Last April, I undertook a onebag challenge (travelling with just one carry-on backpack) to Watches And Wonders 2026, and learned new life philosophies through that one journey alone.
But while that story explored the lessons gleaned from doing without, this story is more about the unexpected heroes of my packing list, and makes for a quick tribute to future journalists who find themselves having the same on-the-go demands for work.
So today, I present you with the items I never knew I needed for the annual watch fair.
Look, you can scour the web for a penultimate totepack that also transforms into a backpack, replete with ripstop fabric and waterproof zippers, but the bag that I ended up using the most was the free one provided by Zenith (not a sponsored post).
There is something to be said about comfortable handles that don’t hurt the shoulder as much, as well as an opening that is just… there. I don’t need to be fumbling with zippers or ten different compartments when all I need is to fish for my phone, or deposit another door gift into the bag.
Besides the main compartment, this bag contains another sub-pocket to keep my smaller items—like my phone, AirPods, and power bank—organised.
I am as much a bag snob as anybody else, but once I found myself reaching for this tote every time I got ready for the fair, I knew that I had to reevaluate my everyday carry habits back home.
One challenge I had for the onebag challenge was to keep the total weight as low as possible, so that meant no laptop. This would prove to be a boon at Watches And Wonders, because Palexpo is a large venue, so carrying an extra kilogramme on my shoulder as I walk back and forth for some eight hours becomes a burden in the long run.
Working on a small screen is also a burden, however, which is why a foldable phone—mine was the Oppo Find N6 (also not a sponsored post)—doubled up as a decent workstation in between appointments.
It was empowering to be able to combine video taking, voice recording, schedule tracking, payment, and flashing my access pass into one device.
Besides giving me more visual real estate for work, the foldable phone also provided better viewing pleasure when it came time to stream movies back in my hotel room.
Ah, the quintessential Malaysian-made notebook. This item helped the most when I need to have a notebook on me at all times, and so it resided in my trousers' front pocket. Because, believe it or not, there is still much utility for pen and paper in this digital age.
One such situation announced itself early into the trip, where a watch brand denied all mobile phones to be brought into its manufacture. As I was there to document the facilities, the only way I could capture the important elements was by writing them down.
This is where the form factor of the traditional buku 555 stood out. Being an A7-sized notebook meant I could always have it on hand, regardless of whether I was changing into a lab coat or talking with the head of design at his desk.
I never needed a power bank, because my life did not hinge on my mobile phone prior to this. But since my phone became the focal point of everything related to work, I figured it would be good to lug some extra juice around. Nothing more needs to be said, because this is just a generic power bank, but it got me through an entire 12-hour shift of heavy phone use. It just needed to be lightweight.
I didn't need a full-on tripod, because those things actually do add weight. And I didn't have a need for a hundred different tilt angles. But even though it was an event of mainly capturing wrist shots, you would still be surprised at the amount of times that a phone stand comes in handy. Because you can only ask the presenter to manipulate the watch complication so many times.
It has been a good learning experience this year, which is actually a better iteration of my packing list for Watches And Wonders 2025. Who knows what's next? We'll only get the answers to that when the 2027 instalment arrives.
Esquire Malaysia
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