Juan-Carlos Capelli, vice president and head of international marketing of Longines, attended the press conference for the 2014 Longines Equestrian Beijing Masters on April 11. Photo: Courtesy of Longines

At the press conference for the 2014 Longines Equestrian Beijing Masters at the Beijing P. Y Equestrian Club on April 11, hundreds of people from all walks of life were drawn there to catch a glimpse of its shining start.

Despite the glamour of horsemanship, Longines, the event sponsor, was the true highlight. With the latest watches being displayed to the audience, and the showing of a promotional video about Longines and equestrianism, the deep links between this world-renowned watch brand and this classic sport were unveiled.

Juan-Carlos Capelli, vice president and head of international marketing, flew in directly from the company's headquarters in Switzerland to attend the event, during which he elaborated on the spirit of the brand that equestrianism embodies.

Since being established in 2011, the Longines Equestrian Beijing Masters has become the most prestigious equestrian event in China today, allowing for world-famous equestrians as well as domestic equestrians to gather and present an international standard of performance in the skills competition.

Equestrianism, a sport of classic elegance, has long captured the attention of Longines, which believes that its spirit fits the philosophy of their watches. As Capelli said at the opening event, the sport and the brand share the same values: elegance, tradition and performance.

"Elegance is when we created classic collections for the watches of the Longines Equestrian Beijing Masters. We asked our designer to design a watch to be worn when you go to a racing competition," he said. "Tradition is Longines' embodiment of more than 180 years of tradition, and equestrian sport is the oldest sport in the world."

Last but not least is the idea of performance, which, for Capelli, reflects the sense of harmony when the rider and the horse perform and compete together. This harmony is based on accurate and precise movement - just as with watch design. The Longines Conquest Classic watch, for example, features a precision mechanism thanks to the integration of a self-winding mechanical column wheel chronograph movement that beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour for greater accuracy.

"The rider and the horse have to be precise to jump the bar, which is why we think the Conquest Classic fits perfectly as an equestrian watch," said Capelli.

The passion of Longines for equestrianism dates back to 1878, when it produced a chronograph engraved with a jockey and his mount.

As a Swiss native, Capelli had equestrian experience long before he joined Longines. "I was born in a little town in Switzerland, and the most popular sport in that region is equestrianism," he said, adding that he is also a former rider.

Although he agrees that equestrianism is still a fairly new and small market in China, he sees strong potential for it, especially from a historical and cultural point of view. "There is a very long history for China and horses," said Capelli. "The terracotta warriors and horses show that China has a very long tradition with horses."

Twenty years ago, the new sport in China was tennis, ten years ago the new sport was golf,  and today it is equestrianism, said Capelli, who believes that in two or three years, equestrian sports will have become quite popular in China.

"Every year, it is getting better," concluded Capelli in his remarks at the 2014 Longines Equestrian Beijing Masters press conference. He is confident that Longines and equestrianism will have a greater future in China, and he is ready to see this happen.