Op-ed: Is Covid-19 The Big Bitter Pill We Didn't Ask For, But Needed?
Esquire Singapore|May 2020
Fairs cancelled, stores shuttered, production lines halted. What good could come out of all this? Celine Yap, Esquire Singapore’s editor-at-large for watches and jewellery, contemplates the possibilities.
Celine Yap
Op-ed: Is Covid-19 The Big Bitter Pill We Didn't Ask For, But Needed?

The Swiss watch industry is often described—or criticised, depending on context—for being slow to adapt and resistant to change. But in recent years it’s been nothing but change and constant adaptation across all segments of the market.

First came the global financial crisis of 2008/09 which put an end to the heady days of loud watches and overt consumerism. In response, the industry self-corrected by swinging back to understated watches—classic, elegant, ultra-thin became all the rage.

Then there was the anti-corruption crackdown in China that began in 2012 and all but decimated luxury consumption throughout the mainland. At that time, China was the only market in the world reporting not just positive numbers but double-digit growth, so this was a massive blow.

Fortunately, it wasn’t just Chinese officials who were buying up luxury watches but the burgeoning wealthy middle class and new rich. Binge shopping on expensive holidays were de rigueur for these young and trendy jet-setters with enough firepower in their wallets to buy everything in a Louis Vuitton store in one afternoon.

Moving the needle for brands large and small, Chinese buyers also prefer to shop in tax-free Hong Kong, which is regarded as the gateway to China for all foreign companies.

So when the 2019 Hong Kong protests against China descended on the city, forcing shops around the island to close for months, it created a huge dent in sales revenue that nobody knew how to fix.

Bu hikaye Esquire Singapore dergisinin May 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye Esquire Singapore dergisinin May 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

ESQUIRE SINGAPORE DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
THE MILD HANGOVER
Esquire Singapore

THE MILD HANGOVER

Hangovers get a bad rap. We know. If you’ve gotten this far in the magazine, you’ve surely divined that we’re mildly hungover most of the time.

time-read
2 dak  |
November 2022
AN ELECTRIC FUTURE
Esquire Singapore

AN ELECTRIC FUTURE

Polestar, the minimalist electric Swedish car brand, turns the voltage up on its competition.

time-read
3 dak  |
November 2022
LET'S GET REAL (ESTATE): LUXURIOUS LONDON
Esquire Singapore

LET'S GET REAL (ESTATE): LUXURIOUS LONDON

Royalty, shopping, the best tea and scones the world has to offer, and a lifestyle worthy of what you're working for. Here's why London is ripe for your next investment

time-read
4 dak  |
November 2022
NEXT UP....ZARAN VACHHA
Esquire Singapore

NEXT UP....ZARAN VACHHA

As Co-founder of the events and talent agency Collective Minds and Managing Director of the Mandala Masters, Zaran Vachha is definitely not new to the culture scene, but he's certainly shaping what comes next.

time-read
6 dak  |
November 2022
WHAT I'VE LEARNED...
Esquire Singapore

WHAT I'VE LEARNED...

I DON’T WEAR SOCKS except in January.

time-read
3 dak  |
November 2022
The Body Is a Language
Esquire Singapore

The Body Is a Language

A bad handshake is such a turnoff; we feel irked when someone rolls their eyes at us; we can't stop pacing when we're nervous-ever wondered how certain body language has the power to change how we feel instantly? We explore why.

time-read
4 dak  |
November 2022
EYE OF THE TIGER
Esquire Singapore

EYE OF THE TIGER

Hailing from Singapore, Japan and Brazil respectively, Evolve Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) athletes Darren Goh, Hiroki Akimoto and Alex Silva are proof that the ring demands as much from mind as it does from matter.

time-read
10+ dak  |
November 2022
THE ADONIS COMPLEX
Esquire Singapore

THE ADONIS COMPLEX

With the rise of superhero culture making a return and bringing with it the celebration of the classically ‘masculine’ body type, can men really overcome the pressure to conform when culture keeps getting in the way?

time-read
8 dak  |
November 2022
FUNNY BUT TRUE
Esquire Singapore

FUNNY BUT TRUE

A comedian, an iconic Singaporean, and now a man much evolved. After overcoming two years of pandemic limbo, unlocking career milestones one after another and undergoing a life-defining physical transformation, Rishi Budhrani is ready to emerge into the world renewed-and anew.

time-read
10+ dak  |
November 2022
LIKE NO OTHER
Esquire Singapore

LIKE NO OTHER

With its horological triumphs, Hermès has truly come into its own as a watchmaking maison. In this exclusive interview with Esquire Singapore, CEO of Hermès Horloger, Laurent Dordet sheds some light on his timepieces' rising stardom and the importance of being different.

time-read
4 dak  |
November 2022