Watches Wholesale Industry at Wanghwa

Wanghwa watches wholesale distributing center, Shihfong Building, is located at alley 159th, Dali Street. The building sites away from MRT Lungshan Temple Station, along Hsiyuan Road right to Dali Street, and on the same side of Dali Police Station by less than 10 minute walk. There are around 35-36 watches wholesale merchants in the community of Shihfong Building, which supply 80% demand for middle-to low-price watches market segments in Taiwan.

The development of watches wholesale industry went through several phases. In 1970s, the mainstream was mechanical spring watches or automatic watches. At the time, watches were luxury item and new brand name watches cost NTD$2,000-NTD$3,000. The mass labor whose monthly salary was only few hundred NT dollars couldn't afford brand new watches. Thus, renovated watches became popular. Around the same period of time, there was an episode of sea trade off coast of Kingman. Insiders came to Wanghwa to purchase renovated watches for exchanging gold with fishermen from Mainland China on the sea. In 1980s, Hong Kong merchants introduced quartz watches into the market of Taiwan. Because Taiwanese consumers worshipped brand name at that time, merchants repackaged quartz watches with fake brand name tags to meet consumer need.

Before long, local-market focused Wanghwa watches wholesale merchants faced the pressure both from local market saturation and competition of low-priced watches made in China. Some wholesale merchants transform into agents for survival. An array of brands named after familiar foreign cartoon and movie figures are gradually available in the business of Shihfong Building. Those brand names, including Snoopy, Crocodile, Ultraman, Betty Boop and Disney movie series begin to jump on the stage.