Horoverse Co-Founders on Revitalizing Watch Culture: A Deep Dive with Oliver Tong and Wallace Chan

Oliver Tong and Wallace Chan, the co-founders of Horoverse, are redefining the way we experience watchmaking. Since its founding in 2022, Horoverse has swiftly risen to become a go-to platform for watch enthusiasts, with over 110,000 subscribers tuning in—primarily on YouTube—for their in-depth watch reviews, tough tests, and unique insights into replica watch markets. Having collaborated with more than 60 international brands, Horoverse is quickly establishing itself as a powerhouse in horology content, helping audiences across the region discover the art, history, and intricacies of fine watchmaking.

Can you share with us a little about your background? Are you from Macau?

Oliver: I was born and raised in Macau and I have been in a leadership position for an international surveying firm for quite some time and in my free time I really enjoy collecting watches. 

Wallace: I am from Macau too. I run two boutique digital design and marketing agencies with my partners. I have been in the creative industry for over 13 years.

What made you decide to start a luxury watch trading platform?

Oliver: Having collected watches for over a decade, I’ve encountered numerous difficulties with the online purchasing experience worldwide. I’ve received watches with counterfeit parts and those that were in different condition than advertised. Additionally, buying from online dealers often proves to be quite expensive, as they tend to charge high commissions and mark up prices significantly.

This is why I wanted to establish a platform that offers professional authenticity services, where buyers and sellers can connect directly. We want to promote the idea of 1 to 1 watch trading, something that does not exist even on a global scale. 

Wallace: The watch trading platform was an idea from my partner Oliver. Since Macau lacks platforms like Carousell, I saw an opportunity for local pawn shops to find a new revenue stream by going online. At that time (of the start of Horoverse), it was the last year of COVID-19. The pawn industry was struggling, and I believed that sharing their listings online would give them a chance to reach new customers.

Why should someone buy or sell on your platform as opposed to other channels? What makes Horoverse unique? 

Oliver: Firstly, we are 100% focused only on watches and not other products. We don’t charge any commission on Horoverse, while we offer authentication services. Secondly, our platform is very user friendly and easy to navigate, it takes only 30 seconds to list a watch on the platform and it is very easy to search for what you want as we have a very sophisticated filtering system.  

Thirdly, we also care about watches and we want to build a strong community. We have also set up a proper watch forum and we will also promote the platform through our YouTube channel, which is one of the biggest in the APAC region in terms of subscribers and views–we have reached over 110,000 subscribers!

What are some of the biggest challenges of buying and trading watches? Can you list a few?

Oliver: Well the biggest challenge and fear for most collectors is the existence of fake watches. Another challenge would be high transaction fees on certain platforms. 

How does a buyer or seller start using your platform? Is it membership based? How does someone reach out? What is the process like?

Oliver: Anyone can use our platform, without membership fee. You can list watches if you would like to sell or browse watches if you would like to buy. Our platform is for everyone, from brands, resellers as well as second hand watch shops and Horoverse is free of charge.

Horoverse also reviews watches, how do you decide which watches to review? Do you work with any luxury watch brands? Or do you just choose watches based on your own interests. 

Oliver: It’s a combination of both actually, we pick what we want to review but we also listen to our audiences on what they want. We will work with brands when it ticks the first two boxes.

What makes a good wrist watch for you?

Oliver: A good wrist watch should sit well on your wrist and be comfortable. Comfortability is a very key element as watches that are too big, the weight is imbalanced between the case and the bracelet. This is personally something that I will never pick when considering a watch purchase. I also love to study the story behind a watch and see if it matches my lifestyle. 

Wallace: A good wrist watch should be slim and sit snugly on the wrist. I value good design, particularly in the dial layout and typography.

For someone who has never bought a watch before, what are some questions they should be asking themselves before buying? What do you think is a really good “first” watch purchase?

Oliver: Firstly, why do you want a watch? Many people nowadays think about buying a watch as a form of investment. This is something I don’t really recommend, as I feel it’s more important to get something you truly enjoy sitting on your wrist versus buying a watch that will hold value. As it turns out, some watches will increase in value but that shouldn’t be your first priority. Secondly, I’d suggest not listening too much to what others say, get the piece that you really want.

I’d also recommend people start off with purchasing affordable brands like Seiko, Casio as well as Tissot, obviously if budget allows, Tudor and Cartier are also something I would recommend.

The luxury watch market really took off in terms of sales during the COVID pandemic, why do you think this was? 

Oliver: I think people were bored and couldn’t spend money on travel or even to some degree on new experiences so some people decided to spend on themselves. People also generally believe buying a luxury watch is a great investment tool so during the pandemic, it was a good idea to invest in something like that.

And do you agree with some of the “waitlists” that are currently enforced at some high end watch brands? Do you have any thoughts on this?

Oliver: I don’t have an opinion on this but I don’t recommend people pay a high premium for hot items, as in the watch world, just like with any other things, there are always good alternatives, you just need to have the patience to study it and find it. 

Have you always been interested in watches? What sparked your original interest? Can you remember your own first watch purchase? Can you tell us about it?

Oliver: I’ve been collecting for more than 10 years now, but what truly ignited my passion for watches, however, was a luxury timepiece I acquired after a few years of work—a Rolex. This experience drew me into the world of watches, and I began dedicating my days to studying them in depth.

What is coming up for Horoverse? What can our readers expect to see from the company this year?

Oliver: We have been working on videos for more than two years and we will officially launch our trading platform this year, so our whole team is very excited and we can’t wait to share it to the community so everyone can trade watches easily. We’re excited to share that all 100 pieces of our limited edition watch inspired by the vibrant cityscapes of both Hong Kong and Macau have sold out! Building on this success, we’re now working on another twin project and will share updates soon.

Also read: Horoverse x MAEN: Limited Edition Neon Cities Timepiece Celebrates Hong Kong and Macau’s Iconic Glow

What are your favorite places in Macau to explore? What about some of your favorite places for a meal in the city?

Oliver: I’m very much an outdoor person and love sport, so Coloane is always my favorite spot to spend time over the weekend. In terms of favorite places for a meal- there are plenty of great places in Macau, but my favorite is always the Three Lamps District, Burmese food. 

Wallace: I love exploring the old town district near the center of Macau, where I can still experience the authentic charm of old Macau. Although I’ve lived in Taipa for five years now, I often find myself missing the Southeast Asian food that you can find in the Three-Lamps District (三盞燈).