2022 began with political turmoil over whether a Tescos platter and a suitcase full of booze constituted a party or a work event inside Downing Street.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson argued no rules were broken. The public and his parliamentary colleagues disagreed.
That spat looks trivial now that a war in Europe and the economic damage of all those covid restrictions and spending sprees is wreaking havoc on western world’s finances, but it is worth remembering there was enormous optimism in the watch world at that time.
We were all looking forward to Watches and Wonders as the most significant global in-person event to restart after the pandemic.
Prices for watches on the secondary market were rising almost vertically as Rolexes, APs, Pateks and Richard Milles were day-traded by flippers who thought the gravy train would keep rolling forever.
Everybody was in buying mode, and that demand fueled sales in the primary authorised dealer market as well so that cabinets were stripped bare to such an extent that brands started distributing “exhibition-only” watches that people could try on, but not buy without sitting on a never-ending waiting list.
Amazingly, this was not the big story of the first quarter because Swatch Group had hatched a plan to not only steal the limelight away from Watches and Wonders (the group has not been a fan of global trade fairs since bailing on Baselworld back in 2018), but also introduce a whole new generation of potential customers to the delights of Omega’s Speedmaster.
Yes, the Omega x Swatch MoonSwatch was a phenomenon, with the sorts of crowds normally only seen at an early iPhone launch clamouring to get their hands on the £207 bioceramic homage to the Speedmaster.
Flippers, already afflicted with a sort of collective madness, saw an opportunity to profit from a product with demand running miles ahead of supply, so they wrestled outside Swatch shops when deliveries were made, bought the one or two watches they were allowed, and flogged them on eBay at massive mark ups.
Ironically, peak hysteria over the MoonSwatch in the final week of March coincided almost precisely with the peak in prices for the most tradeable watches, and they have been in freefall every since, but more of that in my future reviews into the final three quarter of the year.
For now, here are the top 10 stores by readership in the first three months of 2022.
WATCHPRO’S MOST READ
MOONSWATCH REVIEW: How I bought a MoonSwatch and was the battle to buy it worth the risk?
Read 161,934 times in Q1 alone and 272,520 in total this year
Swatch says customers will be able to buy all the MoonSwatch watches they wish
Read 134,879 times in Q1 alone and 422,585 in total this year
CORDER’S COLUMN: Rolex is no longer a retail brand
Read 134,879 times in Q1
NOMOS beats Rolex and Omega in global quality study
Read 95,758 times.
Koia raises $1.4 million with the promise anybody can own a Rolex or Patek
Read 93,329 times.
Garmin Connect discovers a world of pain and gain
Read 84,320 times.
Six of the best watches to invest in today
Read 83,826 times.
Omega x Swatch MoonSwatch mania spreads across the world
Read 64,835 times.
What will Rolex launch in 2022?
Read 62,373 times.
£8,100 MoonSwatch sold on eBay was relisted
Read 61,079 times.
