Survey Suggests TikTok Is The New Trend-setter For Watches

With a bricks-and-mortar base in Richmond, Surrey, plus a strong online presence, retailer Watch Pilot is a business with its finger firmly on the pulse of current trends.

In a recent analysis of TikTok, which is an ever-growing platform for style and shopping inspiration, Watch Pilot discovered that the hashtag #Watchtok has already had 954.5 million views – a number that is growing daily.

Co-founder of Watch Pilot, Tim Harrison, says that some of the findings from the company’s research was exactly as expected – with Rolex topping the searches for luxury watch brands. Others, however, surprised him, for example the fact that pocket watches featured prominently in the top styles that were being searched for.

“From green dials to classic Cartier models, the current and upcoming trends on TikTok can provide watch-lovers with endless inspiration for the next purchase,” he says. “It’s no surprise that Rolex comes out on top as the most popular luxury watch brand, as Rolex is possibly the most well-known watch brand of all time.

“Perhaps most surprising was the appearance of pocket watches in the top five most popular styles. TikTok is where viral trends are born, so are we witnessing the era of the pocket watch?

In terms of key influencers on TikTok, Mr Harrison and his colleagues note two accounts that are leading the pack. “There is @vookum, a watch reseller who negotiates prices for both brand-new and vintage watches, whilst providing viewers with tips and tricks on how to make a luxury watch purchase,” he says.

“And for those interested in seeing how much their favourite celebrities’ watch is worth, @nicovanderhorst regularly posts videos reacting to the very expensive price tags of watches owned by celebrities such as Drake, Mark Wahlberg and Kevin Hart.”

Below, Mr Harrison shares his findings on 2023’s most popular watch fashions according to TikTok users and shares some of his ideas for timepieces that nail the top trends: