Watch Clubs & Hawker Stalls with Tom Chng
In the first of three casual catch-ups we’re conducting with watch collector clubs around the globe, unekual chats to Tom Chng (of SWC and Pygmalion Gallery fame) about the group he co-founded and where to go for Singapore’s best Hainan chicken rice.
Briefly talk us through the origin of Singapore Watch Club (‘SWC’) - when and how did you get started?
I got into watches a little over 10 years ago now. The facets of my appreciation are infinite: I was initially a complications guy, but I’ve also always love to hear other collectors share their own story and perspective.
Meeting a lot of other collectors showed me it was possible to tackle the hobby from a historical or design-led angle - the list goes on. All of that led me to decide I wanted to build a platform that encouraged horology enthusiasts to come together and share their passion.
The club was established in 2015, and initially, began with a get-together of 8 new friends who would just talk about watches over beer and coffee. Today, a typical SWC meet-up has of course grown to be a lot larger than that - but the relaxed, casual atmosphere remains.
Based on your dealings with other clubs around the globe, what are some characteristics that feel unique to Singapore Watch Club?
I feel as though one of the chief characteristics of the group is non-conformity. Sometimes, at a meet-up of 30 to 40 of us you won’t see a single Rolex. We’re hoping to create a culture of learning and appreciation - seeking out unique finds, each of which are individually exceptional.
Take us through one project you/your co-founders are currently working on that will be instrumental to the club's future development?
I don’t think this qualifies as ‘instrumental’ [laughs] but it’s a first for us and we’re pretty excited - we’re working on a book! I don’t yet have a precise timeline as to when it’ll be finished, though we’ll be making a formal announcement pretty soon.
Does one have to be S'porean/based in Singapore in order to join SWC? What approach do you take to onboarding new members?
As a club, we have 3 core values which we always seek to uphold: passion, sincerity, and humility. The parts about sincerity and humility are fairly self-explanatory [laughs] but first and foremost, we seek out members who are truly passionate about horology.
We’re not so interested in the glamour that comes with owning flashy watches, the astronomical pricetags these command or the premium that may be fetched if resold - we’re just a bunch of mates who really enjoy watches and all get along.
To answer your other question: to be a part of SWC, you don’t have to be Singaporean or even necessarily need to be based in Singapore. We have numerous members overseas who travel sufficiently to Singapore in order to make their membership meaningful - as most of our activities are in-person.
Now for something completely left-field: tell us about one really great meal you've had in Singapore in the last week.
As it happens, I was just having dinner with a really good mate of mine. He took me and the wife [Hosanna] to this awesome Teochew restaurant where the specialty is cold crab - it was amazing.
Do you think regional styles of cooking like Teochew food are a unique cornerstone of Singapore’s culinary heritage?
Definitely.
Why is it that dining here has so many diverse, intersectional influences?
If you look at Singapore’s history, we have a lot of distinct food cultures - like Hokkien, Hainanese, Cantonese cuisine - where the difference is very granular. The country was founded as a melting pot of different cultures in Southeast Asia, all coming together and involving with nuance.
Even outside the broadly Chinese community, we have strong Indian, Malay and Peranakan influences.
A 'rapid fire' round to finish: give us 3 must-visit spots in Singapore for eating and drinking. Casual, Michelin, an ‘if you know, you know’ vibe - it could be anything, so long as it meets your standard!
I’m a ‘hawker centre’ guy through and through - so don’t expect anything fancy to be in my shortlist [laughs]. If it’s your first time in Singapore, it’d be a crime not to open with chicken rice - the nation’s unofficial national dish. My favourite iteration can be found at Lucky Plaza, which is definitely a ‘IYKYK’ choice
Traditionally, another local favourite is fried kway teow - a kind of noodle dish that’s widely available. There’s a really vendor for it at Zion Road but you have to be prepared to stand in line for a little bit.
Funnily, my final pick is actually a Michelin-approved one - the renowned pork noodles sold at Crawford Lane. Queuing up here can easily take you an hour, but it’s a must-try.
A big thank you to Tom for taking the time to answer our questions and supplying us with images.