Hello everyone, and welcome to another Singaporean article! On this shiok Saturday, I’m rounding up 5 of my favourite watches from local microbrand store, TVG Singapore.
Established in 2014, TVG is Singapore’s foremost microbrand watch retailer, having been promoting and offering microbrand watches to the local market for over seven years. In a private conversation, founder Alex Neo (who used to be a brand director at Corum) shared with me that he wanted TVG to be known for offering alternative watches, bold designs that aren’t commonly seen in mainstream watchmaking. Describing TVG’s customers as “people looking for statement timepieces”, he envisioned TVG to be the go-to place for enthusiasts looking for something different from the norm.
As microbrand watches form a big part of my content, a collaboration with TVG was natural. I think they offer plenty of great watches, and have shortlisted my 5 favourite ones below.
1) Achtung Galaxy
One of my favourite watches that I’ve reviewed this year, the Achtung Galaxy is a showstopper.
My opinion: The Galaxy changed my opinion on the Achtung brand. Previously, I wasn’t a fan – I thought their timepieces were garish and ostentatious. The Galaxy is the complete opposite. It’s brilliantly designed, and comes across and refined and sophisticated. It’s still different on the wrist, but in a good way. I love the dark blue dial with its tapestry of luminescent stars, which does a good job at evoking the cosmos. The time-telling display (comprised of an airplane, a moon and a shooting star) is quirkily fun too. For more of my opinions on the watch, I did an in-depth review of the Achtung Galaxy here.
Price: S$648 (after promo code below).
2) Evox DV03 Diver
Dive watches are the style du jour in watchmaking currently, especially big, bulky ones. In that regard, the 46mm Evox DV03 should make quite a statement on the wrist.
My opinion: Though I’m not usually a fan of dive watches, I’ve always liked the supercompressor design – I have several in my personal microbrand watch collection. There’s a utilitarian component to the aesthetic which appeals to me, and that remains true with the Evox DV03 Diver. The dial is intriguing, and the watch has a cool stealthy vibe, especially on this blacked-out variant. I like the differently shaped crowns too. Nevertheless, the Evox DV03 Diver remains a bona fide dive watch, possessing 500m of water-resistance rating and a helium escape valve. If you like larger tool watches, this will definitely fit the bill.
Price: $630 (after promo code below).
3) Nsquare The Magician
Done in collaboration with renowned Hong Kong magician Louis Yan, the Nsquare “The Magician” is an eminently cool watch.
My opinion: Nsquare’s “The Magician” reminds me of the Hublot Sang Bleu (which was also another collaborative watch) with its case design, while the memento mori motif is reminiscent of Bell & Ross’ skull series watches. In other words, “The Magician” takes inspiration from haute horology timepieces, and fuses them into a more affordable package here. Yet, due to its poker-based magic provenance, the watch is not a mere homage – far from it. It’s striking on the wrist (especially in this blue and gold iteration) and should be a definite conversation starter.
Price: $792 (after promo code below).
4) Nitron Robotron II
The Nitron Roboton II is perhaps one of the most intriguing watches TVG offers.
My opinion: I mean, just look at the watch – it looks downright awesome. There are several colourways of the watch, but the bronze/brown one pictured above best exemplifies the sci-fi theme of the watch. When I saw the watch in person, it immediately reminded me of my favourite sci-fi shows such as Dr. Who or Star Wars. It’s a fun weekend watch with tons of wrist presence that is bound to attract attention when worn on the wrist. It’s amongst the most unique microbrand watches that I’ve handled to date, and definitely one that I would love to add to my personal watch collection.
Price: $990 (after promo code below).
5) Zoid Mystery
If you’re someone that’s into unusual complications, then the Zoid Mystery will do the trick.
My opinion: The Zoid Mystery features an unconventional time-telling display that is a breath of fresh air from the norm. For those wondering how to read the time, the big arrow acts as the minutes hand, while the number highlighted in the disk window denotes the hours. For example, in the above photo, the time would be approximately 7.44 pm. It reminds me of something like the Ulysse Nardin Freak X (which also took an unorthodox approach to displaying time), but at a much more affordable price point. And while there are multiple colourways of the Zoid Mystery available, the black and red variant is perhaps the most visually arresting.
Price: $1080 (after promo code below).
Conclusion
I’ll be the first to admit that not all of TVG watches appeal to me – I find some of their offerings to be garish and ostentatious. But there’s enough that I like, and I commend TVG for sticking true to their brand values of curating watches that are bold in design. It would be much simpler (and probably more profitable) for them to simply sell affordable, decent quality Submariner homages, or even “minimalist” fashion watches, but that’s not what TVG is about. TVG is about going the path less taken, offering customers more adventurous options that are simply fun to wear on the wrist. If you’re looking for something different without breaking the bank, then I highly recommend checking out TVG’s curation of watches, especially the 5 mentioned above – I would wear any of them in a heartbeat.
Those interested in buying from TVG can use the promo code “WAHSOSHIOK” to enjoy 10% off all watches from TVG’s online store. At the end of the day, microbrand watches are about offering designs not commonly found in mainstream watchmaking, and the watches carried by TVG embodies that spirit. I’m looking forward to doing more hands-on reviews of their watches in the near future!
View the entire TVG store here.
P.S Do check out the new “Discounts!” page for exclusive discounts for Wahsoshiok readers! More brands will be added very soon – stay tuned!
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P.S.S.S Shiok is a common word Singaporeans use to express admiration or approval. As of 2016, you can find the definition of the word in the Oxford English Dictionary.
