Photo Recap: Golden Hours — SG60 Edition (Singapore)

On 10 August, our flagship boutique at Raffles Hotel Arcade transformed into a vibrant hub for Golden Hour: SG60 Edition, a special National Day event marking Singapore’s 60th year of independence. The showcase brought together five of the nation’s most exciting independent watch brands — Arcturus, LOTH, RZE, TENNET and ZLTD — alongside collectors and enthusiasts for a day of conversation, craftsmanship and hands-on discovery.

A Showcase of Craft and Innovation

Throughout the day, visitors explored a wide spectrum of watchmaking styles and philosophies. RZE debuted its latest collaborative release with Vario, combining Vario’s much-loved Trench Watch design with RZE’s titanium case construction and proprietary UltraHEX coating — an adventure-ready piece with vintage charm. TENNET drew attention with the Argonaut, its forthcoming dive watch, inviting guests to handle the prototype and place pre-orders ahead of its official release. ZLTD presented both its inaugural Series 1 and the recently launched Series 1.5 collection, the latter already sold out, showcasing the brand’s in-house movement modifications and intricate hand-finishing.

Live Demonstrations and Design Conversations

One of the most memorable moments came from LOTH founder Tristan Ho, who demonstrated his mastery of anglage in person, guiding loupes over perfectly polished chamfers on the LOTH Watch 1. Arcturus, meanwhile, displayed the latest LC-2 collection, its bold, multi-dimensional designs sparking conversations about form, texture and future developments.

Connecting Makers and Collectors

Against the backdrop of Singapore’s diamond jubilee, the event offered more than just a look at new releases — it provided an intimate connection between maker and wearer. Guests not only handled pieces fresh from the workbench but also learned the stories, processes and values behind them. From titanium divers to hand-decorated movements, Golden Hour: SG60 Edition underscored the depth of talent in Singapore’s horological community and reaffirmed Delugs’ role in bringing that craftsmanship to the forefront.

A Short Review of the LOTH Watch 1

Our own Content Strategist, Evigan, attended this event. What follows is his initial take on LOTH's inaugural release, which was his personal favourite amongst the releases of the day.

First Impressions

Like most first-time viewers, what drew me to the LOTH Watch 1 was its mosaic-finished dial. I confess — my eye is somewhat untrained when it comes to the intricacies of dialwork. At first glance, I assumed that the glistening maillechort (German silver) dial relied on facets for its entrancing quality. While I was mistaken on that front (more on that below), everything else was self-evident. Indeed, the LOTH Watch 1 presents itself as an earnest attempt to deliver a classic time-only three-hander; simple in concept yet brimming with potential.

Taking a Closer Look

And live up to its potential, the LOTH Watch 1 does. The case and lug architecture are typical enough, but getting up close with the dial allowed me to appreciate the detail on the dial — an alternating series of brushstroke patterns which are as fine as a baby's hair — encased under a gently curved sapphire crystal. Encircling it was a brushed steel chapter ring that helped direct the free-roaming nature of the dialwork, while also serving as the primary means of time-telling, along with the heat-blued spade hands. At the 12 o'clock position, LOTH's marque sits quietly displayed in hand-applied resin ink, mirroring the indices.

Flipping the LOTH Watch 1 over reveals its heart — a NOS ETA Unitas 6498. Despite not being one of the slimmer manual-winding calibres in the market, it allows the watch to maintain an 11.2mm thickness, which still contributes to a slim wearing experience. But that's not the physical property that you should be concerned about. Much like the dial, the movement serves as another canvas for hand-finishing. The maillechort balance bridge is treated to yet another round of mosaic detailing, the mainplate is hand-frosted, and the ratchet and crown wheels are snailed to a hypnotic effect. Bring a loupe, and you'll realise that the anglage on the bridges uses chamfers with a wide curve instead of the regular 45-degree bevel.

Final Thoughts

Tying all this together is the person behind LOTH — Tristan Ho. A self-taught watchmaker, Tristan designs, finishes and assembles his watches entirely in-house, which is essentially a workshop set up in his Tampines residence. His website talks about how he views his watches as "a quiet protest, a revival of the lost art of traditional, artisanal watchmaking". Admittedly, it's a common enough refrain in the growing independent landscape. In LOTH's case, Tristan's appreciation of centuries-old techniques certainly addresses an increasing appetite within the watch community for designs that feel a little more personal.

As the brand's inaugural release, the LOTH Watch 1 certainly bodes well for the future. I have little doubt that subsequent watches will fail to impress aesthetically, given Tristan's commitment to excellence. What I hope to see down the road are perhaps smaller references, given the resurgence of case sizes 39mm and under. It would also be interesting to see how Tristan meets the challenge of achieving a similar level of visual impact with the LOTH Watch 1, but with less real estate. In the meantime, hats off to Tristan and LOTH for a truly impressive debut!

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