The Hour Glass launched the Sinn Club South East Asia for fans from the region. Intended to be a means for fans of the brand to receive news, updates, information of latest developments as well as be on the mailing list for all Sinn activities in the region.

Retailers creating and supporting brand fanbase is not a new development in the region. Earlier last year, Bell & Ross launced its Singapore/Malaysia B&R Club. The creation of brand blogsites where collectors are able to obtain exclusive information and news will bring about a minor revolution in the landscape of watch collecting in the region. Historically, collectors have three sources of information - brand sites; forums and what ever internet searches throw up. Now with official blogsites managed by retailers designed primarily to meet the demands of collectors - the attention given to the other sources may wane - depending on how effective these brand blogs are performing.

For Sinn fans from South East Asia who are interested to see the site, simply click on the image above to view the page.

- HT

Here is the second and final wallpaper from the 2009 IWC watch collection that piqued my interest. As I have been a Portuguese fan for its history, its beautiful movement and austere design, it was natural that I would gravitate to this piece. Since the launch of the Vintage series, it was hoped by many that IWC would release a white dial model of this new series and they finally did in 2009. This watch is huge with minimal bezel and with a diameter of 46mm - feels very substantial even on the largest of wrists. IWC collectors will have to make a difficult choice to choose between the Vintage Portofino and the Portuguese. If there was one thing I would change was to revert to the old script on the dial that showed "International Watch Co." That would make the watch a true and accurate tribute to the original.

Click on the image above to download the wallpaper.

As always, your act of downloading indicates your agreement to respect and uphold my copyright not to use it in any other manner other than for personal use as a desktop wallpaper. No commercial use; amendments; alterations and editing work is permitted.

IWC was very kind to allow me to photograph the working models of their watches at their Singapore Richemont offices. From the vast array of their offering this year I feel two of their watches deserve special mention. The first is the Vintage Portofino RG which was discussed earlier. So here is the desktop wallpaper for fans of this very large but genteel and refined piece for pocket watch movement fans. Click on the image above to download the wallpaper.

Here is my second photomontage of this phenomenal watch - this time of an actual working piece to be delivered to customer. I believe in this series, I had greater success in capturing the textures of the various dial elements yet with close up captures of various parts of this watch. The most impressive of which is the chain and fusee winding mechanism. CLICK HERE to view the series online.

-HT

On Thursday 7th May, IWC Singapore hosted a small gathering of collectors to show off their new models showcased at the SIHH earlier this year. The dinner was held at the grand Fullerton Hotel.

The highlights of the evening was the announcement of a new IWC Boutique in Singapore to be located at the ION Orchard and the showcasing of the new Rose Gold White Dialed Vintage series as well as the White Gold Ardoise Dialled Vintages.

I posted a short photographic report of the evening including a few of my friends modelling the two watches that I thought was most attractive - the RG Vintage Portofino and the WG Portuguese. CLICK HERE to view my report at Horomundi.com.

The prowess of the camera should not be underestimated by newbies although it may take a fair bit of skill and effort, near professional quality macro captures can be had with the G9 as shown above. In the two images shot at different times by a G9 and the new EOS 5D Mark II - Canon's latest full frame camera that was just released at the end of 2008. Study the photos carefully in full resolution and see if you can pick out which was shot by the G9 (the answer is below in very small print).

In both cases I shot with the use of an external flash bounced off the ceiling. No light tent or other light diffusing effect was used.

The watch is my own Rolex Submariner on a Bond NATO strap. This is how it looks on the wrist. Its my first bond strap and I recommend it highly as its very comfortable and gives the watch an altogether new look to differentiate it from the many thousands being worn on the wrist on the train you took to work today.

Click on the image above to download the wallpaper of the JLC Reverso Sun Moon in Yellow Gold. This watch is no longer in production and belongs to a good friend of mine. He wore it to one of the events recently and could not resist the desire to capture it with my camera. A watch that has a very strong following by JLC fans due to its unique complications yet convey a sense of character of JLC and its familiar reverso case. Sized only in the grand taile case I find the dimensions far more attractive than the larger case of the current Reverso Sun Moon.

Some time ago I photographed the working model of this large but beautiful timepiece at the Tempus II. It was there I managed to capture one of my all time favourite watch photographs (see it here).

This week, I was invited by The Hour Glass to photograph the first piece to be delivered to a client. What an exciting prospect I thought. Photographing this watch again, reminded me why I was impressed with it the first time. The Breguet Chain & Fusee Tourbillon is the sum of all things I find great about horology. Classicalism in design and philosophy yet employing the latest materials and techniques without allowing it to overpower the character of the watch. An impressive watch without having to add aesthetic embellishments to its technical achievements - the huge tourbillon cage and balance wheel with a partially hidden chain and fusee mechanism. There are only two brands that is capable of manufacturing chain & fusee watches and the other is Lange & Sohne - what wonderful company this watch keeps.

Breguet could have gone overboard and finished the movement dial in such a manner that it would have high polish with geneve stripes but it correctly steered the path of less is more. The watch conveyed an aura of a pocket watch that it had transcended unscathed the centuries to be on the wrist today. If I had to pick one single watch that represents Breguet to me today, it would be this watch for its history, technical achievement and subtle design that underscores Breguet's capability to create truly classical watches of tomorrow. My heartiest congratulations to the new owner of this gem of a watch.

Come back soon to see my other images of this monumental watch in the days ahead.

As always, please note that your downloading of the wallpaper signifies your agreement to use the image purely for personal use as a wallpaper and that you will not amend or alter the image in any way nor convey it forward to any user or site. I reserve all my copyrights over my images.

- HT

(my thanks to Hour Glass for allowing me to photograph this watch on its Millennia branch)