The Cross the World Tour exhibition includes a selection of works from Eric Cantona’s private street art collection along with a range of Hautlence watches, the highlight of which was a presentation of the brand’s first chronograph, the INVICTUS Morphos, produced in partnership with Eric Cantona. Street art, the “rebel” of contemporary art, powerfully reflects the ethos of the new wave of creative watchmaking embodied by Hautlence.
Benefiting from the full support of retailer partners Prince and Oriental, the two-day event started with a press conference on December 12th. This was attended by 50 specialist journalists and was followed by an evening spent in the company of over 200 local Hong Kong VIP guests and local celebrities. Co-hosted by the directors of Prince and Oriental for their VIP clients, two private dinners were held on December 13th at a specialist gallery and featured a presentation of the Hautlence collection, the highlight of which was the personal presentation by Eric Cantona of the INVICTUS Morphos watch.
Commenting on the event, Bertrand Meylan, CEO, MELB Asia said: “We are delighted to be able to have such tremendous support from our two prestigious partners, Prince and Oriental. With their help, we are convinced that Hautlence will be able to become the number one brand choice in new creative watchmaking for this region. In Asia, like everywhere else, having Eric Canton as a partner and friend, brings a whole new dimension to the brand!”
Eric Cantona expressed his own enthusiasm for the partnership. “The craze that has developed around the INVICTUS Morphos chronograph is really amazing. This makes me very proud of my collaboration with Hautlence and I am really looking forward to the development of our next products together.”
President of MELB Holding, Georges-Henri Meylan emphasised the importance of its Asian subsidiary, MELB ASIA, which has been responsible for the Hautlence distribution across Asia since 2011. “It is essential for the development of MELB Holding to have a subsidiary, MELB Asia, located in the heart of these key markets in order to be as close as possible to our customer. Moreover, this event in Hong Kong, in conjunction with our ambassador Eric Cantona, allows us to reinforce our close ties with the region as well as a number of historic partners”.
Hautlence CEO, Guillaume Tetu confirmed that “The Asian market has always been a strategic market for Hautlence. The events held in Singapore and Hong Kong have confirmed our conviction that re-launching the brand in this region is key. We will soon be announcing the venue for the next leg of our Cross the Line World Tour that I am sure will be equally exciting."
