More than telling time : the history of Singapore’s watch industry from a material culture perspective (1920s – present)
This study examines the historical factors behind the little-known success of Singapore’s watch industry as one of the top ten watch hubs in the world watch trade. Various dynamic forces have interplayed to shape Singapore’s watch industry. However, the key underlying force driving the evolving m...
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| Format: | Final Year Project (FYP) |
| Language: | English |
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Nanyang Technological University
2020
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/144684 |
| _version_ | 1824456655804301312 |
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| author | Chong, Alvin Shun Jie |
| author2 | Koh Keng We |
| author_facet | Koh Keng We Chong, Alvin Shun Jie |
| author_sort | Chong, Alvin Shun Jie |
| collection | NTU |
| description | This study examines the historical factors behind the little-known success of
Singapore’s watch industry as one of the top ten watch hubs in the world watch
trade. Various dynamic forces have interplayed to shape Singapore’s watch
industry. However, the key underlying force driving the evolving mass
consumption of timepieces, and which sustains the health of the watch industry
is the material culture associated with the social and cultural meanings embodied
in timepieces. The constant global technological innovation for timekeeping
accuracy, precision and aesthetics results in a proliferation of intriguing and
exquisite timepieces which fire people’s fascination with them. Timepieces
become icons imbued with a myriad of social and cultural meanings beyond their
utilitarian purpose. They also embodied a new way of perceiving and living with
time, leading to the rise of consumption of timepieces in early twentieth-century
Singapore. By examining how the material culture has influenced Singapore’s
watch industry, this study offers two contributions: First, it illustrates the value
of integrating material culture analysis of everyday objects to the historical
analysis of Singapore’s past. Second, it offers the watch industry as a case study
of Singapore’s business history, providing insights into the inextricable ties
between business, culture and society. |
| first_indexed | 2025-02-19T03:57:34Z |
| format | Final Year Project (FYP) |
| id | ntu-10356/144684 |
| institution | Nanyang Technological University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-02-19T03:57:34Z |
| publishDate | 2020 |
| publisher | Nanyang Technological University |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | ntu-10356/1446842023-03-11T20:12:17Z More than telling time : the history of Singapore’s watch industry from a material culture perspective (1920s – present) Chong, Alvin Shun Jie Koh Keng We School of Humanities kohkw@ntu.edu.sg Humanities::History This study examines the historical factors behind the little-known success of Singapore’s watch industry as one of the top ten watch hubs in the world watch trade. Various dynamic forces have interplayed to shape Singapore’s watch industry. However, the key underlying force driving the evolving mass consumption of timepieces, and which sustains the health of the watch industry is the material culture associated with the social and cultural meanings embodied in timepieces. The constant global technological innovation for timekeeping accuracy, precision and aesthetics results in a proliferation of intriguing and exquisite timepieces which fire people’s fascination with them. Timepieces become icons imbued with a myriad of social and cultural meanings beyond their utilitarian purpose. They also embodied a new way of perceiving and living with time, leading to the rise of consumption of timepieces in early twentieth-century Singapore. By examining how the material culture has influenced Singapore’s watch industry, this study offers two contributions: First, it illustrates the value of integrating material culture analysis of everyday objects to the historical analysis of Singapore’s past. Second, it offers the watch industry as a case study of Singapore’s business history, providing insights into the inextricable ties between business, culture and society. Bachelor of Arts in History 2020-11-19T00:58:24Z 2020-11-19T00:58:24Z 2020 Final Year Project (FYP) https://hdl.handle.net/10356/144684 en application/pdf Nanyang Technological University |
| spellingShingle | Humanities::History Chong, Alvin Shun Jie More than telling time : the history of Singapore’s watch industry from a material culture perspective (1920s – present) |
| title | More than telling time : the history of Singapore’s watch industry from a material culture perspective (1920s – present) |
| title_full | More than telling time : the history of Singapore’s watch industry from a material culture perspective (1920s – present) |
| title_fullStr | More than telling time : the history of Singapore’s watch industry from a material culture perspective (1920s – present) |
| title_full_unstemmed | More than telling time : the history of Singapore’s watch industry from a material culture perspective (1920s – present) |
| title_short | More than telling time : the history of Singapore’s watch industry from a material culture perspective (1920s – present) |
| title_sort | more than telling time the history of singapore s watch industry from a material culture perspective 1920s present |
| topic | Humanities::History |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/144684 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT chongalvinshunjie morethantellingtimethehistoryofsingaporeswatchindustryfromamaterialcultureperspective1920spresent |