Foulkes
Author of numerous books on art and history, and a contributor to a wide range of newspapers and magazines around the world, United Kingdom
Lead by watch historian, journalist, author and an important voice in the watch community. Beyond, Nick is an internationally recognized authority on timepieces, luxury travel, culture and arts. Editor-in-Chief of Vanity Fair On Time, Contributor to FT How to Spend It & The Rake, he is also a columnist on Country Life, and is international arts correspondent on Newsweek.
Jeffrey Fowler
Alexis Georgacopoulos
Director of Lausanne University of Art and Design/ECAL,Switzerland
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Alexis Georgacopoulos
Director of Lausanne University of Art and Design/ECAL,Switzerland
Alexis Georgacopoulos is a graduate of ECAL/University of Art and Design Lausanne, and in July 2011 became the university's director. Alexis continues to both teach and practice design. Among his many partnerships and collaborations, he initiated the award-winning Delirious Home project that was presented at the Milan Furniture Fair in April 2014. Wallpaper* magazine has named him one of the 100 most influential figures in design.
Alexandre Ghotbi
Deputy Chairman, Watches, Head of Watches Europe and the Middle East, Phillips
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Alexandre Ghotbi
Deputy Chairman, Watches, Head of Watches Europe and the Middle East, Phillips
A passion for watches which began in his early teens led Alexandre Ghotbi to become a pioneer in online discussion forums, first by co-founding « The Purists » in 2001 (now PuristsPro) followed by « The Hour Lounge » the Vacheron Constantin discussion forum in 2007. In 2008, he turned his passion for watches into his profession when he left his career as a finance lawyer in Paris to become the Head of Vacheron Constantin’s Social Media and Community Management. Alexandre joined the Phillips Watches Geneva team in April 2016 as Specialist.
Eric Giroud
Freelance watch designer, Switzerland
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Eric Giroud
Freelance watch designer, Switzerland
Eric Giroud shapes the hours. Through his collaborations with numerous watchmaking brands, this Swiss watch designer reveals his openness to the world, nurtured by the arts. Music lover, contemporary art collector and architect, Eric Giroud takes it upon himself to fuse the artistic and cultural universes that nurture him in order to create designs which are recognised by the profession and acknowledged with numerous prizes.
Nailesh Khimji
Director/shareholder of the Khimji Ramdas Group of Companies, Oman
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Nailesh Khimji
Director/shareholder of the Khimji Ramdas Group of Companies, Oman
Back home in Muscat since 2007, Nailesh Khimji is a keen student of world economic and community affairs. He is a director/shareholder of the Khimji Ramdas (KR) Group of Companies, one of the largest groups in Oman and prominent in luxury retail. He is currently associated with the OCCI's Economic Committee and various international organisations, including the Entrepreneurs Organization, Young Arab Leaders and the World Economic Forum Young Presidents' Organization.
Wei Koh
Founder of Revolution, Singapore
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Wei Koh
Founder of Revolution, Singapore
Wei Koh was educated in North America. In 2000 he moved to Singapore and began working as a freelance watch journalist. In 2005 he created Revolution, the world’s first horological lifestyle magazine, now published and distributed in 16 international editions. In 2010 Wei launched The Rake magazine, "the modern voice of classic elegance", which is published in English with licensed editions in Dubai, Russia and Japan. He is the author of Making of a Masterpiece, a celebration of Ulysee Nardin.
Sean Li
Editorial & Business Development Director
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Sean Li
Editorial & Business Development Director
Sean Li has always been fascinated by timekeeping, and was truly drawn into its inner workings when he took a close look at a perpetual calendar for the first time. Working in information technology until 2009, his career changed significantly when he took on the editorial director’s role of a prominent watch publication in Hong Kong. He is now with Blackbird Watch Manual, a new dedicated digital publication with a focus on highly curated, independent stories that celebrate the art and passion of watchmaking.
Ming Liu
Writer, journalist, author
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Ming Liu
Writer, journalist, author
A regular contributor to esteemed international publications including the Financial Times, New York Times, Vanity Fair and Hodinkee, Ming Liu has been covering the watch industry for over a decade, interviewing key watch world luminaries from CEOs and watchmakers to creative directors and collectors. Based in London, she also writes about luxury and jewellery, and has co-authored the book Winged Beauty: The Butterfly Jewellery Art of Wallace Chan. She is also the author of the novel Our Man in China.
Stefano Macaluso
Consultant
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Stefano Macaluso
Consultant
Stefano Macaluso is an Italian businessman. He attended high school and went to university in Turin, graduating with a degree in Architecture from the Politecnico in 2002.
Morghan Mootoosamy
Curator at Château des Monts, Musée d'horlogerie du Locle
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Morghan Mootoosamy
Curator at Château des Monts, Musée d'horlogerie du Locle
Morghan Mootoosamy obtained his Master of Arts at the University of Lausanne in 2006. In parallel to his studies, he worked at the Musée des beaux-arts de La Chaux-de-Fonds. As assistant to the curator, he participated in the writing of the catalogue of the Collections and of specialised articles. From 2006 to 2008, he was hired by Antiquorum. He is responsible for the production of the sales catalogues and the content of the TimeZone.com website. Since 2009, he has been the director-curator of the Musée d'horlogerie du Locle.
Eléonor Picciotto
Founder, the Eye of Jewelry
Stephen Pulvirent
Founder & Principal at Rime & Reason
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Stephen Pulvirent
Founder & Principal at Rime & Reason
At his core, Stephen Pulvirent is a storyteller who is passionate about finding new and exciting ways to engage audiences across all kinds of platforms. He currently serves at the Manager of Editorial Operations at HODINKEE, the preeminent resource for all things watches. HODINKEE began as a blog but now includes a multi-media publishing platform, e-commerce, events, and more. Stephen is responsible for strategy and development across HODINKEE's editorial portfolio, including the website, print magazine, podcasts, branded content, and more. His day-to-day involves being an editor, creative director, strategist, photographer, writer, producer, and more, and he's often asked to wear many of these hats at once. Previously, Stephen has held positions across digital publishing, online marketing, social media strategy, and e-commerce, giving him in-depth knowledge of how 21st-century media organizations work, how they can best serve their audiences, and how they can work with consumer brands to tell their stories as well. Stephen has published work in dozens of digital and print publications, including Bloomberg Businessweek, Wired, GQ, Departures, Surface, and more, and he is often quoted as an expert by international magazines and newspapers such as The New York Times and The Financial Times.
Pascal Ravessoud
FHH Vice President
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Pascal Ravessoud
FHH Vice President
Avid collector and passionate about watches, Pascal Ravessoud is holder of an MBA from Business School Lausanne. He joined Harry Winston as PR & events manager, and later as Head of Communications for the Timepieces division. In 2007 Pascal joined the Fondation Haute Horlogerie as a Marketing/Development director, overseeing the development of the foundation’s activities in the markets. In charge of the External Affairs and Watchmaking Expert, he also leads the Cultural Council and in 2023 he was name Vice President of the FHH.
Gianfranco Ritschel
Master Trainer
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Gianfranco Ritschel
Master Trainer
After a successful career as a watchmaker with several major brands, including Rolex, Gianfranco Ritschel turned his attention to a different aspect of watches: marketing. Between 1992 and 1994, he served as marketing and sales manager at Piaget Switzerland. He then moved to Bucherer as branch director, becoming a member of the management team and, at the same time, director for watches at Bucherer Group. From 2004 to 2008, Gianfranco developed the Swiss branch of Girard-Perregaux and JeanRichard. Since 2009 he has been active as a trainer and consultant.
William Rohr
Founder at Massena LAB, United States
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William Rohr
Founder at Massena LAB, United States
William Rohr is managing director of TimeZone.com, one of the world’s largest online watch discussion forum, where he has been an important contributor since its founding in 1995. He is a partner at Digital Luxury Group, a Geneva-based marketing and communication research company for luxury brands, and a watch consultant for Bonhams. Previously, William was chief operating officer and managing director of Antiquorum SA.
Abdul Hamied Seddiqi
Vice Chairman of Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, Dubai
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Abdul Hamied Seddiqi
Vice Chairman of Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, Dubai
Abdul Hamied Seddiqi began his career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abu Dhabi as the main liaison for various government ministries. Currently serving as the vice chairman of Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, he oversees the company’s expansion and has, throughout his career, developed and fostered valuable partnerships with principle brands and strategic partners. Abdul Hamied has been appointed Ambassador for fine watchmaking by the FHH for the Middle East. He sits on the board of various companies and government organisations.
Hind Abdulhamied Seddiqi
Karine Szegedi
Managing Partner for the Consumer Industry and Fashion & Luxury lead, Deloitte Switzerland
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Karine Szegedi
Managing Partner for the Consumer Industry and Fashion & Luxury lead, Deloitte Switzerland
Karine Szegedi is a Managing Partner for the Consumer Industry and Fashion & Luxury lead at Deloitte Switzerland. She is a member of the Swiss Executive team and has over 25 years of experience advising and auditing companies in industries including fashion, watches & jewellery, FMCG, retail, hospitality and others. Karine has co-authored each edition of the renowned Deloitte Swiss Watch Industry Study and co-hosts Deloitte’s Luxury on Air podcast, in collaboration with the Swiss Center for Luxury Research. She is frequently interviewed by and quoted in national and international media on topics spanning consumer behaviour, retail trends, luxury and the watch industry for outlets such as Handelszeitung, Finanz & Wirtschaft, ATS, Le Temps, RTS, Financial Times, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, CNBC, Vogue Business, Le Point, Reuters and CNN Money International amongst others. Karine is a member of the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce, the Career Women’s Forum, as well as the American Swiss Foundation Swiss Advisory Council. She is an Academy member of the Grand Prix de l’horlogerie de Genève and Jury member of the Luxury Innovation Awards She sat numerous years on the Board of EXPERTsuisse and has participated to the Advance Mentoring Program in 2021.
Michael Tay
Executive Director of The Hour Glass Limited, Singapore
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Michael Tay
Executive Director of The Hour Glass Limited, Singapore
Executive Director of The Hour Glass Limited and a graduate of Oxford Brookes University with First Class Honours, Michael has acquired diverse experience in the watch industry. He serves on the boards of the National Heritage Board, STPI and Platform Projects, institutions which are engaged in the visual arts and heritage sectors. He is also the chairman of Mercy Relief, an international humanitarian NGO.
Arnaud Tellier
Founder of Tellier Fine Arts consultancy in the valuation and acquisition of artworks, Geneva, Switzerland
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Arnaud Tellier
Founder of Tellier Fine Arts consultancy in the valuation and acquisition of artworks, Geneva, Switzerland
Arnaud Tellier grew up in a family where art was very much a part of life. His interest in watches began at an early age. After training as a watchmaker-restorer, as an expert in collectible horology he spent ten years with Antiquorum auctioneers, followed by eleven years as director and curator of the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva. In 2011 he set up a consulting firm specialising in the valuation and acquisition of artworks.
Brynn Wallner
Founder of Dimepiece.co
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Brynn Wallner
Founder of Dimepiece.co
Brynn Wallner is the founder of Dimepiece, a platform launched in 2020, dedicated to all things women and watches. She also writes about watches, with bylines in Harper's Bazaar, GQ, Financial Times, Vogue and more. She discovered her love for haute horlogerie whilst working in the editorial department at Sotheby's in 2019 (and got her first luxury timepiece in 2021, to celebrate Dimepiece's success and her 31st birthday).
Suzanne Wong
Editor In Chief at WorldTempus
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Suzanne Wong
Editor In Chief at WorldTempus
Born and raised in Singapore, Suzanne Wong started writing about watches in 2010 when she joined Revolution magazine, the world’s most widely published watch title. Over the years, she has been editor-in-chief of Revolution’s flagship Asia issue, kick-started the current reinvigoration of the company’s online platforms and established herself as a leading editorial voice with particular expertise in the technical aspects of watchmaking. Recently, Suzanne has focused on increasing her contributions to the industry, moderating key discussions at regional events such as the Asian Horological Trade and Industry Promotion Conference and Dubai Watch Week. She currently serves on the jury of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. In 2017, Suzanne relocated to Switzerland, and is now based in Geneva.
Shining Zhu
Specialised consultant in Watches and Jewellery
« Fine Watchmaking is the reflection of excellence in watchmaking; the subtle alliance of the watchmaker’s art and the applied arts. »
The FHH Cultural Council experts have, by common consensus, laid the framework for a reference which everyone can use. Its purpose is to enable a better comprehension of the various elements that converge into excellence in watchmaking.