To chip in my experience today.
Visited Watatime 1Utama today to try my luck on a Tudor GMT and the branch manager told me that there's 19 people on the waiting list. I asked if the waiting list is real and if they are actually getting their watches, and she told me that each and everyone on the list paid full retail in advance to be on the list. Watatime will receive few watches a month and will distribute to them based on the invoice date. Hence, I believe it is a first come first serve basis here.
That being said, I was shown the list and the next-in-line guy actually paid the full advance on July 2019.
If one thing I learn today, it is that the list is real [at least for tudor] and there's hope in getting one eventually if you can wait.
Best Regards,