Hong Kong Rendezvous

We decided in June to book our annual "Escape Winter" holiday. Destination: Hong Kong and Macau. This was to be our longest time in Hong Kong as usually we are there for 4 or 5 nights, this time however we were there for 11 nights.

Just after making our booking we realised we needed to confirm if friends who live in Hong Kong would be there while we were on holiday. As luck would have it they would be there and we received an invitation to a birthday party as well.

We arrived in Hong Kong glad to leave the Sydney cold behind and welcomed the pleasant 30C heat. Having used the private car for the hotel before, we had pre-booked it for this trip as well. Vikki enjoyed the trip from the airport to the hotel in the Mercedes S500. Nothing like a little bit of luxury to start your holiday.

On our first Monday in Hong Kong we were invited to attend a Greubel Forsey collectors dinner, with the hint of something exciting being announced, but that was for Thursday so a few days of shopping, looking around and a trip to Macau.

On Wednesday we headed off for our first visit to Macau. We caught the jet cat from HK and arrived in Macau an hour later. Customs was hectic and took a while to get through. For our first visit to Macau we decided to stay at The Venetian. Wow, massive. Our room was impressive, the bathroom being larger than out bedroom at home.


After settling in, we decided to head down to the main “canal” where the gondoliers were in full voice. We wandered for a bit and then decided to get out and go across to City of Dreams for a look.

Had to go to the Hard Rock shop of course (HRC wasn’t open when we were there) to pick up a shot glass. Had a look at the gaming floor which was huge and surprisingly not very busy. The House of Dancing Water show was not on the day we were there, so we missed out. All the usual big name luxury brands had boutiques, so we had to have a look, just in case there was something special we haven’t seen before.




Then back across to the Venetian for a sit down and relax before contemplating dinner. So many places to choose from for something to eat. We ended up choosing Italian and both had lobster with a bottle of Prosecco. After dinner more boutique browsing, and then back to the room for a goodnight’s sleep.




Thursday saw us up early for some reason, so we got to have another look around before checking out and heading back to Hong Kong. We were a bit nervous about timing for our trip back to HK as we had to get to the Greubel Forsey dinner. But we need not have worried, thanks to being able to get on a standby line for an earlier ferry and left an hour earlier than originally planned.

Getting back to HK we decided to take a cab to our hotel. In peak hour and it still only cost us A$15. Imagine getting a cab from Central Station in Sydney to the airport in peak hour, similar distance 10 times the price. Got back to our hotel freshened up and caught the Star Ferry back to Central on HK Island and headed to the Four Seasons Hotel to meet up with the Swiss Prestige team and Stephen Forsey.

Wonderful food served with great French wines. Somehow we forgot to take photos of the food except for dessert.


Some shots of the video going throughout dinner.Great video with wonderful shots of the movements.


It was great to catch up with Stephen Forsey again having met him at the Sydney Greubel Forsey event organised by J Farren Price.

So what was the special announcement from Greubel Forsey? Well you are just going to have to wait for the official release but and believe me it will be worth the wait.

We were also able to get to the Hong Kong Watch and Coin Fair at the Holiday Inn. Amazing to see so many watches and coins/banknotes for sale under one roof. Not an event to go to if you don’t like crowds.

Our other event was a friends 60th birthday, held at the members only The China Club. Decorated as a touch of old China from the 30’ and 40’s, the club has a wonderful old school ambience. Vikki remembered to get photos this time.



No, this is not a man jumping rope, he’s jumping noodles, not sure if it will catch on as a fitness routine LOL. It was interesting to watch how fast the noodles are formed.


We were also astounded by the speed, flexibility and agility of the tea pourer.


And of course no great birthday party could end without having cigars and whisky on the balcony.


The rest of our holiday gave us a chance to relax. We did lots of window shopping, saw some watch models and brands that we haven’t seen here in Australia and did a little bit of shopping(John Lobb shoes for me and a Vivienne Tam dress for Vikki). It is always good to be away on holiday but it is just as good to get home and remember all the wonderful times you had while away.

Winter Charm

On a cold Friday night, Sydney watch collectors descended on Fix St James for what was going to be a remarkable night of food, wine and watches. Bertrand Bourgeois of Manufacture Janvier was visiting Sydney and we were very fortunate to be introduced to the whimsical world of Vianney Halter.

I was one of the first to arrive and couldn’t wait to cast my eyes on what to this day remain some of the most original watch designs.

Our expectations were surpassed as the watches where unveiled one by one. As Vianney mentioned in the film ‘Timepiece’, “when you look at a watch you open a window into another world”.
A very special Janvier with equation of time and lunar cycle complication, one of only twelve. It was a privilege to be able to see this watch.

I was first made aware of Vianney Halter’s ‘Antiqua’ browsing through an auction catalogue and it definitely is a relic of the future.

The level of subtle detail is astonishing from a craftsman that openly admits that because his creations are made entirely by hand they are full of imperfections.

The designs may not have broad appeal but for the very fact that they stir such emotion supports the idea of a soul like quality to the product. It was a true privilege to be part of such a unique and very personal event.

Chanel J 12 Chromatic Launch

While in Singapore, I had the chance to fulfill one of my lifelong ambitions, which was to attend an extravagant watch launch party, courtesy of Chanel and my host Bernard. We arrived at the Helutrans Gallery, nestled in the Tanjong Pagar heavy industrial estate in Singapore. One could say this is a rather unusual setting for the launch of a luxury watch. Any misgivings were quickly dispelled once I saw the array of high end cars parked in front of the complex. We were ushered through the red carpet into a cargo lift, which, when the doors opened was completely painted black except for the Channel logo on the back wall.

Catering was provided by Michael Han’s (ex Fat Duck) 53 Restaurant and the Hors d'oeuvre were sophisticated, tasteful, surprising but not too radical. I loved the ‘vege patch’ with the carrots and radishes stuck in the faux soil.

The Channel J12 was launched in 2000 for both Men and Women and was full ceramic. In 2003 J12 White broke new ground and now in 2011 we witnessed the premier of the J12 Chromatic which is essentially a non colour i.e. like stainless steel. The show was modelled after an installation-style exhibit. Guests were invited through different halls meant to evoke the birth of the mechanics of time, with the first corridor being lit with tableaus of stormy grey skies and an aurora borealis.


The significance of the Number 12 is explained.



The final room unveiled the J12 Chromatic watches which are made from a titanium ceramic which is highly scratch resistant and almost as hard as sapphire.

The Chromatic colour oscillates between black and white, Coco (Gabrielle) Chanel’s two favourite colours. The House of Chanel has developed exclusive polishing techniques to achieve this rich palette of reflections inspired by processes using diamond powder for polishing sapphire.


This was one tasteful experience on many fronts including the watches. Then again one should not expect any less from the House of Chanel.

SINGapore WISdom

In late May, I was invited to speak at a high brow Quantitative Finance conference in Singapore which presented a great opportunity to leverage some of the latest thinking post the Global Financial Crisis and to showcase some of Australia’s investment insight and capabilities. Another unforseen yet pleasant outcome was the opportunity to meet some of the local WIS collectors and impart opinion on the latest watch trends collecting experiences.

I could sense my Qantas flight was going to be an eventful one. The fantastic bonus was the fact that I was sitting in 10b which is the first row on the second level on a Boeing 747 – 400 (I always take the aisle seat during long flights) with no one sitting next to me.

The bad news was the fact that we were stranded at the airport for nearly 2 hrs due to engine maintenance issues. It was only the soft bubbles of the complementary Charles Heidsieck that kept my frustrations at bay.

My first observation of Singapore was that the skyline has changed more over the last 12-18 months than the previous decade. I come here regularly but this was the first time since the completion of Marina Bay Sands, ION Orchard and Knightsbridge.

The Hour Glass Malmasion in Knightsbridge was everything I hoped for and expected, this concept sets a new standard for luxury retailing. The brainchild of Mr Michael Tay Director of the Hour Glass, it is a sanctuary for passionate collectors and friends to experience some of the finest watches and handmade luxury goods.

ION Orchard is now the central shopping anchor on Orchard Road. Designed by leading architecture firm Benoy, who brought shoppers iconic malls such as the Bullring in Birmingham, UK, ION Orchard’s signature futuristic architecture has won two prestigious awards at MAPIC 2006 against stiff competition from submissions from around the world.

The watch boutiques are simply awesome!



Shame that the Panerai Boutique was not yet open, gives me a further excuse to revisit Singapore sooner rather than later.

Apart from the wonderful watch and clothes boutiques in the ION complex, the chief reason I was spending so much of my final hours was the opportunity to meet up with the uber inspiring Bernard Cheong and SXJ. An added bonus was that I also had a chance to meet Dr. Melvyn Teillol-Foo literally a few hours before he was embarking on his journey to host the International Gathering of the Purists Tribe 2 (IGOTT-2) in Las Vegas. The Hour Glass in ION Orchard was the gracious host of our little gathering.

Bernard openly shared his passion for watches and we discussed his favourite independent watchmakers.


SXJ also had some prototypes such the Panerai 372 and the new Richard Mille RM35. Naturally I had to try on both.

The Panerai 372 is everything I hoped for and more. I can’t wait for mine to arrive later this year.

It was a real privilege to spend the time with such savvy, established collectors and share our common passion and experiences.

Singapore is a special place but it is the openness of its people that makes my journeys there truly memorable.

Thanks for dropping by!

Greubel Forsey and Krug Dinner May 2011

In a world of tight budgets, concession and speed to market, it is refreshing to see that true uncompromised luxury is still a vision and promise that brands such as Greubel Forsey and Krug deliver on.
Sydney’s Aria restaurant provided the ideal setting for what was in my view going to be a pre-eminent watch experience.

Executive Chef Matt Moran, an avid watch collector, gave us a wonderful account of the special menu he developed to accompany the various Krug vintages that were going to be served throughout the evening. As one can tell from the menu, no expense was spared.

It takes considerable courage and vision to introduce a brand like Greubel Forsey to Australia, personally I’m glad the bar has been raised. We might be a bit slow downunder, but we are very good at distinguishing between substance and pretence.

Stephen Forsey eloquently yet humbly communicated the brands raison d’être; innovation, craftsmanship and aesthetics. Their inventions with regard to the tourbillion are all aimed to minimise positional errors due to gravity, especially when the timepiece is at rest.

When looking at a Greubel Forsey I don’t really see a watch, rather a mechanical sculpture that embodies the pinnacle of horological art and passion. Any true collector will gasp at the exceptional level of hand finishing. Greubel Forsey signature techniques include frosted bridges and plates, hand polished bevels and flat black polishing.

A sombre fact is that evenings such as these just end too quickly, so quickly that yours truly actually forgot to take pictures of the watches presented. Maybe the smooth flowing Krug had something to do with it.