The Hour Glass introduces IAMWATCH, a unique and intimate four-day program set in the tropical allure of Singapore. This latest initiative by luxury retailer aims to bring together the Pan-Asian watch-collecting community through face-to-face engagements. They’re the same folks who, in 2004, launched “Tempus—The Great Watchscapade,” one of the first enthusiast-facing watch expositions. Now, two decades later, IAMWATCH is a new platform dedicated to nurturing the passion, knowledge, and stories of the watch-collecting community.

Michael Tay, Group Managing Director of The Hour Glass, emphasizes the importance of this new initiative: “The story of time stretches back over two millennia and the evolution of the portable watch spans the last 500 years,” he said in a statement.

“There is so much history to forage through, and at IAMWATCH, our desire is to lay a foundation of knowledge about the developmental path of horological science and the watchmaking arts. Our hope is that all delegates leave IAMWATCH enriched by the human connections they have made, educated by the lectures and plenary sessions we have proposed, and motivated to continue down this joyous path of watch collecting into the future.”

IAMWATCH: A new era of community engagement

The event will feature over 40 renowned figures in the watchmaking industry, offering a curated presentation that includes fireside chats, horological lectures, and various community activations. These will include CEOs of renowned independent brands such as Felix Baumgartner of Urwerk, Benoît Mintiens of Ressence, De Bethune’s Pierre Jacques, MB&F’s Maximilian Büsser, Rexhep Rexhepi, and not forgetting Raúl Pagès, the master of regulator timepieces and the first winner of the LVMH Watch Prize of which Jean Arnault, Director of Louis Vuitton’s Watch division, will also be present.

The impressive roster of participants also includes industry leaders, namely Aurel Bacs and Tiffany To of Phillips Watches, and Revolution’s own Eléonor Picciotto and Wei Koh. This diverse group of horological luminaries ensures a rich exchange of ideas and insights.

Resort-chic, double-wristwear at the Singapore EDITION

The event will be held at the newly opened Singapore EDITION hotel. Situated at the upper end of Orchard Road, the hotel’s design blends sophistication with lush tropical fauna, reflecting Singapore’s status as a city in a garden. In a nod to the event’s casual and inclusive spirit, the dress code for IAMWATCH is ‘Double-wristed, Resort casual,’ encouraging delegates to proudly wear watches on both wrists. 

IAMWATCH 2024 kicks off with a by-invitation Private View on Thursday, October 17 from 3 – 5 p.m., followed by a Vernissage from 5 – 8 p.m. The event will then be open to the public from Friday, October 18 to Sunday, October 20, 2024 (10 a.m. – 8 p.m.). Admission is free, but guests are requested to pre-register through e-tickets to ensure a seamless experience. Be notified when registration opens via the website here.

The full list of participating watchmakers and industry leaders for IAMWATCH 2024 are (in alphabetical order):
Alain Silberstein, Alcée Montfort, Alex Ghotbi, Anton Suhanov, Aurel Bacs, Benoît Mintiens, David Rooney, Eléonor Picciotto, Emmanuel Esposito, Felix Baumgartner, Florian Bédat, Franc Vila, Gaël Petermann, Gautier Massonneau, Hughes Low, Ilya Gelfman, Jean Arnault, Kari Voutilainen, Konstantin Chaykin, Lee Yuen-Rapati, Manuel Emch, Masaki Saito, Matthieu Haverlan, Max Quintavalle, Maximilian Büsser, Patrick Pruniaux, Philippe Lebru, Pierre Biver, Pierre Jacques, Pierre Millereau, Raúl Pagès, Rémi Maillat, Rémy Cools, Rexhep Rexhepi, Robert Bray, Sam Hines, Sean Li, SJX, Stepan Sarpaneva, Sylvain Pinaud, Théo Auffret, Tiffany To, and Wei Koh.