The Hidden Silver Lining in Watch Collecting After an Unprecedented Year of Challenges

As the world grappled with a cumulative upheaval in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the watch-collecting community wasn’t left untouched. Traditional face-to-face meetings and conventions faced an almost complete standstill as global safety concerns took precedence over shared passions. High-risk larger congregations like the annual Baselworld convention were either indefinitely postponed or canceled owing to increasing restrictions on gatherings and travel. Casual get-togethers and intimate ‘watch fondling’ sessions were at risk of becoming superspreader events, given their communal nature, forcing them to shut shop. However, this did not deter collectors. They found innovative methods to keep their tradition alive. One effective adaptation to the pandemic was the transformation of physical gatherings into virtual meetups. Watch enthusiasts started leveraging available technology like the ZOOM platform and began having virtual get-togethers. They utilized these platforms not just for ‘watch talk’, but also as a measure to cope with the social isolation wrought by the pandemic. An unexpected benefit of this switch to the digital world was that it brought watch collectors closer to industry leaders, shattering geographical and temporal barriers. Interactions with leaders of watch brands, usually a dreamy concept, became a gratifying reality. Hosts like Faisal and others coordinated fruitful interactions, where enthusiasts and novices alike could gain first-hand insights directly from brand executives. There’s little doubt that 2020 was a challenging year for the watch-collecting community (and the world at large). Nevertheless, such circumstances honed the resilience of watch collectors and taught them innovative ways of keeping their shared passion alive. The experiences forged amidst adversity hint at an exciting future where digital and physical spaces combine for a more integrative watch-collecting experience.