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For a magazine obsessed over buying watches, not being allowed to buy them is strange. The editors of WOW Singapore and Thailand discuss the current state of affairs, and make a bold prediction or two…

- ASHOK SOMAN AND RUCKDEE CHOTJINDA

Amidst the chaos and extreme uncertainty of our present circumstances, watch enthusiasts know one thing for sure: getting the watches we want has never been more difficult. Around the world, popular watches have become so scarce that they are no longer even displayed in stores. These are not limited edition models, mind you, but regular production core collection watches. As we and other observers have noted, some brands are no longer in the retail business… This state of affairs predates the pandemic, but lockdowns and other related measures have hurt supply, just as they have done across many sectors. Demand, on the other hand, has skyrocketed to unprecedented levels. Everyone wants what they cannot have, and the more out of reach some watches get, more and more hands stretch out for them.

Things have gotten so dire that brand executives are openly discussing it, and articles such as this are being written, even by the general press. The editors of this magazine thought that the pandemic would tamp down both supply and demand, but we were only partially right. The inability of key brands to get watches onto waiting customer wrists has drawn the interest of speculators interested in easy money, and others who see watches as a reliable store of value. For collectors, this is a major issue because we often buy watches just for fun, or for intensely personal reasons. The editors of WOW Singapore and Thailand exchange frank views on the current situation.