Our first issue of the new watch year for 2022/23 takes in all the most breathtaking novelties, or at least the ones that made the best first impressions. After years without physical watch fairs, WOW Singapore reaffirmed our own commitment to these events… yes there were a few, and you can read about them in separate stories in the Summer issue and my Conversation with Ruckdee, the editor of WOW Thailand who was in Geneva with me.

Given that the Internet and all its advantages have freed us from having to make sweeping statements, we use this issue to take stock of the huge news dump that trade shows usually are. We will be feeling the impact of Geneva well into 2023, and we are really happy about it.

• READ MORE: The WOW Conversation: Luxury Watch List On the Rise

Reacting to the releases — turning on a dime as they say — at the fair, we changed our material focus this issue from a generic look at precious metals to one more focused on platinum and bi-metal watches, and the possible value propositions in both that will be important to collectors, enthusiasts and even the more casual prestige buyers. This is an in-depth look at pricing, which is always a contentious issue as far as watchmaking goes. I mean, brands did not even publicly announce prices on their own websites until a few years ago.

No doubt the Conversation will turn to this in the next issue, and we already know that at least one of our watch buy recommendations will have emerged from our Geneva adventures. What will those be? You will just have to hang on till the end of the year for that. For now, just bask in the warm afterglow of fresh watches, curated for you by the WOW team!

• READ MORE: Watches and Wonders 2022 Day 1 Highlights

This issue is also a reminder that the world of watches is wider than any trade fair, with our cover watch having debuted after the Geneva shows, and a variety of interviews and watch highlights that have nothing to do with Geneva, or even Switzerland in the case of Moritz Grossmann. CEO and founder Christine Hutter gave us a big chunk of her time when she was in Singapore. So yes, international travel is back and we will be taking the temperature here on the retail front later this year. We may also be forced to look once more at whether watches can really act as a hedge against inflation, since it is a well-known fact that watch prices have been outpacing inflation for the last 20 years. They have never dropped, at least at retail. For what it is worth, official chatter from brands remains the same as ever: watches are for fun and pleasure, not capital protection.

Elsewhere this issue, we discuss perceived value with Anthony de Haas of A. Lange & Söhne, Laurent Lecamp of Montblanc and of course Hutter. On a different note, with regards to our cover, we also have Guy Bove of TAG Heuer on the record about how he addresses revisiting iconic timepieces such as the Monaco. If nothing else, we cherish the opportunity to engage with the top brass of watchmaking firms, and speaking with them in person is absolutely delightful. Personally, I hope these stories will leave you a little more enlightened than you were before. As an aside, this issue happens to be our first proper engagement with Hutter and Lecamp, while de Haas and Bove are old friends.

Finally, the Summer issue covers every important development in watchmaking in the year to date. Stick with us because things are about to get really interesting as we build towards our special Legacy issue. Until then, I leave you to tuck into the spread we have prepared for you.

For more watch reads, click here.