Cover Deborah Wong and Stephanie Soh
Deborah Wong and Stephanie Soh
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Meet Deborah Wong and Stephanie Soh, the dynamic duo making waves in the watch collecting community with their women-focused watch appreciation platform, TickTockBelles
Watch influencers and dedicated watch appreciation accounts are aplenty on social media—and there is certainly one for every kind of horological enthusiast. Still, it is very much a male-dominated space, even though things are changing with the rise of more female watch collectors such as Deborah Wong and Stephanie Soh. The close friends are co-founders of TickTockBelles (@ticktockbelles), a women-centric timepiece appreciation community that they started on Instagram in 2022.
“We aim to support women’s interests in watch collecting by promoting watch appreciation as a passion and timepiece collecting as a hobby,” shares Wong, who is a business development leader in the IT industry. “Our vision is to forge a gender-friendly watch community that embraces the female collector.”
In case you missed it: This watch collector was once the youngest in the world to own a MB&F timepiece
Above Deborah Wong (pictured left) wears her own Patek Philippe World Time 5110R and Stephanie Soh wears her own Patek Philippe World Time 5110JTB
Deborah Wong (pictured left) wears her own Patek Philippe World Time 5110R and Stephanie Soh wears her own Patek Philippe World Time 5110JTB
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The bulk of TickTockBelles’ content centres on showcasing how watches, ranging from vintage to neo-vintage and current collections, look on a woman’s wrist. Wong says that these wrist shots are accompanied by some information about the timepiece, which the platform tries not to overcomplicate in order to remain as accessible and approachable as possible. These posts are interspersed with content on its co-founders, who are always fashionably dressed, attending brand events, or hosting their own events for the TickTockBelles community.
“One of our objectives is to connect our female (and nowadays many male) community friends with watchmakers, CEOs and brands,” says Wong. “We’ve also started to reach out to collectors and watch enthusiasts outside of Singapore to build a more borderless community through our shared passion.”
A scroll through the TickTockBelles feed will have many a watch connoisseur in awe of the co-founders’ collections. As the more experienced collector of the two, Soh’s extensive collection stretches back to the first Swatch watches she bought herself as a university student, while Wong only started getting into collecting over six years ago. In fact, it was thanks to a conversation she had with Soh about passing on their timepieces as heirlooms to their children that led Wong to become more serious about her collecting.
Above Stephanie Soh’s Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1R-001, Arnold & Son Instrument Collection TB Tiger and Cartier Incurvée
Stephanie Soh’s Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1R-001, Arnold & Son Instrument Collection TB Tiger and Cartier Incurvée
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Both women have a lot in common when it comes to their discerning tastes in watches. They each own a number of iconic timepieces from big-name brands including Rolex and Patek Philippe, and have more recently started to acquire watches from independent brands such as MB&F. The pair are also big fans of Cartier and own several enviable watches from the Maison.
Soh, a music teacher who also runs a home-made kombucha business on Instagram, acquired a vintage Cartier Incurvée with a manual-winding movement last year, which she considers her favourite watch at the moment for the memorable story behind it. She bought the timepiece with the impression that it was a mini Baignoire but, after sending it to Cartier for servicing in Paris, was told that the watch was not a Baignoire as she originally thought because it was made before Cartier launched the collection, and has a backwinder instead of a crown typical of the watch. After some research, Soh deduced that the watch she had in her possession was in fact an Incurvée, making it extra special for her.
Wong also has a significant Cartier watch in her collection—a special order Cartier Tonneau in white gold with an eggshell dial that she customised to reflect her personal style—and designed with the intention of passing it down to her son in future.
“We aim to support women’s interests in watch collecting by promoting watch appreciation as a passion and timepiece collecting as a hobby”
In addition to their common love of Cartier, the pair also have overlapping tastes in watches across other brands, and in other aspects such as a preference for two-hand movements without many complications. As frequent flyers, however, one complication that both do enjoy is a world time. For the photo shoot for this story, the duo paired their matching outfits with Patek Philippe World Time watches, with Soh wearing a Patek Philippe World Time 5110J, and Wong, a Patek Philippe World Time 5110R.
Both of them also tend to gravitate towards the unconventional. For Soh, this comes through in her fondness for unusual shapes such as in her beloved Cartier Crash, known for its asymmetric form, which she finds represents her: “It looks bent out of shape, reminding me of how I’ve been battered in life by circumstances that turned out to be unique and precious experiences.”
Above Deborah Wong’s Cartier Tonneau, M.A.D. Editions M.A.D.1 Green and Konstantin Chaykin Grimaldi the Clown
Deborah Wong’s Cartier Tonneau, M.A.D. Editions M.A.D.1 Green and Konstantin Chaykin Grimaldi the Clown
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Meanwhile, Wong’s eye-catching Konstantin Chaykin Grimaldi the Clown watch speaks to her penchant for the quirky. Featuring a whimsical clown face on the dial, the time is read on two discs that look like eyes. The mouth at the bottom also displays the moon phase. “I would like to think that I have a humorous side and try not to take myself too seriously in life,” she says.
When it comes to her approach to building a watch collection, Wong sticks to a philosophy of simplicity, style and timelessness. “If I have to think hard about when I’m going to wear a timepiece, then it’s not for me,” she says, adding that she often seeks watches that are versatile enough for both casual and formal occasions, such as those with bracelets and leather straps. “A design should also withstand the test of time, to be passed on to the next generation.”
In a similar vein, Soh advises budding watch collectors not to chase the hype. “When you chase the hype, you end up spending more to get that timepiece,” she says. “If you still like the watch when the hype dies down, good for you. If not, it becomes an expensive regret. I always believe in affinity with my watches, if it’s meant to be mine, it will come.” It helps to join a community such as TickTockBelles, she adds, in order to meet like-minded individuals to discuss and learn more about watches that one may be interested in, or even try them on, before buying.
Aside from getting advice from fellow enthusiasts, the duo also believes that such a community offers camaraderie. “We are very grateful that our community friends connect very well and enjoy each other’s company,” says Wong. “Many of the ladies have started forming meaningful friendships, so when we come together, it’s like friends catching up with each other. The positive vibes are what bond our community friends, both male and female.”
In the year ahead, Soh hopes to grow the TickTockBelles community internationally. “That’s our long-term goal,” she says. “But we will start small with engaging female watch collectors in Malaysia and Hong Kong first.”
Credits
Photography: Frenchescar Lim
Hair: Angel Gwee and Eunice Wong
Make-Up: Angel Gwee and Eunice Wong
Topics
Annabel Tan is the Editor of Watches and Jewellery at Tatler Singapore, where she covers all things luxury timepieces and fine jewellery across both print and digital platforms. She is also the Editor of Tatler GMT Singapore, a role that deepens her fascination with the ever-evolving world of watchmaking. Outside of work, she’s usually on the hunt for her next favourite watch that she can’t afford, planning her next beach getaway, or catching up on the latest Formula 1 race.
