I’m quarantining in a hotel room as I write this (and as you read this). Just like everyone else, my travel programme has been massively disrupted in 2020, and this is the first time in 12 months I can be with my family back in Singapore. Before I actually get to see them, however, I have to get through 14 days in complete isolation — a sturdy fire door put in place to prevent Covid-19 from blazing through this densely packed island-nation (population of 5.5 million over 710 sq km).
It’s not as bad as it sounds. As a citizen, my quarantine is entirely subsidised by the Singapore government, who have allocated me a four-star hotel in which to serve out my 14 days. My hotel is modern and well situated downtown, with a great view of the city, so I’m able to look out of my window every morning to be greeted by the reassuring sight of street traffic and people walking around, visiting shops and restaurants. There are systems in place to fully meet my needs while I’m confined to this 30-sq-m room, a multitude of delivery apps that can bring food (ranging from McDonald’s to Michelin Guide restaurants) and other essentials (from books to exercise equipment) straight to me within an hour. There are worse ways to spend 14 days in quarantine, let’s put it like that.
The purpose of all this is not just to sing praises of my home country, although I certainly take every chance I get to do that. It’s also to show that even in difficult times, the right kind of support can really make a difference. When lockdowns were implemented all over the world earlier this year, we worried about people losing touch with their communities; our hearts went out to all those who had been cheerfully debating strap selections the week before and were suddenly confronted with far more existential and troubling concerns. We thought about watchmakers who were abruptly cut off from their customers, unable to connect with audiences at a time of extreme business uncertainty.
What support systems, we asked ourselves, could we put in place at WorldTempus in order to make a difference?
Some of you may already have noticed something new about selected articles recently published on WorldTempus. As of last week, if you look to the left of such an article, beneath the author’s sidebar (or in the information drop-down section if you’re visiting us on your mobile device), you’ll see a registration button that puts you on a list giving you privileged access to the brand featured in the article you’re reading. With your consent, the watch company of your choice will have the opportunity to reach out to you with future VIP opportunities in your area, whether it’s exclusive watch presentations, visits, launch events or simply advance news of their latest watch. The old ways of getting in touch with a watch brand, by walking into your nearest boutique, may be less of an option now, but there will always be other, newer ways.
This is just the first step of what we’ve planned for 2021, which is when we intend to really take things in the watch community back up to pre-pandemic levels and beyond. Enough waiting around for the situation to fix itself; the world may have irrevocably changed, but that just means it’s time for us to evolve too. Just last week, we published an interview with our friend, Nigerian luxury impresario Deremi Ajidahun, who outlined the strategies he set in place to make sure his local watch community wasn’t left wanting even when mandatory lockdowns came into effect, strategies that he plans to keep in place even after the pandemic passes. These are changes for the better, and they are here to take care of all of us.
Two weeks ago, while I was still in Geneva preparing to travel here, I called up the dedicated quarantine hotline set up by the Singapore Ministry of Health. After answering a whole battery of questions, the officer on the line with me said perhaps the most comforting thing of all — something I also want to promise to you, our WorldTempus family — “Don’t worry. We will take care of you.”
