Friday, October 31, 2008
posted by Harry SK Tan 2 Comments
Here is a set of large images of the new HM3 for interested fans to enjoy and inspect in great detail elements of this avante garde design. Click on the image above to view the Zoomed image. On the page, click on the image to zoom it and click and drag to navigate.-HT
Here is the collage of the party photographs taken on Monday 27th October. It was an unusual event as it was an afternoon tea party rather than the usual cocktail or dinner. Mr Max Busser (right photograph) showed his latest watches and spoke to collectors about the details of the development of the new watch.
CLICK HERE to view the collage.
(Note, maximise the browser window and hit F5 key to refresh the collage to full view.)
- HT
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
posted by Harry SK Tan 2 Comments
The Horological Machine No.3 was finally shown here in Singapore after its creator Mr Max Busser travelled with the watch around the world to show it to interested collectors. Unlike the dinners where the previous HM1 and 2 watches were shown, it was an afternoon tea at Au Petit Salut.The HM3 is actually a watch featured in two positions. The StarCruiser and Sidewinder. Featured on the right here is a white gold Sidewinder. The Starcruiser is the same watch but set in a position where the two cones are parallel to the wrist rather than perpendicular. The time is shown through the angled windows of the two cones.
Functionally this is a time only watch but its unique draw is its design and unique look which sets it apart from other watches. The HM3 is different from the earlier HM1 and 2 because of its automatic rotor is located on the dial side. However, there are cues to show its connection with the earlier models - namely the two cones here and the two subdials on the HM1 & 2.
This is a large watch and would feature best on men with large wrists. Alternatively, women could readily find it avante garde enough to be worn as a fashion accessory.Unfortunately while the design is ground breaking and distinctive, functionality seems to have given way to form. The sidewinder model while pleasantly asymmetric, telling the time is not going to be simple nor easy - at least for a time until one get used to having to glance at two dials of the watch to read the time. I think the StarCruiser would probably be slightly easier to read between the two.
Further, one single aspect of the watch I would change would be balance wheel. Displayed on the dial side, it looked far too small for such a large watch. I would like to have seen a variant of the balance wheel from either HM1 or 2.
Nevertheless, MB&F continues to bring interesting pieces to market collaborating with renowned industry icons. I am already looking forward to next year's offerings.
Come back soon to see more of the watch.
- HT
Come back soon to see more of the watch.
- HT
Postscript - Thanks to Mr Dirk Janssen (top image) and Ms Francesca Landi for modeling the HM3 Sidewinder.
posted by Harry SK Tan 3 Comments
Nicolas Lehotzky - a young designer about to graduate from Art Center College of Design, focussed his efforts in horology - created the concept caterpillar watch. Looking dramatically radical from all previous types of watch design, it looks disconcertingly uncomfortable but admittedly intriguing. The time is shown by the movement of the material that has the embroidered numbers. Check out THIS REPORT to learn more about Nicolas and his efforts.- HT
Friday, October 24, 2008
posted by Harry SK Tan 0 Comments
Friday 17th October, Carl F Bucherer hosted a cocktail party at The Fullerton featuring its latest collection of watches. Considered by many serious collectors as a fashion watch company, the brand has of late endeavoured to be taken seriously as a watch house with ambitions to grow its market share. Many of the models featured that evening by Bucherer clearly featured the current trends towards machine type look yet being refined by the addition of jewels.
For a comprehensive report with photographs on Bucherer's more ambitious work, visit THIS LINK at horomundi featuring a photo report of the Patravi TravelTec FourX, Patravi ChronoGrade and Patravi T-Graph.
-HT
POSTSCRIPT - Mr Zach Toh of Horomundi Forums filed a detailed report of the Bucherer cocktail - CLICK HERE to view the report.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
posted by Harry SK Tan 0 Comments
The recent months of continual negative reports of global recession and market downturn has had a strong impact on market spending on luxury timepieces - as reflected by several economic reports. Almost every sector is now forecasting a prolonged slow down and even the global luxury goods retailers are reporting a dramatic slowdown in customer traffic and sales - a sector once thought to be unaffected by recessionary pressures.
Watch retailers appear also badly affected by the slowdown both of domestic sales as well as lower tourist traffic. Understandably it is financial prudence for collectors to hold off new acquisitions until the crisis blows over as liquidity is being squeezed and no one knows how long the downturn will continue.
However, for the financially prudent collectors who had been saving up for their grail watch, the financial downturn could well turn out to be a windfall as many mint used and rare watches are being put into the secondary market at much lower prices. So if collectors are willing to consider used pieces, this may be a rare opportunity to acquire a few instead of just one grail piece you had been saving for.
If you have the liquidity and patience, I recommend trolling the used dealer sites as well as putting up want ads on various watch forums. Its going to be a buyer's market for quite awhile, so be patient and good luck!
- HT
Friday, October 17, 2008
posted by Harry SK Tan 4 Comments
Classic designs will always be around regardless of trends. While the demand may ebb and flow, the perennial quality of classics will ultimately remain. In 1993 the International Watch Co. produced the Jubilee Portuguese at 42mm which was still considered as a very large watch - even with a pocket watch movement being its excuse. Relenting to demand, IWC released in 1995 the Portuguese Automatic 35mm seen here on the right. Here captured side by side, the Jubilee and the Automatic 35mm Rose Gold where the dial is identical in terms of quality, type font and design but the movement is a JLC automatic calibre.
While the automatic Portuguese here may not be a limited edition, there was a very short production run and as a result, the timepiece is very much in demand in the preowned market. Its availability in the secondary market is almost as rare as the Jubilee.
Click on the images to view them in high resolution.
- HT
My sincere thanks to Mr Eddie Sng, the owner of this beautiful Portuguese Automatic 35mm, for allowing me to capture a rare moment of these two rare watches together.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
posted by Harry SK Tan 0 Comments
On the 10th Oct 2008, the CEO of Anonimo, Federico Massacesi flew into town to grace the Anonimo party to launch its 10th Anniversary pieces. He did however, found time before the party to have lunch with a small handful of collectors that included Dr Bernard Cheong, Asst Prof Massimiliano Landi (whose Bronze Anonimo watch I featured below), Su Jia Xian and myself - hosted by Citimex and Dickson watch (distributor and retailer respectively). 
It was a very enjoyable lunch at Novus Restaurant located at the Singapore National Musuem and we were shown some of the current collection and the 10th Anniversary models.
The small intimate meeting allowed Federico to take us through the history of the company as well as how the brand is positioned and its future direction. It seems quite apparent that Anonimo is now more willing to engage its fans and collectors directly.
Clearly, Anonimo is a small watch company that makes watches for the community of diving watch fans. Its competitive advantage is its know how in case manufacture for diving watches. Mentioned before here on WH, that it is not a widely understood fact that in the world of watch making, the case is the costliest part of the watch. Only in instances of hand made parts and assembled by a single watchmaker does the movement cost outweigh the case. Otherwise the ebauche movement (i.e. calibres sold by movement manufacturers like ETA) are usually mass produced in many thousands with relatively lower cost than cases.
Anonimo has to its credit, able to use new non precious metals developed internally such as drass (a grey tone metal darker than steel but lighter than black PVD) and marine bronze. I am particularly intrigued by the Anonimo Marine Bronze as its a material that is still unique today for watch cases. Currently all the bronze cases are made for limited editions.
- HT POSTSCRIPT - Click here to read the full report of the Anonimo party
Saturday, October 11, 2008
posted by Harry SK Tan 0 Comments
Having received a few emails requesting to read the article I contributed in the Business Times Watch Supplement this year, I thought that it would be useful (especially those overseas) to have the article in PDF format for download. It was a two page spread so the file download is large - so do be patient if you wish to download a copy. Just remember to zoom it to 100% to read the text and I hope you will enjoy the article. The article is about my pick of the top 10 watches I photographed over the previous 12 months.
Click on the image above to view the article.
- HT
Friday, October 10, 2008
posted by Harry SK Tan 0 Comments
Here it is, the U-Black or U-Stealth Photomontage featuring close ups of the watch, dial, bezel and other details. Sinn U series has garnered a large number of fervent fans from all over the world and this limited edition model appears to have captured a fair amount of attention for its monochromatic black and grey. Unlike the watch which it is commonly compared with - the Bell & Ross Phantom, the markers are much more distinguishable in dark grey (as opposed to the Phantom's black) as seen here and in the photomontage. One important improvement on this model from all previous U1 is confirmation from Mr Lothar Schmidt (CEO of Sinn) that the deployant is tegimented black to give it better resistance to scratching and scrapes.
Unfortunately, all 399 pieces have been spoken for - even before the launch party.
Check out the photomontage for yourself and see if this watch deserves the public attention it currently enjoys. CLICK HERE to see the photomontage.
- HT
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
posted by Harry SK Tan 0 Comments
While I was preparing my photomontage of the U-Black, I got an inspiration to create this wallpaper. The submarine here is a large scale model that Sinn provided to the Hour Glass. I believe its an accurate model of current diesel powered submarine in service in the German Navy.-HT
POSTSCRIPT: For Sinn Fans - the photomontage of the Sinn U-Black or U-Stealth is nearing completion and will be published shortly.
Sunday, October 05, 2008
posted by Harry SK Tan 5 Comments
The Sinn U-Black Launch Party last evening at the Paulaner Brauhaus saw a huge crowd filling the bar to elbow room capacity. The whole range of current Sinn watches were on display, free flow of German beer and finger food. While I did anticipate a crowd, I had not expect such a huge following for the brand nor this watch. I found myself far too busy talking to collectors and enthusiast to photograph the event completely but Dr Wong Ju Ming, aka DeckSurgeon has in my opinion photographed the evening in great detail and managed to capture the energy of the evening. Pop over to this LINK to see his pictorial report as well as a small contribution from me. Look out for the photomontage of the U-Black (aka U-Stealth) - coming soon.
- HT
Saturday, October 04, 2008
posted by Harry SK Tan 0 Comments
Finally after more than a week's wait, here are the first images any where in the world - of the new U-Black (aka U-Stealth) Hour Glass Limited Edition. This long awaited watch finally arriving on our shores only this morning and now proudly released here just as the launch of this watch is happening at the Pauliner Brauhaus pub here in Singapore. The delivery of this watch has made the long anticipation so much more satisfying to see it finally in such a handsome combination of dark grey markers with black case and bezel.
Come back soon to see more photos of this watch as well as the official launch.
Friday, October 03, 2008
posted by Harry SK Tan 0 Comments
Heartiest congratulations to Edipresse, Dr Bernard Cheong, Wei Koh and the rest of the team and to the Nominated Jury consisting of regionally respected collectors and to all the winners of this year's GPHG (Asia). Last night at the Four Season's Hotel, the first GPHG(Asia) was held with Minister Lee Boon Yang gracing the evening together with the CEOs of the nominated brands as well as international celebrities.
Unlike the previous year's category winners, for the first time the jury did not comprise of people from the watch industry but actual renowned and respected collectors.
The biggest winner of the night is JLC winning the Asian Watch of the Year for the new Reverso Gyrotourbillon 2. For more of the report on the rest of the winners CHECK OUT THIS LINK.
For my full pictorial report of the proceedings of the Gala, CHECK OUT THIS LINK.
- HT
Thursday, October 02, 2008
posted by Harry SK Tan 0 Comments
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