Half the world in 18 days! – Part 2 JCB Désalpe

I landed in Zurich at 11pm on Friday the 11th. Normally when travelling on business the weekend is spent in solitude as I love exploring new places in the luxury of my own time and space. However this time around something unplanned but truly wonderful was occurring the next day.
The next morning was an early rise, as I had to get to the Zürich Hauptbahnhof to catch the earliest train to Vevey. The train ride takes about 2-3 hours and you get to see the petite village postcard landscape that typifies Switzerland.

Approaching Vevey and Lausanne one can appreciate the beautiful scenery around the Lake Geneva area. It comes as no surprise that scholars, actors ‘Charlie Chaplin’ and men of writing such as Victor Hugo and Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky, chose to reside here in their autumn days.

Arriving at Vevey, I made my way to the........

Scenically located in the heart of Vevey, between Montreux and Lausanne, Hotel Des Trois Couronnes offers the most enchanting views of Lake Geneva and the Alps. A jewel among the leading Swiss small hotels, the hotel has always been a happy retirement for royalty and other dignitaries. A complete renovation of this palace, built in 1842, has recreated the unique charm and the environment reminiscent of the Belle Epoque.

To get into the spirit of things, it was time to relax with glass of Champagne and plan out the rest of the day’s activities.

Back in the room, the real purpose of my visit to Vevey is revealed.

I was invited to attend Mr Biver’s Désalpe with his family and friends. During September and October, "Désalpe" is the best-known of all traditional mountain festivities. After more than four months of grazing in alpine pastures, cows make their way down to the plain. You'll see the "armaillis" dressed in "bredzons" and their ladies in "dzaquillons". As for the cows, thundering bells will be hanging from their necks and brightly coloured flowers on their heads.

It was a shame that I could not be here since Friday and watch JCB lead his cows from the fields (La Neuvaz) where they stay in summertime, to the farm house down the mountain (where he lives himself). This is the place the cows stay in wintertime. The way down the mountain is 18 km long, and Mr Biver walks down with the cows and the farmers who were up in the mountain during the summer to make the cheese.
Here are some photos of the celebration.





Yummy Cheese

Once Mr Biver made it down to the farm the festivities really started.

Time to eat the wonderful Gruyère cheese, sausages, and sample some other local produce.

Some serious local wine tasting was also conducted.


This has certainly been a glorious experience. Hublotista certainly know how to indulge in the best of life. I must thank Emil (also for sharing your pics) and the gracious team at Swiss Prestige and Hublot for giving me the opportunity to attend and to share this special time with the Biver family.

Half The World in 18 Days! – Part 1

It all seems just a distant blur, as my travels were mainly work related, but I did manage to squeeze in some memorable times that in some cases will be cherished for a lifetime.

First stop was Singapore, we had lunch at the exclusive China Club Singapore which is an elegant, members-only club, built atop the 52nd floor of Singapore's premium commercial tower, The Capital Tower, located in the Central Business District. The Club is surrounded by 16 metre-tall glass with perhaps the most spectacular views across Singapore. On a clear day, Malaysia and Indonesia can be glimpsed.

Some very quick and discrete pics


This was followed by a private cocktail party on the Singapore Flyer which apparently is the world’s biggest observation wheel standing at 165m from the ground. Here are some pictures of the rapidly evolving Singapore skyline.


Later that night, we flew into Hong Kong. I was just minutes away in booking into one of the most luxurious hotels, the Mandarin Oriental. Located overlooking the glittering Victoria Harbour, our hotel has been the centre of Hong Kong’s social and business scene since 1963. The first thing I did was have a Mojito with my colleagues at the M Bar.

The room set a new benchmark

As the second day’s meetings concluded I had some spare time, so off to the Hublot boutique to look at some new novelties and have chat with Micro. As always to Hublot Team was very accommodating and with boyish enthusiasm I tried on some fabulous pieces.

My All Black Classic Fusion in the boutique.

Some close friends, my ABCF and Micro’s Zirconium CF.

King Power, the name says it all.

Hmm love the pen, it would look great in the collection.

Now comes the gruelling part of the trip, the long haul flight to London - Heathrow. Fortunately they didn’t lose my luggage this year.

London remains this collector’s ‘Watch Mecca’. There is a fabulous selection of old and new pieces. Yes the prices are on the high side especially in Burlington Arcade, but this is mitigated by the quality and choice in vintage.

When it comes to Hublot in London, I’m not surprised that Marcus is so well regarded. The staff are very courteous and unassuming with some fabulous pieces such as the All Black 2.

A rare omen, Buckingham Palace on a sunny autumn day.

Part II will take me to Switzerland, the fun is only beginning.....

Secret Mens Business

These type of events are a rarity in Australia which makes them even more welcome. We have a very loyal and strong Panerai following and it was a plesant surprise to get an invite from my AD to attend a ‘boys’ only presentation of Panerai’s Manifattura Collection.

The venue was none other than Sydney’s famous ARIA restaurant. ARIA provides a dining experience that encapsulates Sydney lifestyle, offering panoramic views of Sydney Harbour, the freshest Australian produce in an innovative and contemporary menu.

The evening started with splendid canapés accompanied by wine or Prosecco for those that wanted to get into the true spirit of the night.
The main course was the new collection which included my favourite, the Pam 312. I also love the 311. A few Paneristi also wore some cult pieces like the Pam 127 ‘Fiddy’ and the notorious Pam 203.

Jean-Sebastien the Officine Panerai MD (Asia Pac) provided a wealth of knowledge about the new in-house movements to fellow collectors.

A fabulous night was had by all, with the only regret being that we didn’t take more photos. Events such as these highlight the growing passion for watches in the land downunder.

RG Big Bang - The Pinnacle of Sport Elegance

It didn’t take long to find the most appropriate way to unveil my latest and also the most fundamental Big Bang in my collection.
Taking a step back. I saw the RG Big Bang about two years ago at Sydney’s first Hublot AD. They were having a watch function for their best clients. I was instantly drawn to the RG BB, the powerful contrasts presented in this piece are spectacular. To this day, it remains relevant, a symbol of progress, passion and soul. The latter seems to be absent from a lot of new mass produced luxury watches.
Just before our trip to Hong Kong I finally took the plunge.
Three weeks later we decided to have a wonderful winter weekend at Lilianfels Blue Mountains Resort & Spa. This five star Orient-Express hotel is housed in a historic country house set amidst two acres of manicured gardens and the most breath taking views of the mountain range.
Some pics of the resort.



Not quite the Alps, however the Blue Mountains are astonishing in their own uniqueness, a majestic landscape of waterfalls and awe-inspiring sandstone escarpments. Most fail to appreciate that these are some of the oldest mountains on the planet.

This is the blue sheen that makes these mountains remarkable.

The famous Three Sisters are a fascinating rock formation associated with Aboriginal Legend.


On this glorious occasion, a customary bottle of Champagne just had to be consumed.

One cannot forget the wonderful food shots. The famous afternoon tea.

Dinner

And to finish off we had some wonderful wine and cocktails beside the fireplace.

The creative fire and soul are most evident in the Rose Gold Big Bang. May this burning vision and passion continue at Hublot for years to come.

Hong Kong Watch Boutique Indulgence

Hong Kong is a watch connoisseur’s ultimate destination presenting a spectacle of vintage and new pieces from all the major brands. Not only is there an array of ADs that are more than willing to please, the ‘Watch Boutique’ concept is now firmly engrained since our last visit in 2007.

We were most impressed by the 1881 Heritage. Located in the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui, the Former Marine Police Headquarters have been rejuvenated and re-integrated into the urban fabric of the area. The 120 year old historical development has been revitalised and transformed into a new cultural and shopping landmark. It boasts boutiques from IWC, Rolex, Tudor, Vacheron Constantin (TBC), Piaget and Breguet.

The IWC boutique was an absolute standout. Specifically each section of the boutique was dedicated to each of their respective collections from the Da Vinci line to the even having a flight simulator in the pilot section. The lavish layout was only surpassed by the divine service offered by the store manager Rebecca Tam and Jackal Yee.


The Breguet boutique’s regal layout and classic lines express the heritage of this brand. Here I was fortunate enough to try the Double Tourbillon and the La Tradition Tourbillon, a true horological jewel.

Across in Hong Kong Island we spent time at Audemars Piguet, Blancpain, and FP Journe.

The Panerai boutique remains as popular as ever and our second visit here was equally exciting. We were faced with the usual challenge of a lack of stock. However after some gentle persuasion Ricky showed us some special pieces.



Hong Kong presents an exhilarating way to indulge in one’s watch passion and I look forward to travelling there again soon.