Time Tapestry

lookin back and...

2013-05-26T22:37:00.004+08:00

been busier of late and it probably looks to continue. i'll be heading out on a work trip to India in June(my first time there) so will miss some basel 2013 lunch/dinners that are coming while I am away. I also hear that vianney halter will be in town... I do look forward to see what new offerings are coming from him not having seen a new piece from his atelier in so long... for whatever reason, I have been thinking back a little to past loves... his antiqua is still definitely a favorite timepiece of mine...

my precious... (well past precious ;)

but trotting down amnesia lane and reminiscing on past slow and fast times, it has been a most fun journey.

articles... in em or writing em...

the events, fine meals and fun times...

journeys to discover... and finding wonderful horological marvels and great timepieces along the way... all the timepieces have one thing in common... I would be happy having them in my watchbox :) some of them are not the most expensive or complicated watches I've photographed but they are some of the nicest and I would love owning them... [some I do or have owned, most I don't :( ]

hmm one other thing is apparent too... I need to get me a nice rose gold watch! hopefully vianney's new offering is the answer :) signing off for now... cheers, raph

Baselworld 2013 Highlights for the raphmeister... Tudor knocks it out of the park again :)

2013-04-27T00:12:00.001+08:00

Rolex managed to bore again this year... blue and black bezel on a GMT? Pepsi Bezel please! On a side note, Patek has some reasonably decent black dialled pieces out but at those price points you need them to be more than just decent. setting these key brands aside, Tudor which is a brand deserving of attention and renewed interest, gave us another quality offering. monte carlo all blue and orange and alot of touches true to the vintage. LU-VER-LY! ABSOLUTELY LOVE-R-LY ;)

42mm ETA2892 workhorse with chrono module with a 42 hours PR... and in a tale of 42s... the price is 4.2k CHF or about S$5.5k. The dial features three-dimensional bevelled hour-markers filled with superlume. Heritage Chrono Blue is also distinguished by its two counters appearing inside blue trapeze-shaped surrounds. The middle of the dial is not so greyish compared to the vintage and is lighter, brighter... opaline it be called

bidirectional rotatable 12-hour graduated (48 positions) steel bezel for second time-zone display, blue disc. 45-minute totalizer at 9 o'clock and the small seconds at 3 o'clock with date at 6 o'clock

"The Monte Carlo was launched in 1973, it has now been renamed Heritage Chrono Blue. The watch is inspired by the original spirit of the model and innovates on both aesthetic and technical levels so as to provide a resolutely contemporary interpretation. The royal blue of the historical version combines with a slightly lighter grey than the original to give life to a watch that is both earthly and aquatic, expressing a typically Mediterranean warmth and atmosphere." at least that's what the marketing boys told me :)

Steel with folding clasp, delivered with additional strap in blue, grey and orange fabric with buckle... yummilicious

Baselworld 2013 Highlights for the raphmeister... Omega shares some nice Speedys!

2013-04-26T23:52:00.005+08:00

Basel rolls around again and somehow it feels this took longer than usual...now you know i love me some Speedys and the 2 watches from Omega this year that has my attention are the 57 and the Dark side of the moon. Can't wait to see them in the metal and ceramic :) for other Basel Omega news click HERE

Omega Dark Side of the Moon... case is in black zirconium oxide ceramic and is a good sized 44.25mm. The hands and applied indeces are 18kt white gold. Movement is the Omega in-house Co-Axial caliber 9300 automatic and it's equipped with a Si14 silicon balance spring for added stability, allowing Omega to offer a 4 year warranty on the movement. The strap is black Cordura fabric with a black ceramic buckle. sadly the price is a bit steep. chf 10.7k or about S$14k-ish.

Speedmaster Moonwatch “57” – tribute to the original Speedmaster with the straight lugs extending from the watch case and bracelet just like the very first OMEGA Speedmaster from 1957. It has a Speedmaster Broadarrow effect on right counter and the timepiece is also updated with the 9300 movement (launched in 2011, Omega's first calibre to incorporate a chronograph movement). It will be available in various case materials including steel, gold, titanium and interestingly bi-color – which had a recent revival in demand.

Other offerings will be coming our way too... such as the highly anti-magnetic Aqua Terra Anti-magnetic 8508 watch, new additions to the staples in Omega collection, including the Seamaster Aqua Terra Day-Date, De Ville Ladymatic Bi-color, Sedna Gold and a new addition to Seamaster Planet Ocean collection, the Good Planet watch.

I hope to share live pix of the 2013 Novelties soon :) cheers, raph

Antiquorum April Results and Some Nice Pieces Upcoming in May... I NEED MORE $$$ :)

2013-04-26T21:39:00.002+08:00

Antiquorum did well in their April auctions. if you scroll a couple of posts down you will see some pix of some of the really cool watches in this auction.

Patek Philippe Ref. 1518 Perpetual Calendar Chronograph (lot 99) stirred exceptional excitement in the auction room, on the phones, as well as on the internet. After several minutes of intense bidding, the outstanding timepiece sold for an impressive $794,500, almost twice its low estimate

For the rest of the April highlight click HERE and for the full price list click HERE

May is upcoming and some really nice pieces are up this round too... some of the pieces i wish i could get below and for the full highlights click HERE

Full auction catalog HERE NEED MORE $$$$$$$$$$$

Richard Mille “Perini Navi” RM014, sold circa 2008. Inspired by the extraordinary sailing vessels of the Perini Navi yacht builders, this is a very fine and rare, tonneau-shaped and curved 18K white gold wristwatch with visible one-minute tourbillon regulator, torque indicator, 70 hour power reserve, carbon nanofiber movement baseplate

Rolex Ref. 6263 Gold Daytona Paul Newman prototype with lemon dial and graphics

Patek Philippe Ref. 3970 in white gold

MB&F HM3 Re-engineered... The MEGAWIND is here!

2013-04-09T22:58:00.004+08:00

in terms of beautiful rotors, the battle axe one of MB&F and peter speake marin's one are some of my faves. MB&F have made the rotor in the hm3 bigger and all the better for it. this rotor is a thing of golden beauty ;)

From MB&F: "Horological Machine No.3 is one of our most iconic Machines, no doubt. After the shocks of HM1 and HM2, it hammered home the message that MB&F was resolutely different. HM3 is designed like a spaceship, escaped from the science fiction movies we loved as kids. And it literally turned traditional watchmaking on its head: its automatic movement is flipped upside down, displaying MB&F’s signature “battle axe” winding rotor on top of the case.

No wonder, HM3 has become our best-selling series ever. Time therefore to introduce… HM3 re-engineered !

The new giant rotor has extended its reach to the very limits of the case – giving this Machine its name, ‘MegaWind’. The rotor’s centre and arms, crafted in lightweight and tough titanium, are firmly riveted to the 22k gold blades on either side. The hour and minute indicators have been optimised too: taking inspiration from the HM3 ‘Frog’ variants, we’ve changed the previous static construction and opted for revolving, paper-thin aluminium cones. Combined with much larger numbers, this system improves legibility significantly – and adds an extra dose of “kinetic” to the Machine.

MEGAWIND is available in red gold, with matching red gold rotor, or in white gold with a striking sky-blue rotor."

I WANT BOTH OF THESE!! :)

Non-watch Post: Life, Boba and Bak Chor Mee... (You have been warned ;)

2013-04-09T22:25:00.002+08:00

if u came by to read about lux timepieces, skip this post :)

a chap posed the question to me recently, what are you passionate about these days?

i think i will always have a love for great/fine/fun/kicka$$ timepieces but my focuses right now are on my family, particularly my son who has a high functioning form of autism. the challenges my wife and i have with raising him are significant(parents who have survived meltdowns will understand but of course there are other behavioral challenges) but we do our best for him. i can have diversions but not ultra costly ones like lux watches are as a lot of my income goes to his therapy sessions, schooling and family... time spent with my family is also the priority outside of my work.

a happy moment at my son's 6th birthday party :)

next up is my passion for vinyl art... a less costly but still slightly pricey diversion... other than low cost watches i may purchase time to time(read gshock), from posts before you may know that i love star wars[i have also recently gone slightly lego star wars crazy] and i also do love the work of kaws aka brian donnelly. so when kaws drops Japan exclusive star wars figures, even though its a biznatch to get them... i kinda gotta get all of them :) fett retailed for like maybe above S$300(sold out immediately ~ long queues and raffle tickets and lots of flippers) if you picked them up from original fake shop in person in Japan but cost over S$1k on the market now. the fett is probably the last release Original Fake Star Wars release as they are closing, it was sold early this year and it is an amazing piece. this stuff RESONATES with me :)

wonderful details and colors... great battle damage on the helmet and bones...

great details...

chilling on tattoine

i am kaws star wars complete :) well kind of...

and then we come to food. i love good food... a good steak once in awhile (i'm a Morton's filet mignon kind a guy), good Nonya(my family's cooking especially), Chinese, American, Italian(pizza over pasta for me but love em both), Japanese food(salmon sashimi comes to mind but i love the katsu and prawns at katsukura, yakitori and foie gras at kazu) etc etc etc. one of my favorite dishes though is bak chor mee which is of Teochew origins, and i am a mee pok lover.
i recall when i was a young boy and several days a week having nice mee pok(more tomato based then as i was young) with my family at a small market in front of Jalan Kuras, where the current James Cook university stands on Upper Thomson Rd. my kindergarten used to be about there too. fond memories overall...

so the best bak chor mee for me is... Tai Wah Pork Noodles at the 2nd floor of Hong Lim Market and Food Centre

i had discovered Tai Wah in 2003(gosh it's been a decade) when I started working for the Monetary Authority of Singapore. opposite from the MAS building was Bestway Building and there was a food centre there where one of the stalls with always the longest queues was Tai Wah. then it was prepared by an older gent, Mr Tang, who you can see in the pics at the stall and at their site. the younger chap at hong lim is his son. I must admit, dad's bak chor mee tasted better based on my memory of it vs the sons but this is still ultra excellent stuff.

Tai Wah Pork Noodle - 531A Upper Cross Street, #02-16 Hong Lim Food Centre

Googled a bit and found their websit which has their history... interesting... check it here LINK

what's great about it? wonderful zingy spicy robust flavor... the black vinegar, the 'liao' or ingredients in the $6 big version do it for me every time... the fried dried sole, minced meat, meat balls, pork slices, dumplings, chives/spring onions, my added chilli... DAMN SHIOK! note i order mine without pork liver 'mai de gua' but it comes as standard. i normally have a cup of sugar cane juice with it which balances it all out wonderfully. hmm may have to swing by tomorrow...

& a few mins later... ;)

hope you liked the short diversion and i guarantee next post will be a watch post :) cheers, raph

Quick Pix of Select Pieces - Antiquorum NY Auction 10 April 2013

2013-03-30T09:23:00.003+08:00

i had the pleasure of meeting up with some of Antiquorum's watch experts and team members in Singapore recently as some of the watches for the NY auction came by the Four Seasons Hotel for a preview (they are here 29 and 30th March 2013 at the Paterson Room so do drop by if you are keen on viewing or purchasing these pieces. u can also submit pieces for valuation if u schedule an appointment).

my thanks again to the Antiquorum team for their hospitality. i sped through this photo session as I had to rush back home on the Good Friday for family time so apologies for the quality of the shots. Note to see great high res shots and get more details of these pieces go to this LINK. anyways hope u like em :)

Lot 99 - Patek Philippe 1518 Perp Cal Chrono in RG with RG bracelet (Estimate USD400-600k) very rare and fine example of 1518 rose gold with bracelet. (1518 only has 281 examples out there and rg and bracelet combination is hardly seen in such condition)

Some quick notes:

- i am a 5970 fan LINK it's great in all metals of course but the P has got alot going for it. for this watch, dial wise, baton over arabics for me.

- the 1518 [Production years: 1941-1952, No: 281, Case size: 35mm] is a precursor to the 2499[Years: 1951-1985(although i've heard of pieces produced till late 80s], No: 349, Case size: 37.5mm] , 3970[Years:1986-2004, No: 30-50 pieces a year, Guesstimate number out there - Approximately 4k +/- 20%, Case size: 36mm] and 5970[Years: 2005-2011, Case size: 40mm] and the recent in-house 5270[Years: 2011-?, Case size: 41mm] ... the 2499 of course is great because of its 37.5mm size and clean, classic looks but they are very dear...

- 1518 is the first serially produced wristwatch with both the perp cal and chrono complications (per antiquorum) it uses the valjoux 23 as a base, similar to the 2499 that came after it. the 3970 and 5970 have the lemania 2310 / ch27 which i love. the 5270 has an in-house movement(doesn't matter to me). the 5270 doesn't look as good as the 5970 in my eyes.

Lot 97 - Patek Philippe 1415 World Time Yellow Gold (Est US$60-80k)

Lot 98 - Patek Philippe 1518 Perp Cal Chrono in YG (Est: USD150-250k)

Lot 100 - Rolex 8171 Padellone Pink Gold

A Rolex you won't see often

Lot 200 - JLC Jaeger-LeCoultre, Master Grand Tradition Perp Cal Toubillon (Est USD55-80k)

Lot 297 - Patek Philippe Chronograph with original Pulsations Scale (Est USD70-90k)

Lot 300 - An auction highlight - A very unique Rolex owned by one Charlie Chaplin - Charlie Chaplin’s Left Handed Rolex Wristwatch Steel & Enamel Rolex Oyster, Retailed By Asprey, London

Lot 345 -Audemars Piguet Ref. 25806 Ti Grande Complication Automatique Jules Audemars, Grande Complication. Made In 2002. Minute-Repeating, Astronomic, Split-Seconds Chronograph, Perpetual Calendar With Moon Phases

NSFW!! Lot 54 - Svend Andersen Eros 69 with an animated erotic scene with a Chinese theme.
This is a fun watch :)

Lot 404 - Patek Philippe Ref. 3970 Ep Black Diamond Dial Platinum (Est USD90-120k)

Lot 398 -Breguet 250th Anniversary Minute Repeating Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon Yellow Gold, No. 1751, Made in a limited production in 1997 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Louis Breguet (1747 - 1823). Minute repeater with visible one-minute tourbillon, jump-hours, perpetual calendar with retrograde date, leap-year indication (Est USD200-300k)

Lot 344 -Royal Oak Quantième Perpétuel Squelette Audemars Piguet Platinum (Est US45-65k)

the other auction highlight is definitely lot 301 - IWC Portuguese Automatic Edition “Tribeca Film Festival 2013” Unique Piece Iwc Schaffhausen, Ref. Iw500127

You get to have a meal with Don Vito Corleone if u buy this watch ;)

From Antiquorum site:

IWC Schaffhausen, Ref. IW500127. Unique piece one of one. IWC Schaffhausen celebrates the world of filmmaking this year as the Official ‘Festival-Time’ Partner of the world-famous Tribeca Film Festival® in New York. To honor the Festival and support its nonprofit arm, The Tribeca Film Institute® (TFI), with the support of IWC, is auctioning a unique, one of one piece with the entire proceeds supporting the Tribeca Film Institute®. With unique Bordeaux subdials that harken to a time of Hollywood glamour and iconic red carpets, as well as a slate colored dial inspired by TriBeCa in lower Manhattan, this one-of-a-kind timepiece is a rare opportunity to own a piece of movie magic.

As a special one-time bonus to celebrate the winning occasion, this unique piece comes with the following benefits for the auction winner and one guest: • “For the Love of Cinema” private dinner hosted by IWC Schaffhausen CEO GEORGES KERN and Tribeca Film Festival® Co-Founders ROBERT DE NIRO, JANE ROSENTHAL and CRAIG HATKOFF, to be held on April 18, 2013. • 2013 Tribeca Film Festival Vesey passes for April 18 & 19, 2013, which allows entrance to various Tribeca Film Festival® events. • Personal meet and greet at the IWC Schaffhausen Flagship Boutique with IWC CEO GEORGES KERN and IWC Friend of the Brand for watch pick-up on April 18, 2013. • Round-trip, business class air transportation from a major U.S. gateway airport to New York City. • 2-night stay April 18-19, 2013 at the Trump Soho Hotel in one standard double-occupancy room. • Round-trip, ground transportation to and from the airport, the “For the Love of Cinema” private dinner, and meet and greet/watch pick-up

and that's it. have a great Easter Sunday and holiday :) cheers, raph

some non sports watches for a change? :)

2013-03-11T21:17:00.001+08:00

ok i've been busy... with my kids, with work and life... but posting some watch pics and quick thoughts on these watches. as you may know if u've read my blog, i am now in my sports watch phase and happy with a core range of sports watches that i rotate and wear throughout the week. i love them all and they suit my lifestyle. dress watches are not so much for me i find but i do like them and sometimes wish i had more occasion to wear em... but alas... i will like and love many but doubt i will pull the trigger for a pricey dress watch. so what follows are watches i will most likely never buy but appreciate and at times do wish i had em in my watch box :)

breguet la tradition... honestly i like nearly all versions of the la tradition. the yellow gold although more in line with the look of it didn't fit on my skin tone somehow. the other metals do look great though.. hmm

fp journe chronometre souverain... a beautiful simple dial... and flipping it around...

gorgeous gorgeous movement in rose gold...

patek 5960P - annual calendar with chrono... a beautiful watch

what a wonderful dial... appearing light or dark in different light

and the usual finishing excellence from this house...

if not for finite resources and lack of a need for a dress watch... sigh... anyhow some non watch pics follow...

one from an outing with my family to the singapore zoo... the bengal white tiger. what a majestic creature and natural killing machine...

sharing some non-watch toys that also came to me last week... pause for a kaws ;)

and some LEGO Star Wars :) i love these... they are sooo fun

the mandalorian bounty hunter... boba fett

c3po and r2d2... these are not the droids u r looking for...

coarse no toys

2013-03-07T00:10:00.000+08:00

i used to love some of these coarse pieces and seeing these pics i do wonder why i sold them off... they do look great. i will be getting the souls gone mad dream edition in when it ships later this year and am really lookin forward to it.

A Quick and Dirty Take on the PAM 422 vs the Magnificent ;) PAM372

2013-02-26T01:19:00.000+08:00

only one iphone shot to post from the encounter and a couple of simple and important differences to note...

all the pointers are in my personal opinion of course and tastes vary humanoid to humanoid

(1) sapphire vs plexi - plexi is sexy. mine has light marks which add to the faux vintage look of course ;)
(2) seconds instead of a 9 - bases rule! just a personal preference yuh
(3) more text on the dial, line above the 6 - cleaner simpler is better for this pam lover
(4) power reserve indicator on the back - Unimportant and unnecessary function for me

differences you won't be able to tell from the pics

(5) the 422 is significantly heavier than the 372 - the weight of the 372 is just right to me and may be cause i am used to it but even my mate felt that the 372 weighed right (just like goldilocks and that bowl of porridge, u know what i mean?)
the 422 feels too dense and heavy to me. weight comes from sapphire which is heavier than plexi and there's more metal on the 422 (see 6)

(6) the case back is thicker, likely to give more space for the pr indicator, so there is more metal on it and this adds to the weight. )

and the outcome... the 372 is VICTORIOUS! :) for me it is one of the best modern day PAMs and has a lot going for it, more so than alot of higher priced models from the brand.

UPDATE: My mate who owned the 422 above sold it off after this meetup with me... hmmm. must have laid down in baby bear's 372 bed and found it to be oh so comfy...

With pre-owned PAM372 pieces in the S$10k range plus minus a couple of hundred, and new pieces probably just a little more, it's a great pam to grab for the $. exclusivity be damned! ;) [did i just say that on a blog that talks about luxury watches... hmmm]

marvel legends... some of the best 1/12 scale toys... evuh

2013-02-15T11:19:00.000+08:00

so some words for this post :) toys are meant to be fun, that's why they be called toys. stuff to play with comprende? while i do love my vinyl art, they are more or less statues, in some cases with minor articulation so that you can change stuff up a bit. but these toys are toys and are meant to be played and posed and tear other toy villians APART!!!! AAAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!! ok gettin a bit carried away.

marvel legends are just great 1/12 scale representations of some ultra cool marvel characters. I was a marvel reader growin up buying loads of xmen comics and some other titles so it was real cool getting them in a good scale and good quality. some sculpts are misses but they are many good sculpts and paint and articulation on the figs out there to choose from. i am happy with what i snagged up and its so cheap and good i don't think much about buying whats cool.

ok on to the pix!

why would the xmen team up with the baddies...

could it be because of a mutie hatin robot? 'terminate!'

ATTACK!!!

destroyed :)

Jessica... Alba be thy name

the eater of worlds and silver surfer... hmm i could do with a burger right now

pitt posing

here kitty kitty

the green bug killin squad!

spidey squashin time

hulk vs abomination

hulk punch or stroke abomie's face? hmmm

deadpool

there can be only one...

britain and america

blondes do have more fun... except the guy at the back, he looks a bit peeved

badass iron fist

daredevil and frank castle aka punisher

ghost rider

black panther

joe dredd

judge death

the crime is life... the sentence issss ddeeeeaaatttthhhhhhh

Happy Lunar New Year!

2013-02-15T09:27:00.003+08:00

Been busy and not sure what the rest of 2013 has in store but am hopeful things will get better :) A happy lunar new year to folks who pass by this way and do enjoy the time with friends and family. Valentine's also finished yesterday. Hope you all had a romantic and happy time on the occasion.

As part of the lunar greetings... 2 moon watches say hi, separated by 50+ years and both wonderful timepieces

a difference noted was the shape of the lugs. more obvious in the pic above, apart from some other minor changes through the 50 years :)

a proud caseback and rightly so

other minor differences... no applique logo, super luminova vs tritium

both wonderful timepieces...

SIHH 2013 is upon us

2013-01-22T12:00:00.005+08:00

press release and live pics for all the sihh 2013 novelties are regularly posted up at timezone.com LINK
i think so far based on the press pics and some not so great live pics, lange LINK and greubel forsey LINK look to have some of the more interesting offerings of the lot. but with my interest in the sporty watches, panerai comes into focus for unfortunately the wrong reason this year. their 2011 and 2012 lineup were great and in 2011 they also released their first bronze watch, the pam 382 bronzo. an article in the NY times noted the following:

"Mr. Bonati said the company had no plans to do more bronze watches.

This was a very special edition. And I think thats why Panerai is appreciated by collectors, he said. Such a watch will not only keep its price but also increase in value."

and increase in value it did...

pam 382 limited to 1000 pieces

and this fuelled the belief that the bronzo would be a one off. dealers proclaimed it, buyers used it to justify paying twice retail for it, and panerai execs didn't deny or confirm anything. and so come 2013, we have surprise surprise... the bronzo 507. it's a clone of the 382 with added power reserve on the dial which makes it not as nice lookin as the 382 impo but for folks who needed to own a panerai bronzo, they now have a chance to do so at non-hype and misinformation driven prices. and you know what, if this doesn't appeal then there will be other bronze watches from panerai in years to come so don't go all crazy again. same can be said for all panerai special editions i would think, they will appear in some shape or form down the road with subtle differences, minor variations...

note i am agnostic on a one time release or many releases of bronze as i'm not crazy on the submersibles (i'm into the historics and my 372 makes me very happy still :) so these are just observations. hmm there may be a bronze watch in my future too, who knows. actually probably a lot of folks won't care too much about all this (except perhaps those who paid high premiums for watches they believed to be exclusive and then got another 1000 or so pieces released down the road with minor changes and then another 1000 and another 1000... and another 1000... and another 1000)

pam 507 limited to 1000 pieces

final note, there were bronze watches before the bronzo eg the gerald gentas, but panerai did make it hot as a case material evidenced by a slew of lesser companies releasing a range of bronze watches and that there is some powerful marketing mojo ;)
been more busy with life so a belated happy new year to readers, hope you get/got good bonuses and go out there and buy more watches :) cheers, raph

Arnold & Sons Collectors Dinner 18Dec12 Singapore

2012-12-25T00:03:00.000+08:00

I was fortunate enough to be invited down by the organiser and mate to this collectors dinner so my thanks to Mr. Hororgasm and the folks from Arnold & Sons at the dinner, Mr.Denis Martinet & Mr. Philippe Boven.

Denis sharing with us on the pieces that they brought with them. an interesting point shared was how citizen had bought the group owning la joux perret, a movement supplier for several Swiss brands, and in turn also now own Arnold & Sons

Philippe was seated at my table and was a font of knowledge on the complications(sharing with us on sidereal time and true beat seconds) and history and most seemingly most everything about Arnold & Sons

& Mr Hororgasm sporting his Arnold & Son timepiece, clearly a happy camper

To learn more about the brand and their offerings do check out their site here -> LINK
there is a lot of good information in the link so i won't be going into in-depth info on the pieces but just introduce them here with live pics and you can definitely find out more info on their site on the timepiece and the calibre. so on to the watches then!

first off the tb88 - "The number is replicated by the design of the movement in this latest model, with its perfectly symmetrical layout featuring the twin barrels at the top, the balance wheel between 4 and 5 o'clock and the True Beat seconds indicator between 7 and 8. The watch movement is 'inverted', which means that the intricate, technically interesting features are visible on the dial side of the movement instead of being hidden away on the reverse. This showcases the two barrels, which generate a full 100 hours' power reserve when fully wound, and the Breguet overcoil balance spring."

movement - it has an"'English' design, expressed through features like the straight-cut bridges. Each of the pivoting elements in the movement is mounted on its own bridge, 16 in total. Further shining examples of watchmaking at its finest are the hand-bevelled and polished edges of the bridges and other key parts of the mechanism, together with the juxtaposition of the black ruthenium or NAC grey movement and brushed components"

wristshot - 46mm

next up the TBR (True Beat & Retrograde date)... i really like this piece and the steel one on their site looks great too. it features the first automatic movement with an integrated True Beat system(some refer to this as dead seconds) to be developed, designed and manufactured entirely at the workshops in La Chaux-de-Fonds

nicely finished automatic movement - "The True Beat seconds - a hark-back to the precision required by navigators on the high seas - is a rarely found complication these days, and its combination with an automatic winding system calls for enormous technical expertise. In the TBR it was made possible by a worldwide patented system comprising a sophisticated double wheel, an oscillating pinion and a pallet mechanism. This complex solution calls for virtually microscopic precision (to tolerances of a micron, or one thousandth of a millimetre) and the key parts are made using state-of-the-art LIGA fabrication technology. LIGA is a German acronym that stands forLithographie, Galvanoformung, Abformung- lithography, electroplating and moulding - and describes the sequence of processes used to produce metal parts made of nickel and nickel phosphorus."

DBS - Displays mean solar and sidereal time on two separate subdials "a mean sidereal day is about 23 hours, 56 minutes, 4.091 seconds, which is not a round fraction of the 24 hours in a mean solar day. This means it is virtually impossible to obtain the correct rotation speed using gears. To guarantee the kind of precision demanded by Arnold & Son, the only choice was to create a movement with the correct rotation speed from the start: in other words a movement specifically for sidereal time.

The answer was a totally new movement with a double barrel/gear train and double balance/escapement running at different speeds that enables the watch to display mean solar time and mean sidereal time simultaneously. This technical solution has the additional advantage that neither of the two indications saps energy from the other."

wristshot - 44mm case

DBG - "the Instrument DBG Equation GMT features two separate time displays, each driven by its own barrel and gear train with its own escapement and balance. This highly unusual technical specification permits the two displays to be set independently of each other."

nice symmetry to the movement - "The view from the back reveals a pleasingly balanced arrangement of bridges, barrels and gear trains."

wristshot - 44mm

and the HMS1, a member of the royal collection - "With its understated simplicity, the HMS1 line is a modern take on Arnold & Son's traditionally elegant design combined with superior craftsmanship. Housed in a classically styled 40 mm case with see-through back"

movement - the hand-wound A&S1001 calibre is manufactured in-house and decorated with either straight or radiating (rayonnantes) Côtes de Genève guilloche. mirror-polished screws in the NAC grey version below and blued screws in the rhodium-plated movement

and the other collectors and watch lovers were there to enjoy time together over a good meal and interesting timepieces

hope you enjoyed the short report :) Merry Christmas! cheers, raph

Non-watch Post: Review of a fine meal at The Rabbit Stash

2012-12-21T13:50:00.001+08:00

i don't believe i've posted much about food through the years but i do love food :) it's all subjective and taste varies individual to individual but i think i have a fairly decent sense of it all and have had fairly good exposures of bad to great food all over. another reason for posting this as well is the chef owner of the rabbit stash is a secondary school mate of mine and other than his culinary abilities he is notable for something else and that is following his dreams and passions. not many of us will leave comfy, decent income earning jobs and do what we love and for those that do, kudos to them and a huge bravo. so to the review then.

Nestled under Singapore's first successful sellout shoebox apartments, the rabbit stash serves 'Asian-inspired modern European cuisine'... In raphmeister words, 'thems good eating' ;) so a short blow by blow review then...[notes pics aren't the best quality as they were all shot in low light environment with an iphone5]

smoked trout, potato salad, wasabi with garden pea veloute - pea soup isn't my fave kind of soup but overall it was fresh and light with the trout and salad

Salmon tartare ~ shrimp floss, ginger sorbet, granny smith apple espuma - nice creamy taste iirc and overall not too rich with its serving size

Pan seared foie gras, braised apricot, jamon iberico, apple gelee, pickeld cucumber - THIS WAS EXCELLENT FOIE GRAS! :) i love kazu's foie gras and iirc ember's one was pretty good too, but rabbit stash's one is very well done and had me almost asking for another if not for it's sinfulness

Crispy Pork Belly ~ zucchini, pineapple mousseline, red cabbage - siew yok or crispy roast pork, this one was real nice and tender pork belly meat with it's crispy skin

Tenderloin Steak, risotto of sweet potato, cashew oil, asparagus, grape fruit - I love a good steak and boy was this good! i need to ask for a double portion of this guy the next time. the medium rare was a bit more done than i expected but was still wonderful as it was a very tender tenderloin :)

pre-dessert amuse bouche ~ light sorbet with dried raspberries - nice and light

Valrhona Tiffin ~ hazelnut crocante, raspberry mousse - this was good but what comes next is excellent ;)

the Burnt pavlova with mango coulis - done wonderfully. the shell was thin and not hard. the cream was nice and sweet, a wonderful way to end the meal

the meal was also great because of the fine company i was with. my secondary school and scout mates were down for this meal and made it all the more memorable

Overall assessment is the food is very well done, the highlights for me being the foie gras, steak and pavlova. some constructive feedback was given to Kelvin on the ambience for the place but other than that... carry on Kelvin! :) Huge congrats on the new location and the new addition to the family.
oh and to all my readers do go down and give it a try! location info and details on their website here LINK

a quorum for a corum

2012-12-18T13:19:00.001+08:00

I had the opportunity to take the pictures of Corum’s 2012 novelties last month [better late than never aye ;) ] Before going into the post on the watches, I would just like to say that I like Corum and some of it’s offerings. I like them enough to purchase a Golden Bridge for my wife as a gift(LINK) knowing that is what she wanted and certifying that the brand and the watch was cool in the process. So in my books they definitely do have worthwhile watches for folks to consider and the question then is which calls to you most in the lineup. What follows in this post is a mix of my words, thoughts and pics with official text & prices(list price in Singapore dollars with GST included) from the brand.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Nicole Segundo, Managing Director, and Kate Ong, Marketing Executive, from Corum for their fine hospitality and sharing with me on the brand and their offerings. As this post is a rather long one, i would also like to note my final thoughts of it all here and that is, Corum's offerings made me wish i had a whole lot more $$$ so that i could pick up some of these great pieces for myself[rose gold ti-bridge] and my missus[mystery moon]. all in all, an interesting and varied collection and they look to be heading the right direction :) here's wishing them more good years ahead!

Founded in 1955 by René Bannwart, and a name simplified from the word quorum(the minimum number of persons present and necessary to hold discussions and make valid decisions), the brand had looked to establish itself at the forefront of the Swiss watch industry and be highly innovative, in the process bringing new ideas and creations to the table. They have a very interesting and rich history and back catalogue. Through the years, several innovative timepieces, interesting patents, and creations have come forth from the brand and I do advise folks to find out more about their past as it is telling of their present and future. You can read more about this here LINK

Focusing closer to the present then. The company had a new owner in Severin Wunderman in 2000 and at his request, Antonio Calce joined CORUM in 2005. Antonio was

Director of Product Development for the Piaget and Panerai brands earlier in his career with Richemont and was made General Manager of the Panerai Manufacture from 2000-2005. Together they established a strategy to conquer new horizons, while remaining faithful to the pioneering and independent spirit on which the brand has built its success. In 2007 Antonio Calce was promoted to serve as CEO.

Positioned as an exclusive brand, CORUM offers high-quality watch collections featuring an innovative and distinctive design, and equipped with sophisticated mechanical movements. Its 150 current models, spread between two key pillars – Admiral’s Cup and Corum Bridges – and one satellite pillar composed of the Romvlvs and Artisans collections, enjoy a legitimacy rooted in the brand history. And we come to this years' novelties… first off the tourby...

i love tourbillons because of what they represent. the craft and beauty of them and the technical excellence they display... Corum executed this beautifully... Admiral's Cup Legend 42 Tourbillon Micro-‐Rotor ($93,090.00)

next up a beautiful beautiful timpiece. the Admiral’s Cup Legend 38 Mystery Moon($22,791.00) this is a lovely women's timepiece impo. it has a lovely mother-of-pearl dial carrying the Sun and Moon... perhaps a 2nd Corum watch gift for the mrs? :)

the moon-phase display and a sunburst date indication play a fascinating game of chase without ever catching up with each other as the entire dial revolves around its center(yup the entire dial turns, see the pic below with the dates at 7, 22, 28), pushing the aperture on to the new date in successive jumps and leading the moonphase subdial in its wake

and we have the bridges :) i love some of the models and wanted to walk out with one of em on my wrist but i think that wasn't on the cards :) the one i would pick up if i had the money is the rose gold one pictured here

Ti-‐Bridge Tourbillon ($146,804.00 in RG and $103,362.00 in Ti)

The brand’s flagship complication model, the Golden Bridge was introduced in 1980 and remains a benchmark with its unique baguette movement. Moreover, it is also regarded as an avant-garde watch thanks to its movement placed in the centre of a transparent sapphire crystal case.

The 2010 version of this model with its flying tourbillon and titanium case then took the brand’s technical expertise to a new pinnacle of achievement. The CO 022 baguette caliber of the Ti-Bridge Tourbillon was designed, developed and produced in-house by the Corum team. Equipped with a flying tourbillon that has no upper bridge and thus seems to be floating over the movement, its escapement beats at 21,600 vibrations per hour. This mechanical hand-wound movement is endowed with a 72-hour power reserve.
Caliber CO 022, which represents an aesthetic and technical feat, has a mainplate and bridges made from ARCAP that is treated to a gold finish. This new alloy made of copper and nickel is completely non-magnetic, anti-corrosive and enables complex finishing operations. Although a resolutely futuristic material, it may be adorned with traditional decorations such as satin-finishing and chamfering, creating effects that make a fine contrast with the “sunray-brushed” decoration of the two barrels.

Another specific feature developed for this caliber is the power-reserve indicator fitted on a toothed sliding piece in phosphate nickel. The choice of this material, combined with a “LIGA” manufacturing process – an acronym derived the German words for lithography, electroplating and molding -– which is a type of electroforming, serves to create a part with far more precise measurements than those achieved by classic mechanical machining. It thereby guarantees the extremely accurate indication of the level of the power reserve – which in this case amounts to three days in all.

The Corum Bridges pillar experiences a substantial evolution in 2011 with the presentation of an exclusive new creation: the Golden Bridge Automatic with the first linear-winding automatic movement.

The Caliber CO313 is one of the rare movements with linear oscillating weight on the market – lies first and foremost in resolving the inertia issues inherent to any movement of this type. Hence the use of a precious and dense metal, in this instance platinum, for this linear oscillating weight weighing 4 grams and which swings 1 cm, before its motion is slowed down or “damped” by a system of gaskets

that send it swinging back in the other direction, thereby supplying the movement with all the energy it needs to continue moving.

and finally the admirals cup. not being someone too interested in sailing, i must admit the nautical connection is slightly lost on me, but i am sure it resonates with folks in that community. they do have very smart looking models in their lineup though which transcends that tie to sailing and nautical pursuits which is a good thing

In 1960, the first interpretation of the Admiral’s Cup model paved the way for CORUM’s success. This model remains thanks to its history, which is inextricably bound up with major sailing competitions and prestigious sailors, as well as for its inimitable esthetic based on a twelve-sided case, a dial set off by twelve nautical pennants, and the Admiral’s Cup trophy engraved on the caseback. These are its distinctive and unmistakable identifying characteristics.

The “Admiral’s Cup” is currently worn and represented by Ben Ainslie, one of the greatest living sailors and four-time Olympic medal winner who has already earned an impressive number of records and distinctions, and by Loïck Peyron, regarded as one of the best sailors both on multihull and monohull boats with a breathtaking list of accomplishments to his credit, including 43 transatlantic crossings and four round-the-world races.

The collection is structured into three distinct segments: Seafender, characterized by sturdy designs encompassing ultimate sports functions – Challenger, with a more sporting chic design offering a range of chronograph complications – Legend, offering more elegant and classical models featuring cases with softer lines and more classic complications (see tourby above)

Admiral's Cup Challenger 48 Day & Night ($13,589.00)A map of the world viewed from the North Pole enables instant visualization of the time zones as well as of which zones are in daytime or nighttime around the world at any given moment. This world map complete with day/night indication is a first within the Admiral’s Cup collection. comes in a dark and light dial version

the main attraction of this authentic time “show” appears at the centre of the dial adorned with a Côtes de Genève finish. A world map transferred on the metal and bearing the 24 timezone grid pattern is topped by a transparent rotating disk. The latter plays a dual role: around its circumference, a small white indicator – adjustable via the crown – points to a second time zone. This function enables the user to check the time in another part of the world at any given moment. Moreover, when the white indicator is adjusted to GMT, the rotating disk which is tinted on half of its surface will show which side of the Earth is lit up by the Sun and which is plunged in darkness.

Admiral’s Cup Legend 42 Chrono

Admiral's Cup Legend 42 Annual Calendar($40,553.00 in RG and $14,338.00 in steel) with it's notable 12 nautical pennants from the maritime international code of signals serving as hour-markers, along with a twelve-sided case and with a annual calendar complication

the annual calendar automatically takes account of 30- and 31-day months, thus requiring just one adjustment per year, at the end of February

next up, the ADMIRAL'S CUP CHALLENGER 44 CHRONO RUBBER ($13,910.00) The perfect watch for hot, sunny days! Resolutely sporty and geared up for all manner of aquatic adventures, the new Admiral’s Cup Challenger 44 Chrono Rubber features a colourful vulcanized rubber case. This rugged yet flexible material earns its pedigree through a high-temperature, high pressure injection procedure that modifies its structure to give it a matte look and a velvet-soft feel. Available in four colourful variations, this timepiece is equipped with an automatic chronograph movement chronometer-certified by the COSC

and that's all folks. time to start earning more $$$ ;) happy hols everyone. cheers

Review of the Millenary 4101 ~ Fine finishing and wonderful aesthetic

2012-11-14T22:15:00.000+08:00

Let me start off by saying that i don't really like the original base millenary watches. I'm not talking about the fancier ones with complications as some of them are real nice eg the maserati tourby that i took pics of here LINK i'm referring to the time only base model or the chrono versions where the dial and it's varying elongated arabic numerals are at play. the romans on the dial that remains on this piece are fine by me but those stretched out arabics are deal breakers. the ladies variants the starlit sky i did find appealing though and the oval starwheel is one of my fave APs... so oval can't be that bad if done right...

so what could AP do to get the base millenary right or a contender in the AP stable since all lines are overshadowed by an octagonal monster :) well i believe they've found the answer in the 4101. AP presented the millenary 4101 in 2011 SIHH. All I saw were press images of the piece and it looked nice to me then. The interest was piqued but forgotten over time. Fortunately I was able to come across a lovely pink gold piece and managed to get some quick shots of it. pics and thoughts of it follow...

a gorgeous front... horizontal Côtes de Genève (geneva waves) wonderfully finished bevelled bridges, including the gold one holding the balance wheel at the 9 0'clock position... fine dial side finishing all round... beautiful rhodiumed and gilded plates

and a gorgeous back... circular Côtes de Genève, snailing, sunray graining, and a lot of nice perlage (aka stipling/circular graining/spotting). nice AP 22 carat rotor with the Audemars and Piguet family crests and AP monogram

looking into the movement pics... Diamond-polished jewel sinks, diamond-polished countersinks and bevelled wheel spokes with bevelled screw rims and slots

And some more detailed shots of the front... black and anthracite dial with applied pink gold Roman numerals Pink gold hands

wonderful anglage for the external and rounded angles all round

conclusion

What does an exceptional hand finished movement say about a timepiece then? It speaks of quality. it speaks of class and horological tradition and craft to make things beautiful and remarkable.

it's a winner! in my books and also a winner of the public prize for gphg :)
note it's time only watch and there is nothing fancy technically about the movement, a standard automatic with the standard lever escapement. a great aesthetic achieved with it's wonderful movement design architecture with it's multiple bridges and wonderful finishing that comes together so very nicely and make it a standout piece. oh i have to start saving my pennies...

Millenary 4101 - 15350OR.OO.D093CR.01.. Case dimensions (width/length/thickness: 47 * 42 * 13 .. Bidirectional winding 22-carat gold oscillating weight mounted on ceramic ball bearings.. 60-hour power reserve

maybe go for the slightly more accessible steel version :) steel version reflects a rich grey color from an anthracite galvanic treatment. US retail is US$20,600 for the steel and US$33,900 for the Pink Gold

Me & My Bond Girl got some Gold Class treatment for the Singapore Gala Premiere of Skyfall

2012-10-28T21:35:00.000+08:00

A huge HUGE thanks to the wonderful team at Omega for their invite for me and my partner in crime to Skyfall, the 23rd Bond installment and released on the 50th anniversary of the first Bond film, Dr No.
Me and the Mrs hardly ever go to movies and the last time we did was in Dec 2011. that was an actioner as well but this... this is different... This is Bond!

On a personal note, i grew up watching Connery and Moore play Bond and I loved the shows when I watched them growing up. looking back at some of it now, it doesn't resonate as much but there are moments that still thrill and moments that take me back to a 6/8/10/12 year old boy and teen going 'this is sooo awesome' which followed with the 'i need to get me that watch/car/gadget someday' thought.

Me and my Bond girl :)

She was happy taking a pic with this Bond villian, wait a moment, that's no Bond villian, it's local Singapore Radio Personality, the Flying Dutchman aka Mark Van Cuylenburg

fast forward to the present and we have Skyfall... the latest James Bond movie with Daniel Craig playing the role and with Adele belting the wonderful opener. the movie itself to me is just excellent! they are looking to make him relevant but not do away with everything that was quintessential or classic Bond. to be honest, it was some of the classic touches that were just amazing moments for me. won't give anything away of course :)

the night itself was just fantastic... Omega had booked out the GV Gold Class theatre and Lounge and provided cocktails before the Main Event and the gold Class Seats were really spacious and comfy. attendants bringing us drinks and popcorn was nice :) this is the proper way to catch a movie... and what a Great Movie it was! Again no spoilers from me but i would highly recommend the trip down to the cinema fo shizzle ;) i'm actually planning for a second trip to watch it, hmm maybe in imax the next time..

it opens in Singapore on 1 Nov so...

for folks who got to the premiere, they have a mission they have to choose to accept

other sponsors like Heineken, Sony Pictures booked out gvmax for their guests, Omega got the gold class cinema for us

Omega were also kind enough to provide some nice goodies as well for the night

Want to know more about the watch on the British Secret Agent with a License to Kill? See the post below this with details on this special agent's timepiece :) Cheers, Raph

Let the Skyfall ~ 50th Anniversary & 23rd Bond Film and Omega

2012-10-28T12:49:00.001+08:00

I will be doing a 2 parter. the first will be the press release materials kindly provided by Omega at the Skyfall movie premiere in Singapore and the next will have my short take on it all. huge thanks to the folks at Omega for the invite to this wonderful occasion for this Bond fan.

before going into the press materials though, i would like to note that Omega is doing a smart thing partnering with the longest running film franchise as it's an excellent marketing platform and it has a great style icon in Bond, James Bond. the movie, daniel and the bond girls were just fantastic and they looked great sporting Omegas on their wrist. so to the official word then :)

James Bond’s new watch in SKYFALL: the OMEGA Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M 42 mm

“007 reporting for duty.”
When Daniel Craig reprises his role as James Bond in SKYFALL, he will be wearing an OMEGA Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M 42mm with a black dial and a matt black ceramic unidirectional rotating divers’ bezel.

Bond fans and OMEGA enthusiasts will know that the world’s favourite secret agent has been wearing Seamasters since 1995 and the Planet Ocean has been his choice since CASINO ROYALE in 2006.

James Bond’s choice
For SKYFALL, Bond’s choice is the steel on steel Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M OMEGA Co-Axial Chronometer, whose design features can be traced directly back to the classic Seamasters of the 1950s.

Inside the case it’s a different story: the watch is driven by the OMEGA Co-Axial calibre 8500 whose revolutionary Co-Axial escapement and free sprung balance deliver long-term stability and precision, dramatically reducing the need for servicing. Also equipped with an Si14 silicon balance spring, the watch is delivered with a four-year warranty.

The hands and indexes have been treated with Super-LumiNova and are legible in all lights and conditions and offer a stark contrast to the matt black surface of the dial. The Super-LumiNova on the indexes, the hour hand and the seconds hands emits a blue light; the luminescent material on the minute hand and the dot on the bezel appear green. This contrast means that divers can tell at a glance how much time has elapsed when they are underwater. Even the sweep of the luminous orange-tipped seconds hand can easily be read in the dark. There are Arabic numerals at 12, 6, and 9 o’clock with a date window at the 3 o’clock position on the dial.

A professional divers’ watch
A professional divers’ watch, the Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M OMEGA Co-Axial Chronometer is equipped with a helium escape valve. The stainless steel bracelet features a diver’s clasp which allows its length to be extended to fit around a wetsuit. As its name suggests, the Planet Ocean 600m is water resistant to a depth of 600 metres (60 bar / 2000 feet).

OMEGA and the world’s most stylish spy
James Bond has worn an OMEGA Seamaster in every film since GOLDENEYE in 1995. Oscar-winning costume designer Lindy Hemming first introduced Bond to OMEGA. She described Bond as a naval man and a discreet gentleman of the world, so the Seamaster was the obvious choice. OMEGA couldn’t agree more!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Celebrating the new James Bond film:
the Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M”SKYFALL” Limited Edition

In SKYFALL, to be released in autumn of 2012, James Bond will take to the screen for the 23rd time with Daniel Craig reprising the role of the world’s favorite secret agent for the third time running. And once again, agent 007 will wear an OMEGA Seamaster.

To celebrate the launch of SKYFALL, OMEGA is launching the Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M”SKYFALL” Limited Edition watch.

Like every Planet Ocean, the new watch is ready for underwater adventure. Equipped with a unidirectional rotating diving bezel and a helium escape valve, the watch is water resistant 60 bar / 600 metres / 2000 feet.

The watch has a 42 mm brushed and polished stainless steel case and a matching patented screw-and-pin bracelet whose divers’ clasp is engraved with “007”. The rotating diving bezel is distinguished by its matt black ceramic ring with a chromium nitride diving scale.

The applied indexes on the matt structured black dial are coated with white Super-LumiNova emitting a blue light as are the polished, facetted rhodium-plated hands. The exception is the minute hand which emits a green light, as does the dot on the diving bezel. This feature makes it easy for divers to keep track of their time at a glance. At the 7 o’clock position is a 007 logo and at 3 o’clock, there is a date window.

The Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M SKYFALL Limited Edition is powered by OMEGA's exclusive new Co-Axial calibre 8507. SKYFALL 007 is on its rotor in black-varnished engraving. The movement is visible through sapphire crystal in the brushed screw-in caseback.

Along with OMEGA’s industry-changing Co-Axial technology, the watch is equipped with an "Si14" silicon balance spring. The combination is so stable and reliable that the Planet Ocean comes with a full four-year warranty.

The Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M SKYFALL wristwatch is being produced in an edition limited to 5,007 pieces and is delivered in a special presentation box.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Introducing Bérénice Marlohe and Naomie Harris: the Bond Actresses in SKYFALL
In SKYFALL, the 23rd film in the franchise, two actresses will charm the world’s favourite spy; Bérénice Marlohe who plays the glamorous, enigmatic Severine and Naomie Harris, plays Field Agent Eve. Like James Bond himself, both Eve and Severine wear OMEGA wristwatches in their on-screen roles.

SKYFALL marks the English-language acting debut for Bérénice Marlohe whose previous film roles have been in her native French. About her role, the French actress said, “I wanted to create a character who couldn’t be stereotyped. It should not be obvious immediately what kind of person she is.” She adds, “Daniel Craig has added something special with James Bond – he’s both tough and vulnerable and it’s not always clear what he’s thinking. I want to do the same thing with Séverine – she’s not just on the screen to be saved by Bond.”

Naomie Harris has acted in films and on television since she was a child but attracted international attention when she starred in the Danny Boyle film, 28 Days Later. She also appeared in the second and third Pirates of the Caribbean features. The Cambridge University graduate studied acting at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and in addition to numerous film and TV roles has also distinguished herself as a stage actress.

In SKYFALL, Naomie Harris’ character Eve will be wearing an OMEGA Aqua Terra with a black dial, a stainless steel case and a matching bracelet. Bérénice Marlohe’s character Severine wears an OMEGA De Ville Prestige with a mother-of-pearl dial, a stainless steel case and a stainless steel bracelet.

Which Royal Oak next and a wrap up of the 40th Anniversary Exhibition Event

2012-10-20T14:59:00.002+08:00

before going into part 2... do check out this post for cool APs LINK so to finish off the event... just a couple more pics from the night...

as some folks are od'ing on RO pics we'll start with one of my fave non-Royal Oak APs that was spotted on a lady's wrist... a great choice for the night

other non-Royal Oaks were these guys :) Audemars Piguet’s new CEO, Francois-Henry Bennahmias

& Oliviero Bottinelli, CEO of AP Singapore and SE Asia

& another nice cuban for the raphmeister...

Guests for the night received a 300-page book, the "Royal Oak"– a compilation of 233 illustrations and photographs outlining the rich history of the Royal Oak. A wonderful gift and further poison for someone that's already at the edge :)

and to all important question... which royal oak next? ;) let's look at the modern iterations of the classic RO...the previous incarnation of the 15202 (list US$22,300) and the base RO the 15300 (list US15,400)...

AP at 12

the 2012 versions of the 15202 and the upgraded to 41mm 15400. much closer to the original RO and better for it impo. between the 2 the jumbo is the winner in the looks department but it costs a fair bit more. (US$22,500 vs US$16,900 for US ~ sorry didn't check SG list)

15400 wristshots... which tell me that this watch has some flaws i can't live with. the automatic text is too high on the dial and the date is a little too deep

and the movement differences... both the 2121 and 3120 are good movements. the 2121 being extra thin with the rotor on rails. the older rotor in the 2121 is nicer than the new one impo. AP shouldn't have changed that

what they all got in common :) beautifully finished octagonal bezel and white gold hex screws

between these 4 versions then, if i had to choose, the new 15202 looks to be the winner but i do have to try it on for size and fit. never buy based on pics of course. i believe the rotor can be changed out to one with your initials on it similar to the past versions so you can change out that newer and worser rotor but at some $$$ of course... but maybe i should save my pennies for a nicer royal oak... one of my fave pieces, the RO QP Squelette... or wait to strike the lottery as usual ;)

the one pictured in plat but if i were to buy of course i'll have to get the steel version :)

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 40th Anniversary Exhibition & Event

2012-10-14T18:27:00.000+08:00

Audemars Piguet was kind enough to invite me down to the last night event for the Royal Oak 40th Anniversary Exhibition which was an event held together with Sincere Watches in Singapore. My gratitude to AP Singapore for the invite.

A short video on the exhibition

Some exceptional Royal Oaks and Offshores were on display that makes me think that I need another Royal Oak in my watch box ;) Before we delve into the post itself, if u didn't already know it, i love the Royal Oak and the Royal Oak Offshore design so if i gush a little, well u now know the reason :) i highly recommend folks watch this set of videos that was shown at the exhibition too on the making of a royal oak LINK

So this is going to be a long post. I'm gonna do it in 2 parts. this one will have
(1) Watch Pics ~ Sorry for the quality as i didn't shoot with my better gear
(2) Set of pics around the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station exhibition space

(3) Pics of the guillochage machine for making the tapisserie dial and a guillocheur from Audemars Piguet
The next one will have other stuff and press info

(1) Watch Pics... onto the watches then :) Some Royal Oaks first...

2012 Openworked Tourbillon

2012 Openworked Extra Thin RO Time and Date

2012 Openworked Extra Thin RO

Royal Oak Squelette Quantieme Perpertuelle... Perhaps one of my favourite Royal Oaks

Diamonds are a girl's best friend ;)

Variants of the QP

Popular in Beijing apparently :)

Onto the offshores and first off the Concept... A ground breaking watch released in 2002

The gorgeous Cabinet 4 in Platinum... a very heavy piece

carbon concept

2011 ceramic concept

tourby

more tourby goodness

and one of my faves... the end of days

1993 openworked pocket watch

Pics around the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station exhibition space

a band was playing out back... and there was a dj for when they weren't... i preferred the dj's tunes overall

non-watch exhibits...

Pics of the guillochage machine for making the tapisserie dial and a guillocheur from Audemars Piguet

Bond... James Bond... Skyfall is coming! :) Omega on the wrist of course

2012-10-08T23:50:00.003+08:00

The OMEGA Seamaster Planet Ocean worn by Daniel Craig in “SKYFALL,” the next installment of the James Bond franchise, was sold for £157,250 ($254,273) at Christie's in London on Friday, October 5^th, for the "50 years of James Bond: the auction".

All proceeds from the sale of the watch will be donated to ORBIS, a charity that is close to both Craig and OMEGA ( http://www.orbis.org ).

Other key OMEGA Bond watches have also been sold at auction. So far the highest sale price for a “Bond” watch was the Planet Ocean worn in “Casino Royale,” which sold for $255,565 . The “SKYFALL” watch marked the second highest price for a Bond watch. Rolex and the watch it made for “Live and Let Die” stands as the third highest bringing in $196,056.

A unique piece specially made out of titanium for the action scenes in the movie

Daniel Craig with the watch on

images copyright Christies.com

the trailer looks cool... & i'm lookin forward to the movie for sure :)

& the adele track rules too

it was inevitable ;) short review of my latest acquisition, the Tudor Heritage Black Bay

2012-10-07T22:24:00.000+08:00

yup i've gone and done it again... another watch purchase after effectively poisoning myself ( i blame my mate for poisoning me with his watch too. see blog post from not so long ago LINK) other than the fact that this watch looks absolutely fantastic and gorgeous in pics and in the metal, it (and several other similar veined watches) has something going for it. vintage looks without vintage shortfalls...what do i mean?

One of 2011s best watch and one of 2012s best watch :) new vintage-y looking classics

when buying vintage watches, prospective buyers could have some of the following concerns

- authenticity and provenance: is everything right for that watch? case, dial, hands etc. watches deteriorate over time and things might get changed up. service dials or dial swaps with models from around the same time. same for the hands, bezels, buckle from another timepiece, reconditioned dials and cases etc etc etc
some folks may also be resistant to buying second hand items as well as they may have superstitions on lingering stuff. i'm not superstitious myself but some may have concerns.

when you buy new, you get a brand new watch from the manufacturer, boxes and papers and you know nothin's been messed around with it(at least for the most part).

- condition: is their pitting in the case, is there excessive corrosion for the steel cases especially below and around the screw back portion? dings, scratches etc. has it been over-polished, refinished to the point that it's lost a lot of metal already? edges not sharp enough, finishing not as good as original. water resistance not anywhere near to what is stated on it.

- servicing: may cost a fair bit to service or harder to find servicers(for some vintage brands) and have shorter service intervals to keep it going longer. official service centres may take them in and say they have to send it back to switzerland to service. or that they may or will have to change out the dial and hands etc which will illicit a "HELL NO" response from any vintage watch lover.

ok but enough on that... let's come to how i came to acquire it. for folks who want to get one, i have heard of switzerland/eurozone and australia(possibly) having reasonable deals(i am not 100% sure of which markets its cheaper in though yuh). for me in Singapore then, it's to get it through folks who can obtain it from outside of Sg for less and bring it back here to sell with a little markup. in Singapore, i understand that authorised dealers are asking for retail price for them. so S$4550 for the bracelet and S$4130 for the leather strap version. I heard that at one point they were offered at 5% discount but that dried up quickly due to current demand vs supply. as more come to market, discounts may come back in time but they aren't there for now. anyway we're not talking a whole lot of $ yuh, it's a very well priced watch as it is.

unboxing pics

deployant clasp and caseback...

kinda makes me think of a dragon...

and we have this beauty

and it goes on the wrist... happiness is a warm dial ;)

the tudor machinery churning out classics

some naysayers say the tudor heritage chrono was hot and then was not. but to this watch lover, it was hot and it still remains a classic chrono sports watch that will remain just that.

with the black bay, my view is that Tudor has really done it again and come out with another instant classic which is no easy feat. easily the best bang for buck watch from a brand with legitimacy and an undoubted star of basel 2012 and rightly so.

that's it for this quickie review... loving it on the wrist as i type this :)
cheers, raph

Audemars Piguet 40th Anniversary Exhibition in Singapore in Oct 2012

2012-09-29T23:13:00.001+08:00

hope alls well with watch lovers around the world :) anyways, for all watch lovers in Singapore, do drop down to the now defunct Tanjong Pagar Railway Station on Oct 10-14 for the 40th Anniversary Exhibition of the Royal Oak if u r keen to find out more about the wonderful history of it. Designed by Genta and for me, his best watch design.

Note what follows is my opinion... i believe the the Royal Oak is the best steel sports watch to buy in the S$10-16k range. If you have a budget of around 10-15, then the 15300 in the low teens will be a great buy if the size and looks do it for you. if you want something newer and bigger, then the 15400 at below S$16k is a very nice piece too. And if you were to step up the budget range to the S$16-20k-ish range (depending on newness and condition and source), a base Royal Oak Offshore like the themes black is a great steel sports watch to own. i prefer the ones with the arabics than the stick markers personally.

my watch... LOVE IT! ;)

check out the collection here
http://www.audemarspiguet.com/en/watch-collection/royal-oak

some of the newer openworked squelette pieces

and do register for the guided tour too if u want to be poisoned more effectively ;)
http://www.audemarspiguet.com/s/ro40y-register/

all watch lovers should have an Audemars Piguet ;)

ROYAL OAK 40 YEARS THE JOURNEY OF AN ICONIC TIMEPIECE TO BREAK THE RULES, YOU MUST FIRST MASTER THEM.

To break the rules, you must first master them - 40 years ago, Audemars Piguet broke all rules of fine watchmaking when in 1972 it introduced the ground-breaking design of the Royal Oak, an unprecedented steel watch and the first luxury sports watch in Haute Horlogerie. No one could have predicted anything whatsoever regarding its legendary destiny when it was launched. 40 years on, the Royal Oak not only became one of the brand’s signature pieces but it is also one of the world’s most recognisable timepieces.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Audemars Piguet’s iconic Royal Oak, the Swiss Manufacture from Le Brassus has put together a unique, ephemeral exhibition. Using design, photography, sound and film from three unequivocally 21st century artists, Sebastien Leon Agneessens, Quayola and Dan Holdsworth, the Manufacture curated an exhibition of 100 exceptional timepieces set against the backdrop that underscores Audemars Piguet’s origins, mastery and artistry. These rare watches, from the very first Royal Oak in 1972 to the latest models are presented to showcase the brand’s ability to innovate and create, illustrating how the Royal Oak became the icon it is today.

Apart from the 100 iconic Royal Oak timepieces and invaluable memorabilia dating back to the beginning of the 70s, the exhibition features a working guillochage machine with a highly skilled watchmaker, a watchmaker working on two Royal Oak movements, a magnifying video camera linked to a video monitor embedded in the counter, as well as four exploded views of the watches. Visitors will be treated to a whole new level of interactive experience as they witness the beating heart of the skilled craftsmanship in assembling Audemars Piguet’s finest movements.

As part of the celebration of the forty regal years, the newly launched limited edition Royal Oak Leo Messi Chronograph case no. 10 in platinum and tantalum, will be displayed for the first time in Singapore. This exclusive piece will be auctioned off at the end of the exhibition run, with proceeds going to the Leo Messi Foundation. Other highlights include the Royal Oak Grande Complication which was specially created in 1998 for the founder of Cirque du Soleil, Guy Laliberté and the Royal Oak Concept as an avant-garde tribute to the Royal Oak’s 30 years of watchmaking revolution.

The Royal Oak 40 Years Exhibition will culminate its worldwide tour in Singapore from 10 – 14 October 2012 at Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, following the showcase in New York, Milan, Paris, Geneva and Beijing. Guided tours will be available to enhance the exhibition experience. Shuttles buses will be available from the Audemars Piguet boutique at Liat Tower and Tanjong Pagar MRT (Exit B). Admission to the Royal Oak Exhibition is free.

cheers, raph

[images in this post copyright of Audemars Piguet except for the one with my (c) on it]

Say Hello to Laurent Picciotto of Chronopassion! :)

2012-09-22T22:19:00.002+08:00

so i found myself with some free time in Paris(well actually it was managing to secure it after lengthy negotiations with the mrs :) and i thought of paying a visit to Laurent Picciotto of Chronopassion. i had seen his pics on the net and in mags of course, with some great looking timepieces that were Chronopassion exclusives. He looked to be a very cool and interesting individual and i wanted to find out a bit more about the man and what made him tick. so journey if u will down a shopping street in Paris to...

271, rue Saint-Honoré.. this is the place... i was staying down the road from here and it was a nice 10min walk to his shop that day. it was still closed when i arrived and i popped across the street for a sultana croissant and hot beverage :)

i love the clock outside... french train station style clock if i'm not mistaken

in laurent's inner sanctum in the basement... what a wonderful office! i wish i could do the same to my work space :) absolute wishful thinking in my stuffy work environment of course

lots of interesting things on the wall and around.. several guitars too and they aren't for show yuh.. Laurent does play 'em and he can ROCK! :)

[to the interview then... note that i didn't have a tape recorder with me so the responses are not ad verbatim and are based off my notes and not too fantastic memory... let's get to it then... stuff you see below in blue are my added comments]

What did u do before Chronopassion and how did you decide to become a retailer for timepieces?

I worked in several professions before watches. I worked for a time in real estate, in banks, and insurance. I was involved in some degree with the music industry, working at getting folks to take up the use of CDs at the time being in CD production, back when they were the new thing... that was sometime ago.

My interest in watches came from my dad, who himself also had an interest in watches and was a bit collector. There weren't many nice watches to view and purchase at the time in the 1980s and the watch culture then was very different to what it is now. Back then, there was very few shops selling watches, mostly jewelers, no dedicated watch magazines and maybe just one or two watch ads in the regular mags, (raph's addition: and no watch sites/forums/blogs cause there was no internet too! :) and most people just looked to buy one nice watch and that was it.

I wanted to sell beautiful timepieces and spread the passion for them. I started off with one brand then, Gerald Genta. The first few years were not so easy but my clientele grew over the years and over time I expanded the range of watches that i carried at Chronopassion, looking to work with brands that had something special and that i believed in.

from the 80s then with one brand to now with a healthy stable of brands and some choice niche brands, how has your business, your philosophy evolved through the years and what were the highlights of the journey?

1986 through to 1996 were years of growth for me and learning the trade. basel 1991 was a turnaround year, when i expanded the brands I carried to 15, providing an opulent and varied offering.

1995 was a boom period for the watch industry through to 1999. even though the economy did go through peaks and troughs, the watch industry as a whole was growing and after 2000, there was a distinct step up for my own business, all through to 2008.

the financial crises posed a bit of a challenge. people were still buying but the attitudes of buyers changed from accumulation without much thought to putting in more consideration on their purchase decisions, finding more about of the legitimacy of what was on offer. more rationalisation and a general change in the mindset of the customer.

I believe in helping my clients find the right watch for them even if it means presenting to them different options, this will allow them to make the right decision for themselves and for me it's important that they know they can trust my advice and in our relationship. i'm not here to sell a single brand but help my clients find the watch they really like.

which is why it is important for me to carry brands that i like and i believe in. i have been fortunate that i have not made any mistakes so far in my choices.

why haven't you chosen to expand or grow your shop beyond the one shop you have currently?

I don't believe in expanding and opening new outlets just because the opportunity is available. there are issues that come with expansion and there is the loss of control, the loss of maintaining the right level of interaction and that finer contact with my customers. i prefer to keep to my store here and maintain that intimacy and immediacy in my relationships with my clients. keep it small and beautiful and have the ability to create.

I am happy with how I have grown the shop to include the dedicated brand boutique with Hublot. I had first discussed this with Jean-Claude Biver(Hublot's then CEO who rebirthed the brand) on having the brand boutique and established the first Hublot monobrand boutique with them in 2006/07 and now they have over 30 such boutiques globally(with the view of growing more).

You have had several successful collaborations, any more in the pipeline?

the most recent one I have done is the Skull Bang with Hublot and there will be others in future of course. selective of course but with a distinctive Chronopassion flair to it and most importantly, is to do something i can be proud of and to have FUN!

Possible ones in the pipeline could be another one with Panerai. [Raph's note, they did a successful destro submersible watch that was nicknamed the kraken with Panerai, the pam 358]

I also have the good fortune of being on the boards of some major brands and am contributing ideas to these watch houses and do hope these ideas can refresh and renew some of the brands watch lines, even the iconic ones.

How do you select brands to offer in your shop and to collaborate with?

it is important for me that i believe in the brands that i bring on. they have to have a certain quality, something unique and emotive in design or philosophy and be able to resonate with watch lovers. their history, the legitimacy of their story, that they bring something innovative or special.

i am also happy to have worked with and discovered new brands like MB&F and am pleased to see them do well. it is also about the human adventures and who we choose to embark on them with and I am pleased with the ones I have chosen to journey with.

raph's final note:

It was a genuine pleasure meeting and having this short glimpse into Laurent's world and the cave of wonders that is Chronopassion. Laurent is a warm, affable man with a lively personality.

His view of not expanding his business was refreshing as well vs the typical business school mindset of grow and expand and in the process, losing a certain soul and personality along the way(at least that's kinda my take on it anyway).

The purchase of exclusive or high end timepiece is an emotional choice and enlightened retailers like Laurent Piccioto are the kind that will definitely partner with brands they carry to accentuate the uniqueness, exclusivity and beauty of their timepieces, adding emotive fuel to a buyer's curiosity or passion.

And my last comment is a compliment to Laurent... If I stayed in Paris or in Europe, I would be buying all my new watches from Chronopassion for sure for the brands he carries :) All the best to Laurent and his team!

Cheers, Raph

welcoming me to his shop that day...

and into the cave of treasures :) Ap millenary tourby

Ulysse Nardin Freak! Love it

some nice RMs were around...

another

vault

some choice pieces from MB&F, Corum and Jouvenot...