Marking milestones with timepieces

IT MAY have been years since Stephanie Soh wore her first watch but she still treasures it now as much as when she first received it. 

The self-winding Bradley watch, with Mickey Mouse on its face and yellow leather straps, was given to her by her father for her fifth birthday. The Mickey Mouse fan says: “I think he chose this one for me because it didn’t require batteries.”

She wore it till she was 12, when she received a second watch for scoring well in her PSLE.

Later, she started wearing Swatch watches during her junior college and university days because “those were the only watches I could afford,” she says.

Those Swatch watches are long gone, replaced by three pieces from the Bioceramic MoonSwatch Collection, a special collaboration between Swatch and Omega.  “They’re fun to wear,” says Soh, who runs her own kombucha business. 

She splurged on a watch with her first bonus and even met her husband, who works in the oil industry, because of a watch. 

Here’s how the story goes: Soh wanted to trade in her IWC Pilot Chronograph at a secondhand watch shop. Her husband, then a total stranger, was there too. He looked at her watch, commented that it wasn’t in top condition, and made her a lowball offer. 

“Of course, I was fuming. Just who was this arrogant person?” she recalls.

They crossed paths again at the same shop, and he even loaned her a few of his watches to wear before she made a decision to buy them from him. 

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The two became friends, and the rest is history. And as for that IWC Pilot Chronograph? “I sold it to him but it is back in my collection,” she says with a laugh. 

When they got married, Soh’s husband presented her with a Franck Muller diamond watch instead of the traditional option of gold jewellery. “Just as well, since I don’t wear much jewellery,” she says.

Since embarking on her watch-collecting journey 25 years ago, Soh has amassed about 50 timepieces.

“I like having something to wear on my wrist,” she says, when asked why she enjoys collecting watches.

She adds: “Watches tend to hold their value more compared to other luxury items.”

Soh favours watches with simple faces, which is why most of her watches are “two-hand models with few complications”.

She also likes watches that have a history, such as those from Patek Philippe. “I like their slogan: ‘You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation’,” says Soh. “I collect them with the intention of them being heirlooms.”

The couple have two daughters, aged 19 and 22. “The girls are more into my collection of designer bags now, so they’re not eyeing my watches yet,” Soh says with a laugh.

Her favourite vintage watch is the Cartier Crash for its organic, free-form shape. “This piece is always a talking point,” says Soh.

As for modern watches, the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711 is Soh’s top choice, although coming in close as another favourite is the Patek Philippe Advanced Reseach Aquanaut.

“I had to show how many Patek Philippe watches I own before I was even considered as a buyer,” says Soh.

She keeps her watches in themed boxes, such as one for Cartier, another for Rolex and a third for Patek Philippe. Soh wears them all on a rotational basis. 

And when she goes diving, her wrist is adorned with a Rolex dive watch.  

“Most people wouldn’t dive with them on, but these watches are meant for diving, so I’m wearing them as intended,” says Soh, who sometimes gets teased for doing so. 

“These watches are very hardy and I’m not scared of them getting scratched,” she adds. 

She’s gone on to influence some of her girlfriends to start watch collecting. They were collecting designer bags before. “Watches are definitely harder to come by,” she says. 

Together with another girlfriend, she started an Instagram account, @ticktockbelles, to share tips and experiences about watch collecting with other women. “Watch collecting is still largely male dominated but we want to create a space where female collectors can ask questions and not feel intimidated,” says Soh. 

Soh will also be sharing stories of her watch collecting journey and recommendations for aspiring watch collectors at the Singapore Watch Fair. The inaugural event is part of UltraLuxe, touted as Asia’s most prestigious jewellery and watch fair.

Her advice for new collectors? “Buy pieces that you like and when you can, because you never know when prices will go up. And don’t chase the hype.”

Singapore Watch Fair is on from Oct 26 to 30 at Tent@Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza.