CROWN September 2016

Ong Weisheng Stylist Formerly an in-house stylist for a high-society magazine, Weisheng brings eight years of experience to his freelance work. Fond of constructing mini sets for his shoots, Weisheng believes in tailoring his style to suit the subject matter; an approach evident in his evocative watch and jewellery spreads. Brian Jones Writer Brian is a freelance writer and editor who was born in the outskirts of Washington, D.C. and currently based in the outskirts of Seoul. Along with writing on all things horological, he’s been known to pen pieces on men’s fashion, sports and popular culture. When he’s not writing, he can be found travelling the continent, fumbling in his attempts to speak the local tongues. Charmian Leong Writer After seven years of full-time employment, four of them spent…

I knew I was in trouble when I described a S$10,000 watch as “cheap”. I didn’t realise it at first. Instead I got called out by my friend, a ‘non-watch-guy’, to whom I was trying to explain the lure of high-end timepieces. There will be plenty of fiscally liberal connoisseurs, I’m sure, who will agree that the above is true. In the high-stakes, high-mech world of watches, where owning a S$50,000 ‘entry-level’ tourbillon is not unusual, a S$10,000 mechanical timepiece certainly sounds do-able. That is, before my friend’s look of incredulity jolted me back to reality. The chasm between desire for a timepiece and ability to afford one is usually quite wide for the average watch lover. While it’s not a magazine’s duty to bridge that divide, we cannot afford…

“You shouldn’t need to explain too much. It all boils down to one thing – having a simple but strong idea.”CARLOS ROSILLO, BELL & ROSS’ CO-FOUNDER, ON MAKING ICONIC WATCHES “THE SPIRIT OF METAMORPHOSIS IS VERY INTEGRAL TO CREATIVITY.”Catherine Cariou, Van Cleef & Arpels’ heritage director, on creative evolution “We are still not transforming water into wine.”Matthias Breschan, Rado’s CEO, on the potential of high-tech ceramics “People confuse technical content with mechanical content.”Yann Gamard, Glashütte Original’s president, defending the quality of well-finished quartz watches “It’s a very narrow path we tread.”CHRISTIAN SELMONI, VACHERON CONSTANTIN’S ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, ON VACHERON CONSTANTIN’S JOURNEY IN MODERN WATCHMAKING “Just remember that you have the right to think, to perceive and to compare.”PASCAL RAFFY, BOVET’S OWNER, ON BUYING WATCHES “I would much rather get a Swiss…

Watch collectors who are familiar with Franck Muller will know that buying timepieces from the Swiss independent titan is an incomparable affair. A lot of it has got to do with the brand’s winsome retail concept, where its boutiques are decked out in the style of opulent country manors, replete with dedicated ‘living’ and ‘dining’ rooms, ‘libraries’ and ‘drawing rooms’, and aptly christened the ‘House of Franck Muller’. In July, Franck Muller welcomed guests to its latest ‘house’ at Wisma Atria with plenty of glitz and fanfare. Besides top management from Hong Kong and Geneva – which included Dr. Pollyanna Chu, Chairman of Franck Muller Asia; Kingston Chu, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of Franck Muller Asia; and Nicholas Rudaz, Director of Franck Muller Watchland, Geneva – Hong Kong celebrities Ray…

Blue dials are in. No, really, they are IN. Panerai just announced that a fleet of new models sporting the shade that has everyone clamouring after this year has arrived in its stores. Exclusive to Panerai boutiques, two Luminor and two Radiomir offerings are up for grabs. The Luminor models, both available in stainless steel, are the more palatable of the lot. Characterised by their crown guards, the two watches – Luminor 1950 10 Day GMT Automatic Accacio, and Luminor 1950 3 Day GMT Automatic Accacio – come in 44mm and 42mm cases, respectively, ensuring wearability to complement their dual-time functionality. On the other hand, the Radiomir models could prove slightly out of reach for style and fiscal reasons. The Radiomir 1940 10 Day GMT Oro Rosso remains rather sensibly…

Never mind its faltering displays in last season’s English Premier League, Manchester United remains red-hot in the popularity stakes. With over 659 million followers globally, the football club remains one of the most prestigious and well-supported worldwide. And to an astute horological giant like TAG Heuer, these figures represent a glowing opportunity to shift units on a massive and unprecedented scale. In June, TAG Heuer revealed that it has signed on as Manchester United’s official timekeeper and global partner. The football club was on a training tour in China, where it boasts over 107 million followers. It was the perfect time and place to make the announcement. “TAG Heuer doesn’t ‘sponsor’, we ‘partner’ with iconic teams, organisations, and people who share similar values and a strong vision,” says TAG Heuer…