More than telling time : the history of Singapore’s watch industry from a material culture perspective (1920s – present)

• Main Author: Chong, Alvin Shun Jie
• Other Authors: Koh Keng We
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2020
• Subjects: Humanities::History
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/144684
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

This study examines the historical factors behind the little-known success of Singapore’s watch industry as one of the top ten watch hubs in the world watch trade. Various dynamic forces have interplayed to shape Singapore’s watch industry. However, the key underlying force driving the evolving mass consumption of timepieces, and which sustains the health of the watch industry is the material culture associated with the social and cultural meanings embodied in timepieces. The constant global technological innovation for timekeeping accuracy, precision and aesthetics results in a proliferation of intriguing and exquisite timepieces which fire people’s fascination with them. Timepieces become icons imbued with a myriad of social and cultural meanings beyond their utilitarian purpose. They also embodied a new way of perceiving and living with time, leading to the rise of consumption of timepieces in early twentieth-century Singapore. By examining how the material culture has influenced Singapore’s watch industry, this study offers two contributions: First, it illustrates the value of integrating material culture analysis of everyday objects to the historical analysis of Singapore’s past. Second, it offers the watch industry as a case study of Singapore’s business history, providing insights into the inextricable ties between business, culture and society.