Sometimes The Biggest Decisions Are Made At 3.30am

Living in Australia can sometimes have its challenges. The key ones being distance and the major time differences. To a determined collector however this is a mere distraction. At the end of last year I was in the hunt for a Patek Philippe Perpetual Chronograph. Patek Philippe invented the pairing of the perpetual calendar and chronograph complications. Starting with the reference 1518, followed by the 2499, in turn followed by the 3970, which was replaced by the 5970. The 2499 has an enamel dial and a Valjoux ebauche as its base movement, while the 3970 was the first to house the highly prized Lemania ebauche.

It was a week before Christmas that I woke up in the very early hours of the morning to bid on a very special Patek Philippe Perpetual Chronograph. Finally my lot came up and the frantic bidding started, then after a few moments the final price (which was my top price) lingered on the screen for what seemed like an eternity. Just like that, I was now the proud owner of a 1990 Patek Philippe 3971J. What makes the 3971 unique is that it was made only by special order between 1986-1990, and was equipped with a display back. Soon enough, Patek Philippe decided to only offer this watch as the 3970 and include both a solid case back and a display back. Accordingly, very few 3971s exist.

It took until late January for the watch to arrive from New York. At times I was tempted to just fly over and take personal delivery, however the horrible weather in New York quickly dispelled that notion.

Brinks certainly do a thorough job in packaging.

This watch just has such an elegant and timeless unhurried design. Original 18K yellow gold case measures 36mm diameter by 13mm thick. Sapphire front and display back crystals. Round, pump style chronograph pushers. The gold hallmarks are stamped on the outside of the lugs.


The dial is in perfect harmony and IMHO is more beautiful than the 3rd generation 3970's produced from 1990 onwards.

The movement is perfectly housed in this case.

I am privileged to own this jewel of time.

Hong Kong - All Black Style

Circumstance gave me a rare opportunity. In the first months of 2010 I decided to give my career a new challenge. A fortunate outcome was that I had a whole month to go on any journey that took my fancy, the only drawback being that I would have to travel alone.
Setting the itinerary was quite a challenge as part of me wanted to relax but my spirit was seeking a sense of adventure. First instincts were to go to Europe or the US, but the troubling weather quickly dispelled this notion. New Zealand became a serious contender, however at the last moment Vikki and I decided this is somewhere we should go together for the first time.
Time was running out so within one afternoon, after some serious ‘what if’ on the frequent flyer calculator, my journey was set in train.
First stop Hong Kong, having been there three times over the last couple of years, my longing to return there was even stronger.

Flying in style

Landing at the airport was I shortly ushered by the chauffeur to a Mercedes S550 to take me to the Hotel.

The pace of growth of this city is astounding as every time I visit there are more city towers and apartment blocks.


I always look forward to catching the Star Ferry across to Hong Kong Island and it is one of the reasons why I love staying on the Kowloon side.

Time to visit the Hublot boutique and see some new novelties. The staff are always welcoming and I feel like a regular here.


I was mesmerised by the All Black pieces with the Black Diamonds. This type of bling I’m starting to appreciate.

At the boutique, I met up with Emil for what was going to be a very memorable night. First stop was the P&L Club which is the first cigar club with Art Deco design in Hong Kong. It has a walk-in humidor storing the best Cuban cigars in the world, and a lounge area with vintage furniture from the UK.

Dinner was at a fabulous Italian restaurant (the name escapes me) just up the hill from the Hublot boutique. The entree was a mouth watering scallop and caviar combination. I was thinking, ’it couldn’t get much better than this’.

Then the main was served which was the most succulent Californian lamp generously sprinkled with truffle.

This dinner certainly set the foundations for what was a holiday of a lifetime.

Hong Kong at night must be one of the most magical experiences. I look forward to visiting here again.

RLX Gang Hits Darling Harbour

Imagine the perfect Sydney summer evening, slightly balmy but not too much to be uncomfortable.

Leaving the office and work responsibilities behind, as one does on a Friday, my excitement built as shortly I was going to meet a number of fellow Rolex lovers. The venue was Darling Harbour and looking back there could not have been a better setting. There were a number of new faces, but after a few beers at James Squire and some ardent discussion it seemed as if I was with some old friends.

The food at Nick’s was fantastic and so was the company. Just look at the menu.

One can see the passion in the various discussions taking place and it wasn’t always about watches.



What made this event so special was the sheer diversity of collectors sharing stories on how they came to own some of their most precious timepieces.

I’m already looking forward to the next one.

Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2009

‘Rigorous preparation, single minded determination and superlative timing’ is the Rolex catch cry of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht race.
The watch gods have been truly kind to this collector, as my wife and I were invited by ‘The Hourglass’ and ‘Rolex Australia’ to be part of the start of the race. The race is always conducted on the 26th of December ‘Boxing Day’ with the yachts starting in Sydney Harbour and then the journey takes them down the Tasman Sea, Storm Bay and then up to Derwent River to Hobart.

Over the years, the Rolex Sydney Hobart has become an icon of Australia’s summer sport, ranking in public interest with such national events as the Melbourne Cup horse race, the Davis Cup tennis and the cricket tests between Australia and England. No yachting event in the world attracts such huge media coverage – except, of course, the America’s Cup and the Volvo Ocean Race – than does the start on Sydney Harbour. And the others only happen every four or five years.

The day commenced at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia. The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia was formed in 1944 and ran its first Sydney Hobart Race in 1945.


We were fortunate to enjoy a wander amongst the yachts just a few hours before the race.


Our mode of transport was the luxurious ‘Cosmos’ that would take us out into Sydney Harbour to follow the fleet through the exclusion zone. Once the race was under way, we would follow the fleet out to Sydney Heads to watch the yachts head south to Tasmania.


As always, traveling in style. Given the special occasion I thought I would wear my 6263. This was certainly a crowd pleaser and all the Rolex executives were impressed.

Husband and Wife wrist shot (what a combo!)

Out in the harbour the weather wasn’t ideal but there was no rain. Sydney harbour at its best.

The main contenders
Wild Oats XI

Alfa Romeo

The final blast from the cannon.....let the race begin.

With the boom of the starting canon still echoing across the Harbour there was an explosion of colourful spinnakers across the fleet.

We were right amongst the action, seeing some of the crews working frantically to get ahead.


Neville Crichton’s 100 foot maxi Alfa Romeo grabbed bragging rights from arch rival Wild Oats XI by being the first yacht out of Sydney Harbour.

A final glimpse of the yachts as they leave the harbour.


Whilst the skies were gray, the smiles on everyone’s faces confirmed that we all had the time of our lives. Naturally great finger food and an almost unlimited supply of Moët & Chandon proved vital ingredients in the festivities.
Rolex Australia certainly know how to entertain in style.

This One Made Me Go Daytona Mad

It's been nearly over two years since I first lay my eyes on a manual Daytona. It was an instant love affair that defied rationality and caused some criticism when I sold the majority of my existing collection to fund some more Daytonas.


Looking back I remain a content man.

Kōhī コーヒー Equals Japanese For Coffee

Japanese coffee culture is exceptionally sophisticated. The Japanese are the true pioneers of ‘canned coffee’. Canned coffee can be found almost everywhere from Vending machines to Convenience stores.


Depending on the time of the year they may be heated for consumption. They can be quite sweet to bitter depending on your taste. The most famous canned coffee is made by the Pokka company since 1973.

The even bigger craze in Tokyo are ‘syphon coffee’ stores which could certainly give some of the global coffee chains are run for their money. Most people compare the look of the syphon brewer to something you’d see in a science lab, as the dual glass chamber ‘defies gravity’ by pushing water up the central tube to the upper chamber for extraction.

Once the extraction is complete and the heat source is removed, a vacuum is created and the resulting brew is sucked back down through a cloth filter to the bottom chamber, separating the grinds from the brew. It’s mesmerising to watch and it’s hard to ignore the ‘wow’ factor.
A more elaborate syphon coffee set up.

The resulting black brew is divine in terms of purity of flavour and total lack of bitterness. This must be the most perfect black cup of coffee I’ve ever tasted.

Some people believe that the flavour is maximised as the coffee brews at about 2ºC below boiling point, without ever actually boiling.

The specialty coffee supply shops one finds are just as amazing.

Another coffee shop in Omotesando, a major up market shopping avenue in Harajuku, Tokyo. This is where all the international fashion brands have stores. If Paris or Milan are the centre of world of fashion design, then Omotesando is the centre of world fashion consumption.

The ultimate coffee shop in Tokyo however is in the side streets of Ginza. Here we enjoyed our coffee and chocolate cake with a shot of Cointreau.

We also indulged in some Ladurée Macaroons in Ginza. Amazing how last year when we were in Tokyo there were no Macaroon shops or European chocolate shops, this year we found many of each just in Ginza. On our final day in Tokyo there were queues outside any western cafes and the local sweet shops were practically empty.

Hopefully this report will send your taste buds into a frenzy.