At the inaugural Bangkok Watch Week, Revolution hosted a series of symposiums that set the tone for what organizers hope will become a lasting tradition: a forum to spark conversations, inspire discovery, and nurture Thailand’s growing watch community. Framed as a journey through global horological “energy,” the symposiums brought together distinguished voices in watchmaking and collecting to share insights, exchange ideas, and celebrate the culture of timekeeping. For its first year on stage, the symposium underscored not only the vitality of Bangkok as a new hub for watch enthusiasts, but also the role of dialogue in shaping the future of the industry.

Here are the highlights:

Symposium 1: “Shape of Time”

The opening symposium of the Shape of Time, presented by Piaget and Panerai, set the tone for a day of horological storytelling, history, and innovation. Moderated with wit and energy, the session brought together Emmanuelle Kouakou, Managing Director of Piaget Southeast Asia & Oceania, and Leslie Co, Managing Director of Panerai Southeast Asia & Oceania, to unpack how design and identity shape watchmaking across eras.

from left: Kim Goodburn, Master of Ceremonies, Leslie Co, Managing Director of Panerai Southeast Asia & Oceania, Emmanuelle Kouakou, Managing Director of Piaget Southeast Asia & Oceania, Wei Koh

Kouakou highlighted Piaget’s breakthrough in ultra-thin movements — “Within just 12 to 15 years, Piaget created two of the most groundbreaking calibres of all time” — linking that technical daring to the brand’s continued creativity in hardstone dials and integrated bracelets. Co traced Panerai’s roots from a Florentine watchmaking school in 1860 to its role as a supplier of robust, luminous instruments for the Italian Royal Navy. Anecdotes about commandos riding torpedoes — “you needed a compass on one wrist and a watch on the other” — underlined the functional DNA behind Panerai’s oversized cases and patented crown-locking mechanisms.

The conversation moved fluidly from the post-war creativity of Piaget’s jewelry watches to Panerai’s modern innovations in materials, including its Laboratorio di Idee, which developed a fully mechanical, luminescent watch without batteries.

By weaving heritage with contemporary breakthroughs, the symposium underscored how shaping time is both a matter of form and philosophy, defining brand identity while pushing the limits of possibility.

Symposium 2: “The Art & Precision of Skeletonized Watchmaking”

Symposium 2 brought together Franck Muller CEO Nicholas Rudaz and Wei Koh in a lively exchange on the craft, emotion, and evolution of skeletonized horology.

Nicholas Rudaz, Franck Muller CEO, and Wei Koh

Koh opened with a parallel between the Quartz Crisis of 1969 and the invention of the camera, noting that once accuracy was democratized, “watches became about emotion,” much like Impressionism shifted painting from realism to feeling. This theme framed Franck Muller’s contribution to watchmaking: injecting “energy, sexiness, and emotion,” Rudaz said, citing icons like the Master Banker and the playful Crazy Hours, a complication that “teaches you to live in the moment.”

The conversation traced skeletonization back to the late 1700s, gaining traction after the 1970s as watchmakers sought to display the “beating heart” of mechanical movements. Rudaz highlighted Franck Muller’s Vanguard Skeleton and Grand Central Tourbillon as examples where design and engineering intersect under intense pressure: “One twist too much, and you damage the whole mechanism.”

For Koh, skeleton watches embody the human condition: “We are mechanical systems with beating hearts.” The showcase of pieces like the Thunderbolt — featuring the world’s fastest tourbillon — underscored the symposium’s success in blending technical mastery with emotional resonance.

Symposium 3: “Independent Brands: The Evolution of Product Development”

Symposium 3 at Bangkok Watch Week gathered independent watchmakers and leaders to discuss why indies matter. Moderator Wei Koh was joined by Ong Ban of Sincere, Xavier de Roquemaurel of Czapek and Pascal Raffy of Bovet. 

from left: Goodburn, Pascal Raffy, CEO of Bovet, Xavier de Roquemaurel, CEO of Czapek, Ong Ban, CEO of Sincere Fine Watches, and Wei Koh

A common sentiment was expressed: integrity, craft and owner-operator stewardship as the defining traits of independent brands. De Roquemaurel disclosed Czapek’s seven-year development of a world timer that accommodates daylight-saving time; the team postponed launch by thirteen months to protect the mechanism. Ong Ban stressed commercial judgement, where sustainability and after-sales are important weigh-ins, while Pascal Raffy celebrated artisanship, and that “family will always be your first inspiration.” The panelists then reflected on resilience: how indies take creative risks, delay releases for integrity, and sustain craftsmanship across generations. The conversation balanced technical disclosure with personal narrative — from complex movements and owner-operator models to the emotional loyalty collectors show.

As Wei Koh closed, the panel’s success was clear: independent houses remain a vital, experimental engine for horology’s future. 

Symposium 4: “The Aesthetics of Speed and Altitude”

The fourth chapter of the Revolution Symposium, The Aesthetics of Speed and Altitude, presented in partnership with IWC Schaffhausen, drew a full house in Bangkok. The panel featured IWC Chief Design Officer Christian Knoop and respected Thai collector, Peerapon Poosiri, offering both insider perspective and community passion.

from left: Peerapon Poosiri, watch collector, Christian Knoop, Chief Design Officer of IWC, and Wei Koh

Knoop highlighted IWC’s duality as “engineers of fine watchmaking,” blending Swiss craftsmanship with an American-founded ethos of industrial innovation. “Every new product walks a fine line between past and future,” he said, stressing that IWC’s design DNA must evolve without losing its roots in precision instruments once essential to pilots’ survival.

Wei Koh pointed to historic milestones such as the Mark 11 pilot’s watch and Gerald Genta’s 1976 Ingenieur, praising Knoop’s new reinterpretation as “probably the best version that has ever existed.” The conversation also spotlighted IWC’s motorsport ties, from its 2003 partnership with AMG to its decade-long role with Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1, now extending to Hollywood through the APEX film collaboration.