Huo Feile

Born in 1964 in China, Huo Feile was a pioneering independent watchmaker based in Macau who passed away in recent years, leaving behind a profound legacy. A machinery engineer by training specialising in aluminium alloy forging, he was entirely self-taught in watchmaking and held six patents internationally — more than most formally trained watchmakers. He served as president of the Macao Timepiece Society and was celebrated for openly sharing his knowledge through watchmaking forums, compiling his insights into a book and freely helping fellow watchmakers correct their technical weaknesses.

Six numbered works define his output: Work No. 1 (Huo's One, 2018) — a floating tourbillon, designed 2002, movement completed 2005, patented 2017; patented China and international PCT; frameless, without a traditional cage or bridge, offsetting gravity error; figure-8 dial evoking good luck, limited to 18 pieces. Work No. 2 (Huo's Two, 2018) — jumping seconds with a new mechanism using only 4 components: 2 wheels and 2 springs. Work No. 3 (Seesaw Resonance, 2022) — double barrel, double wheel, double balance, automatic winding resonance watch. Work No. 5 — commemorating the 20th anniversary of Macau's return and the 1st anniversary of the Macau Timepiece Museum; 1999 pieces in each of 3 dial variants. Work No. 6 (Chronograph) — inspired by the Macau Grand Prix, 3 dial patterns (Motorcycle, Formula 3, GT), each limited to 100. Work No. 7 — commemorating the 70th anniversary of the PRC and 20th anniversary of Macau's return; dials depicting A-Ma Temple, Guia Fortress, and Macau Timepiece Museum; 100 pieces per dial.

The details of the individual works reward attention. Huo's One was executed in a 42 mm 18k red gold case under a lid-shaped sapphire crystal, its in-house 21-jewel hand-wound movement beating at 21,600 vph with 36 hours of reserve, and the Ruins of St. Paul engraved on the caseback in tribute to his adopted city — the Macau Timepiece Museum, which displays it, describes it as the only floating tourbillon wristwatch in the world. The commemorative works carry their own delights: the No. 5's calibre H5 sits in a 44 mm case behind gradient green, blue, or black dials; the No. 6 chronograph's calibre H6 honours the Guia Circuit with dial numbers recording the actual motorcycle, Formula 3, and GT lap records as they stood before the 2019 Macau Grand Prix; and the No. 7's self-winding calibre H7 frames its three heritage-building dials at 42 mm. Huo's role in Macau's horological life went beyond his own bench: when Asia's first timepiece museum was established in the city, its founder invited Huo — a veteran restorer of antique clocks and watches — to serve as consultant, and the museum now celebrates his landmark creations alongside pieces by Genta and De Bethune. His generosity was legendary in the Chinese collecting community, from years of technical forum posts distilled into his book, 'The Life of a Horologist,' to freely diagnosing other watchmakers' technical weaknesses. In the lineage of Chinese independent watchmaking that begins with Kiu Tai Yu — the first Chinese member of the AHCI — Huo Feile stands as the great bridge figure: the self-taught engineer who proved that Macau, a city of casinos and cathedrals, could also be a city of tourbillons.