The Hour Glass, a leading watch retailer here, organised 'Tempus - The Great Watchscapade', an extraordinary five-day exhibition of timepieces at the Raffles City Convention Centre.

It was the biggest such event outside of the Basel and Geneva watch fairs in Switzerland, drawing visitors from all over the world.

With more than $120 million worth of watches on display, the exhibition was a tremendous success, both in terms of visitor figures and commercial returns.

Many believe The Hour Glass recouped the multi-million dollar exhibition cost, and then some.

We're told that Tempus played no small part in persuading the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to turn our island nation into a 'watch hub'. And in terms of regular events here, and the related institutions, there is certainly reason to think we can go for it.

To the delight of many aficionados, The Hour Glass has confirmed Tempus 2007 is on the cards.

Sincere Watch, another leading retailer, recently unveiled plans for its Haute Horlogerie concept boutiques and Watch Academy.

But before we go on, what exactly does it mean to be a watch hub?

'The real question about creating a hub is what hub are you referring to? A hub of real collectors or a hub for watch buyers?' asked Harry Tan, professor of law and noted watch connoisseur.

'To be a pre-eminent watch hub we must be able to clearly define for ourselves what that is to mean in the long term, and how we get there. For me, a watch hub has to be a place where people in the industry are trusted by buyers - and preferred to those elsewhere in Asia.'

In this regard, Singapore should have a headstart thanks to our sophisticated local watch consumers. Noted Jim Seah, an influential collector: 'In terms of ratio of collectors to population we are probably the most watch-savvy people, thanks to the low tax on luxury goods, relatively competitive pricing for certain brands, and easy access to retailers.'

It also helps that Singaporean collectors are particularly passionate. Peter Chong, a long-time collector and one of the pioneers of Internet watch forums, noted: 'We are definitely privileged to have a group of enthusiasts here who bring prominence to the city because they are sufficiently passionate to want to share their love of timepieces.'

"Perhaps a mega-mall housing the various retailers somewhere close to Orchard, which offers good traffic and reasonable rentals.' - Jim Seah, proposing a mall dedicated to selling fine timepieces

Yet some think Singaporeans need a change of mindset and culture to take the industry to the next level. 'Our collecting culture must change from a 'discounted price' mentality to passion and value collecting,' said Dr Ralph Stanley, a well-known medical specialist and watch lover.

Vernon Lim, another high-profile enthusiast, agreed. 'I feel that the average local buyer is still not very sophisticated when it comes to choosing a timepiece. The selection criteria is usually based on the timepiece's brand recognition or prestige factor.'

However, Vernon does see things looking up. 'I feel that such attitudes are slowly beginning to change. With the heightened awareness created by the media and retailers to educate the public, more buyers are now making informed choices.'

That said, everyone agrees Singapore has plenty of competition, especially from Hong Kong, Bangkok and Japan.

Peter is frank. 'Singapore is no more watch-savvy than Bangkok, or Hong Kong or Tokyo,' he said. Furthermore, it is hampered by its small population.

'The number of collectors (here) is just too small. This is a numbers game and we do not have the numbers in Singapore,' argued Ralph.

'We may sound loud on the the Internet forums but numbers-wise we are small compared to Thailand, for example. The Thais think, buy and collect big! The Japanese are great collectors culturally.'

So what can be done to make up for Singapore's lack of size?

'I believe education of the masses is the key,' said Peter. 'Manufacturers and retailers could do more to fund events like Tempus, and the cognoscenti should contribute and share their passion.'

Harry believes in education as well, even suggesting that polytechnics or universities offer courses on watch appreciation and valuation, watch maintenance and fabrication, perhaps even certification programmes for watch professionals.

Evidently the watch industry agrees with him, for Tempus 2004 was filled with seminars, talks and forums.

'The education factor was very important for me,' said Vernon. 'I think it made Tempus so much more interesting than just a regular fair where the latest offerings from the respective brands were being showcased.' Vernon is not alone in that opinion.

According to Harry, 'the true highlight for the collector was the effort to have parallel sessions for discussions and seminars by CEOs, experts and panel discussions - much like a conference.'

At the same time, there is room for improvement, despite the fact that Tempus 2004 was a truly world-class event.

Noted Jim: 'Unfortunately, some of the programmes overlapped, so the public could not attend every event that they wanted to.

'Perhaps there should be space for observers as well so that more can have the thrill of their lifetime - even just watching how things are done.'

Another exciting idea comes from Harry. 'I would like to see a bank of computers at the exhibition for visitors to access selected web pages and post comments, thoughts and questions on a forum page - and for collectors here to answer them.

'This should be available world-wide, of course, and hopefully reflect the sophistication of the collectors and experts here.'

Tempus 2004 attracted a good number of visitors from overseas, many of whom came to Singapore specifically for the event.

To attract even more foreign visitors, Harry suggests that The Hour Glass might want to consider working with travel agents here to facilitate travel arrangements for serious collectors keen to visit the next Tempus here.

But, aside from events like Tempus, what can be done to make Singapore the pre-eminent watch hub in the region?

Most of the collectors agreed that making Singapore the service centre for the region would be a good move. Many collectors dislike having to send a watch back to Switzerland and wait months for it to return.

'It would be wonderful if Singapore could be geared up as the region's repair and servicing hub,' suggested Vernon. 'The long lead time for repairs can be rather frustrating, and expensive too!'

But there are many obstacles to making that idea a reality. Tay Kok Choon, a well-known collector, noted: 'It will be very difficult to establish Singapore as the regional service centre for watch repairing and servicing simply because we do not have enough talent and skilled technicians here.'

Add on the high labour costs here, and it may actually be more viable to do it in Switzerland, he countered.

Another interesting idea comes from Harry. 'The various watch brands should be incentivised to move their watch museums here, or at least showcase a partial selection of their classics.

'They could perhaps add a small library at their boutiques or support centres for collectors and enthusiasts to go and browse; read their materials and books as well as access their stock photos, materials and presentations via computer for educational purposes,' he suggested.

Both Jim and Kok Choon proposed a mall dedicated to selling fine timepieces.

'Singapore needs to set up a watch retailing centre like Starhill in KL,' says Kok Choon, referring to the 20,000 square foot watch gallery set up by the YTL Group in Kuala Lumpur. It is reportedly the largest watch retail space in the world.

He elaborates: 'It must be a one-stop and must-go place for anyone, especially tourists, interested in watches, be they high-end or entry level.'

Jim is in agreement: 'Perhaps a mega-mall housing the various retailers somewhere close to Orchard, which offers good traffic and reasonable rentals.'

At a more basic level, most agree the standard of service and knowledge provided by the industry needs to be boosted.

'We need to improve the quality of service in sales and support,' argued Harry. 'I look forward to the day that every sales person in a Singapore watch shop is certified professionally to deal with any question about watches.'

Service of that level is what brings customers to stores in London and Manhattan, despite the higher cost. The world's greatest shopping destinations - Bond Street, Fifth Avenue, the Ginza - can hardly be described as affordable, but the service and ambience offered to customers set them apart.

In short, Singapore has the potential to become a watch hub, with several factors in its favour; however, none of them are unique to it. But it's also true that it lacks the sheer numbers - in terms of the domestic market - that some of its neighbours have.

Only with foreign buyers can it close the gap, and that is happening, but perhaps there's not enough of it. Initiatives by industry leaders like The Hour Glass and Sincere are commendable and do help, but it looks like more needs to be done before this little red dot can claim to be the ultimate destination for timepiece shopping.

Su Jiaxian has just started his Economics course at SMU here, but has been smitten since his early teens by a passion for the finest that high horology has to offer

Copyright © 2005 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.