MATTHEW LIM
What are your favourite watches among your personal collection?
I have two. The first one is the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore, nicknamed the Dark Knight. I got the watch from a boutique. At the time, there were only three of these and I managed to get my hands on the timepiece. My other favourite is the Rolex Daytona black dial.
How did you realise you have a passion for watch collecting?
I wouldn't say that there was a particular event that sparked my interest in watches. I did not come from a wealthy family. When I was in school, my classmates would wear the BABY-G, and I was envious because I couldn’t afford it.
I think my passion for watch collecting ignited when I started working, seven or eight years ago. I started off with a Fossil. But in terms of collecting, my SevenFriday timepiece is the first entry-level timepiece that I own. After that, I got a Bell & Ross, and then a Panerai. Obtaining the Rolex Daytona after that was sort of a quantum leap in my journey as a collector, and I collected my AP a few months later.
What is the story behind your collection?
I got myself the SevenFriday timepiece when I started my own company. In a way, it was a gift for me. Since then, I have continued to reward myself whenever I achieve a goal that I have set. That was the case when I obtained the Bell & Ross watch. For a lot of people, getting a watch can be very sentimental. And I consider myself to be leaning towards that. That is why my collection is quite diverse.
Around the time I got my Panerai, I also got myself a G-SHOCK. It’s nice to have something that takes me back to my childhood, a moment in time. Which is why, I’ve also gotten myself a Casio watch. Like the G-SHOCK, the Casio was also something that I’ve always wanted as a kid. The one that I obtained lately was released the same year I was born, 1989.
Watches like the G-SHOCK and the Casio are meant to fulfil my childhood dreams. The amazing thing is that the excitement I have felt from collecting these is undeniable. In fact, I bought two Casio watches, one for a close friend of mine. Even though they are not expensive, I can say that the excitement that I’ve felt is comparable to the excitement I experienced when I got the AP.
For me, watch collecting is something that I find tremendous meaning in. Instead of its monetary value, I focus on how I relate to the watch. When I look at my AP and Rolex, they are a reminder of how far I’ve come, a memento of a milestone in my career.
If you could offer one piece of advice to new watch collectors, what would it be?
There are various points of view when it comes to collecting watches. Whether you are coming into collecting because you like the watch, or you want to make a profit from it. It’s important for new collectors to be clear on the why.
When I first started to collect, it was from a sentimental place instead of wanting to make an investment out of it. Collecting is really about your own satisfaction. If someone is collecting based on what other people are wearing, I think the fulfilment may not be there. At the end of the day, you would know which timepiece to collect when you listen to yourself.