Last year, a national get-together for watch lovers was launched by a well known Sydney-based collector, Paxton Wong. He called it ‘WatchFest’. And, despite every possible obstacle, the show will go on again in COVID-stricken 2020. Because, well, community. That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? There’s no doubt that both the international and Australian watch markets have been badly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Tourism has almost totally evaporated, and foot-traffic through watch boutiques has significantly reduced due to population lockdowns and social distancing measures. And these impacts aren’t just felt by the larger luxury groups such as LVMH and Richemont. The abrupt decline has been felt even more acutely by smaller local businesses, too. That’s why Paxton Wong has decided to push ahead with WatchFest Australia 2020. Not just to celebrate horology in Australia, but to rally support for businesses in the local Australian watch market. “I originally started WatchFest because we need to put Australia on the map,” said Paxton when I spoke with him recently. “The watch community is such a good one in Australia. It doesn’t matter if you’re wearing a Casio or a Patek Philippe, the community is welcoming and I wanted to bring…
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