Whenever I head overseas for a trip, I make it a point to check out the local horology scene. There’s a crazy amount of watches in the world, and there’s so much more to explore out there beyond the sunny shores I call home. Going somewhere foreign and new, you never know what gem or bargain is hiding just round the corner, and its always a joy to discover new watches that you simply would have never known. I’ve crawled through the maze that is Nakano Broadway, spoken to the amazing folks down under at the Melbourne Time & Tide studio, and found myself delighted at Mr Jones Watches’ flagship store in Seven Dials, London. It’s good fun, and I see myself continuing on these little horological adventures as I explore the world.

Putting myself in the shoes of someone visiting Singapore, I’d definitely appreciate a friendly nudge or two in the correct direction, and having benefited from the wonders of the Internet, I thought it’d be nice to give back what little I know. So if you’re coming down to Singapore some time soon, or if you’re a fellow Singaporean looking for a first watch, here’s a little guide for you.

Note: The locations listed below are in no particular order and none of these are sponsored.

The Heartlands

When you think of buying a watch in Singapore, the glitz and glam of Marina Bay Sands or the traditional tourist recommendation of Orchard Road may be what comes first to mind, and these are definitely valid options (that we will revisit slightly later). However, as with many things in life, I believe the best of deals tend to be hidden just out of sight and before you visit the typical shopping areas, why not check out smaller retailers in what we call the “Heartlands”?

While Singapore isn’t a large place (really, we’re a small city), it’s divided largely into different districts. There’s the central city core, where the financial hub resides together with upscale malls and pretty much any luxury brand you can think of. Then there’s the residential districts, of which the Heartlands are where most Singaporeans live their daily lives. Think high rise public housing, hawker centres, markets and community spaces – where the Singapore life truly happens. Malls in these areas tend to be less luxury focused, and more mass market, which also means better chances at scoring a good deal for watches. Besides, if you’re a tourist you really should spend at least a day exploring the Heartlands for an authentic Singaporean experience. Singapore is incredibly well connected by public transportation, and getting to any of the following locations is likely not going to take you more than an hour.

A tip before we continue; shopping in Singapore is generally a friendly experience – just don’t expect Japanese levels of service, especially not at heartland malls. You’re free to walk into any store and ask to try on something, and you’ll probably face the odd grumpy aunty but don’t feel pressured to buy anything, be nice, and you’ll be fine! Also, ungatekeeping this but you can always ask for a discount and sometimes they drop the price down a bit from the recommended retail price; always worth a shot. Without further ado:

1. Vincent Watch

Vincent Watch is a retailer that can be found in several neighbourhood malls, offering the everyday Singaporean an chance to part with their hard earned dollars for this silly hobby accessible means of picking up a timepiece just steps away from their homes. Vincent Watch is what I refer to as a mall retailer, and these typically stock a wide range of watches catering to different types of customers. You have really affordable brands like Casio, to household names like Seiko and Citizen, as well as Swiss brands such as Oris, Tissot and Tag Heuer just to name a few. Interestingly, Vincent Watch also stocks some indies like Nivada Grenchen and Yema, which I suppose is part of their diversification strategy. I’ve visited most of their outlets before and personally made a purchase at the Tampines Mall outlet. In my experience, service is usually fine and prices are competitive.

2. H2 Hub

Another neighbourhood mall retailer, H2 Hub is another name that can be found across six different malls in Singapore. Similar to Vincent Watch, they carry the fan favourites like Seiko and Casio, along with several of the Swiss brands like Tissot, Mido and even less commonly seen brands such as Hanhart. One thing that’s different is that H2 hub also has their own in house brand, Aries Gold. While some designs are evidently homages, they do also have many interesting original designs with decent specs and value. Worth a look if you’re in the area!

3. City Chain

Just as with the previous two, City Chain can be found across several different malls in Singapore, with a similar mix of brands. They’re actually a watch retail chain originating from Hong Kong, and they have a retail presence of over 300 stores across Asia.

If you’re looking for a deal, they do have an outlet store in IMM, an outlet shopping mall located in the west of Singapore. Take the chance also to cop some discount sneakers while you get some new wrist candy!

The Usual Suspects

No watch shopping guide is complete without a visit to fancy malls and I did say I’d revisit this, so as promised, here we go!

When it comes to tourist shopping in Singapore, a few places usually come to mind. Think along the likes of Orchard Road and Marina Bay Sands – unlike heartland malls, these are located in the City Central Core and there’s definitely a certain level of glamour associated with them. It hence comes as no surprise that many brand boutiques and authorised dealers position themselves in these malls in line with their brand identity. This is probably where you’ll find yourself if you’re in the market for anything ranging from entry level swiss brands, to hard hitting luxury pieces. While you’ll find prices being a bit more wallet friendly in the heartlands, it’s here at the usual suspects that your range of options really opens up. In no particular order, here are some spots for you to explore:

Brand Specific Boutiques

Singapore is well known somewhat for being a shopper’s paradise. We have pretty much anything one desires, and it confounds me when I go to lengths buying souvenirs from overseas only to find them casually being sold here. Watches are no exception, and with a large relatively affluent enthusiast base here, we have access to most major brands and sometimes even limited releases. A good place to start is always the brand’s own boutique – You can just Google for the one nearest to you, but my personal favourites are Orchard Road, Raffles City, Changi Jewel and Marina Bay Sands. These higher end malls have a high concentration of brand boutiques, making it extremely convenient to experience multiple brands at once.

(Multi-brand) Authorised Dealers

If your idea of watch shopping is walking into a sprawling AD with different brands occupying dedicated spaces, each jostling for spatial superiority to vie for the customer’s eye, with a white gloved sales assistant in the middle waiting eagerly to chaperone your wallet you to the latest and greatest, look no further! Options are quite plenty and while they may look intimidating to enter at times, ADs here are usually quite friendly and more than happy to let you window shop and try on a few pieces. If you plan on buying anything, don’t be afraid of asking for a discount – they usually can offer a bit of a price cut to sweeten the deal, or at the very least some brand/ AD merch. Here are some places to check out:

1. All Watches

Founded in 1984, All Watches currently has 5 retail outlets in Singapore, 2 of which are actually a Longines boutique at Bugis junction and a Tissot boutique at Raffles City Shopping Centre. The other 3 outlets can be found at Chinatown Point, Wisma Atria and Bugis Junction. Personally, I enjoy going to the Wisma Atria outlet because of its convenience and proximity to other retail stores. The people are friendly and I’ve actually purchased from them before, so it shouldn’t hurt to pop in for a chat! Brands include Tag Heuer, Oris, and Breitling just to name a few.

2. The Hour Glass

If you’re looking for the hard hitters and Pateks/Rolexes are your thing, then a visit to The Hour Glass is inevitable. A Singapore based luxury watch retail group, the brand is listed on the Singapore Exchange and runs multiple retail outlets across Asia and Australia. Whatever you’re imagining of a luxury watch store – they’re probably it. Aside from operating boutiques at higher end malls and hotels like Paragon and Raffles Hotel, they also operate brand boutiques for Hublot, MB&F, Rolex and Grand Seiko.

Multi-brand boutiques can be found at Paragon, Raffles Hotel, Takashimaya, Tangs, and Vivocity.

3. Watches of Switzerland

Owned by The Hour Glass, Watches of Switzerland is The Hour Glass’s friendlier little brother covering both mid-tier and high end brands. Aside from the more commonly found brands like Hamilton and Longines, you also get brands such as Junghans, Nomos, Sinn and Doxa – brands that Singaporeans may not be as familiar with. Always good to see a variety of timepieces out there and a visit to WoS may be a chance to see something new.

Stores can be found at Changi Jewel, Paragon, Vivocity. I’ve visited all 3 before and had a great time particularly at the Jewel and Vivocity outlets chatting with the sales representatives.

4. Cortina Watch

Also a longstanding luxury watch retail group listed on the Singapore Exchange, Cortina Watch is another must visit if you’re on the hunt for a luxury timepiece. Aside from multi-brand retail concepts, they also operate monobrand outlets for brands such as Patek Philippe, Cartier and Franck Muller.

Multi-brand concepts can be found at Capitol, Paragon and Raffles City.

Evidently, Cortina and The Hour Glass are somewhat rivals operating in the same space, and Cortina too has a proud little brother: Sincere Fine Watches.

4. Sincere Fine Watches

Acquired by Cortina in 2021, Sincere Watch expanded Cortina’s portfolio with brands such as Franck Muller, along with increasing their retail presence across Asia. Comparing Sincere’s brand portfolio to Cortina’s, you’ll understand what they meant by expansion – there’s definitely a lot of less commonly known brands, catering to enthusiasts and collectors in the know.

Interestingly – and I never knew till I wrote this – Sincere operates in the duty free space as the Time Emporium, with 3 outlets in Changi Airport, which brings us to the next place on our list where you’ll want to get your boarding passes ready.

5. Changi Airport

Most every trip starts with an airport, and no holiday is truly complete without a visit to the Duty Free section. While not technically a mall, the airport is a no brainer for picking up a timepiece, and there’s nowhere better to do that than in Changi Airport, which comes in consistently as the world’s best airport.

There’s multi-brand retailers in every terminal, along with specific brand boutiques so you really have no excuse to stop by. On top of waiving the Goods and Service Tax (GST, which is 9% in Singapore), you can always try asking for further discounts.

I once asked a Rolex AD if there were actually any watches for purchase. I was told they receive stock once a month so who knows – maybe it’ll be your lucky day?

Before heading into the transit area, swing by Jewel which has its own fair share of boutiques. A bunch of them are located just outside the indoor waterfall, so if you don’t walk away with a new watch, at least you’ll get a spectacular view. 

(Do note that Jewel is part of the public area and doesn’t offer duty free prices. If you’re a tourist, remember to swing by the tax refund before flying!)

Specialty Stores & Others

If you think flying from Switzerland to Singapore only to purchase a Swiss made watch is weird, and you’d rather look for something different and more local, then this next section is dedicated to you. Nothing like local horology with a serving of kaya butter toast on the side.

1. Red Army Watches

Red Army Watches is somewhat of a different retailer. Founded in 2004 in Singapore, they aim to curate “independent and established watchmakers” and you’ll find many microbrands here that you simply won’t see elsewhere. You can find them at Ion Orchard and Suntec City, which are both easily accessible locations near to tourist attractions. I drop by occasionally, and staff have always been friendly and welcoming, so definitely worth popping by if you’re nearby!

2. Far East Plaza

Technically a mall and not a shop in particular, Far East Plaza is Singapore’s answer to Tokyo’s Nakano Broadway. It’s an old mall and walking in, you’ll immediately see what I mean. It used to be a hotspot for affordable fashion, popular with students and office workers but over the recent years, it’s somehow morphed into something of a watch mecca. Literally every corner is filled with used Rolexs, APs and Pateks. I’m not an expert in this domain, and if you’re looking to buy something here I’d advise you to do your own research, but I suspect that a lot of the supply/price here is being driven by popular demand.

If you only intend to window shop, its plenty good fun to walk in and check out cool pieces, but also the real gem here is the food in my opinion. There’s lots of good food in here that you can easily find recommendations of online, so you’d be doing yourself a disservice by not dining here. Come for the watches, stay for the salted egg chicken rice. Trust me. 

3. Nomad Watch Works (Watch Straps)

I first purchased from Nomad Watch Works when they were largely an online brand, with outlets based in neighbourhood malls. Prices were reasonable, and quality was good. They’ve since closed those outlets, and moved into a dedicated showroom located in Katong, an area known for its Peranakan shophouses and artsy murals. They’re an active part of the local scene, and were also part of Spring Sprang Sprung 2025.

On top of a good selection of readymade watch straps, they seem to do custom straps now as well.

4. Delugs (Watch Straps)

A rising star in the watch world, you’ve probably come across someone with a Delugs strap by now, or at the very least seen them on Instagram. They’ve done a fantastic job of growing from an online brand, to setting up a boutique in Raffles Hotel and now expanding further overseas.

Visiting the boutique is somewhat of an experience; the shop has obviously been designed to look good from every angle, and retail staff are friendly and knowledgeable. If you’re an enthusiast, it’d be a waste not to get a photo in front of their strap wall. They also collaborate periodically with different brands to host events in their flagship store.

Personally, I own 3 of their straps and I continue to enjoy wearing them. I must admit that the straps aren’t the cheapest, but its still within the realm of (relative) affordability, and it certainly adds a touch of luxury to your wrist.

Time for Your Adventure

And there you have it; a non-comprehensive list of places you could check out on your next trip over to our bright sunny shores! There’s definitely more places out there, but this should serve as a decent starting point. Shop smart, haggle hard, and in all literal sense, I hope you can afford some time in Singapore.