A Worldly time in Tokyo – Japan tour part 2

The Japanese are well known for their passion for Swiss watches, just look at every second wrist and you will find a Rolex. Those who know me well, already realise that whenever I go on an overseas holiday there is a high chance that I will come back with an horological acquisition.

In my profession, the chance of taking a 2 week break is potentially rarer than most LE’s on the market LOL. Hence one must make the most of it.

A great watch hunt in another country takes some careful preparation which includes; finding all the reputable dealers, their websites and specifically in Tokyo good directions (as the street signs and building numbers provide little guidance). The most useful things for directions was 'sumimasen' which is excuse me, the name of the place you are looking for and a map. Most people are willing to help. There are also local police boxes for directions as well, cab drivers often make use of them.

TARGET: A Patek Philippe Worldtime with all boxes and papers. Metal colour undecided.

Let the hunt begin – wow this is a massive place!


First stop Ginza - This is Tokyo’s upmarket shopping district with the majority of brand boutiques and big depatos(department stores) located here, more on that in a future post....


Covering the main street and then criss-crossing the side streets we found The Hourglass. Inside we were served green tea and were shown all the Pateks in stock including a PP5130R. The rose gold started growing on me already. It is important to note that one does not ask for a discount in Japan (with the exception of the 5% tax free component), it is considered an insult. We also came across a number of second hand dealers with colourful names such as Satin Doll, Cagi-Due and wait for it Cheese Penne(do you get some pasta with the watch I wonder?).

While walking around Ginza we noticed that Patek branding is very strong.....


Curious building this one....


Next Shinjuku and then onto Nakano. When you get out of the Nakano railway station takeo the north exit, you cross the street and immerse yourself in a covered market street before entering the Broadway building. Here we found Kame-Kichi and my prime target Jack Road. I was expecting to find at least one of the two 5130G’s that were for sale on the website, but both had been sold. My hopes faded. Later that night in the back of one of our Tokyo tourist pamphlets we saw an ad for House Kihiroba in Shibuya.

Day 3 we headed to Shibuya.
This is where I struck gold and found a brand new 5130R with box and papers. We visited Quark and House Kihiroba which had my watch (but not just yet).


Before making my purchase decision, we walked to Aoyama and Sphere (which can be considered Japan’s Patek Philippe Boutique).


Here we were treated with the highest courtesy by Morita san and his team. Over green tea, we discussed the latest offerings, my collection and the trends of Japanese Patek collectors. I have to say that the staff in all Japanese ADs display the utmost professionalism and respect for clients. Something the rest of the world should take to heart.

Finally I was in a position to make an informed choice and I decided to purchase a new PP 5130 in rose gold, which after seeing all the gold & platinum variants is the ONE for me.

After the purchase we decided to splurge further and treat ourselves to Champagne and chocolates at the Bvlgari Bar & Restaurant in Ginza. 2 Champagnes and 3 chocolates(fancy ones with a bit of gold leaf) was around A$70. Well worth it for our little welcome to the "family" celebration for the 5130R.


Boutiques in Ginza are whole buildings LOL.




First wrist shot in our Hotel room.


My first Patek to see snow (Station 1 at Fuji).




Buying a Patek is always a very memorable occasion and my recollections of Japan and its people, make my 5130R even more special.

We stumbled across this little bar called Brick in the back streets of Ginza. Fantastic atmosphere and a great selection of Whisky's and Whiskey's from around the world but we couldn't resist trying our first Japanese whisky.

Kam-pai time (with Suntory Whisky of course). Of course we had to say the line from "Lost In Translation"....'for a relaxing time make it Suntory time'.



Stay tuned for more on our trip.

Japan the essence of Symplicity

This was our first visit to the land of the rising sun. We arrived in Tokyo earlier this month and were immediately challenged by a country of elegant contrast.


On the one hand, a strong embrace of everything that is modern, but a deep sense of respect for tradition and culture. As the Tokyo skyline suggests one can easily get “Lost in translation’ in this vast metropolis.

Tokyo Tower from Hotel Room


It comes to no surprise that this skyline forms the inspiration of one of my favourite Noir Sci-fi movies ‘Bladerunner’



When traversing this hectic city one can seek solace in pockets of tranquillity such as the many Shrines and gardens. It is in these places, where you get a real sense of the Japanese psyche and their appreciation of minimalism and natural beauty.


Parks like this provide an instant sense of calm and true life purpose. It also makes one value the often unappreciated toil required to create and maintain its beauty. This philosophy can also be observed in Japanese cuisine as the ingredients are only of the highest quality, carefully prepared by skilled masters and thoughtfully presented.



It then comes to no surprise that one would find Philippe Dufour’s only official distributor in the heart of Japan. A combination of luck and tenacity made us stumble across Shellman’s store in Ginza, Chuo-ku. The store is found in one of Ginza’s side streets and can easily go unnoticed. However in the shop window we found this very rare sight.



My heart rate quickened and I immediately raced inside with the very faint hope that one would be available. As expected, we were greeted by the staff only to be told that all pieces have been sold and that these pieces are mere display stock and proto-types.

After explaining that we came from Australia, I’m glad to say that they did let us play with the pieces and take some photos.

A Symplicity in my grasp LOL



Next to my PP5130R


That movt shot



The proto-type


As a watch collector, this experience was definitely one of my personal highlights of our Japan holiday and forms the inspiration behind a number of upcoming posts.

Stay tuned!

Sydney WIS GTG March 2008

Well it looks like we have now found the perfect venue for our GTG's. La Bora Ristorante near Martin Place. Has a seperate little area for us so we are out of the way and we don't have to worry about disturbing other diners with our "strange" obbsession. It is also close to major public transportation hubs, it’s the perfect locale for those who may imbibe a little more than enough and need the assistance of others to get them home. The owner of the restaurant, as well as the staff, were all very welcoming and accommodating to our various strange and whimsical requests, such as an extra table for the ‘sales corner’ whatever that is… and the need for a clean table for a ‘table shot’ not sure what that means either, and the clutter of watch related paraphernalia, actual watches, watch boxes, cameras, more watches (many of which getting in the way of the food or was it the food getting in the way of the watches). We were once again very lucky to have our very own Papparazzo to take fantastic shots of the people, the food and the watches.

The night started with the usual meet and greet, and it was also our first opportunity to get into some hard liquor, such as coke and orange juice. Things did spice up a bit more once the real alcoholic variety was ordered. Due to the close proximity of the Easter break and one wedding anniversary, the attendance was slightly down on the previous gtg. We also had 3 new faces along including one who flew in from Chicago. A great time was had by all who managed to make it.

It was a great time for people to chat, to catch up, to share and exchange knowledge about the various aspects of watch collecting, watch industry, and I’m sure topics other than watches were also discussed. We also had a small sales corner, which was literally in the corner, of various straps and watches for sale. I don’t think people were prepared for this sales corner, so it wasn’t as successful on this inaugural WIS-GTG-SC, but I’m certain subsequent ones will be more successful. There was one interesting watch on sale - a two tone Rolex DateJust Tiffany & Co edition.

There was a wonderfully diverse selection of watches from peoples collections, ranging from the vintage to the modern, covering watches that date back to the early 1900's to now, covering a wide range of designs, materials, sizes and shapes.

So here are a few snaps from the night, no names no pack drill.....
















So many thanks to our wonderful Social Co-ordinator for organising the night, and to our Paparazzo for taking some great photos.

Thanks for having a look and catch you soon.

Sydney WIS GTG February 2008

Last Thursday our "little" group got together and had a dinner after our regular caffeine fix. Not only were the Movement boys there but we had a couple of the Watch Widows along too. We had a great night that was only slightly hampered by the size of the room and the background music. We all enjoyed a good dinner and a good look at everyone's watches, some of which were new to us. Some people unfortunately had to leave early and some arrived a little later. Gary joined us from Hong Kong before he left for the US on Friday.
So here are a few pics from our GTG
















We are due for another GTG the night before we fly to Japan. I hope it wont be too late a night as we will need to be up at 630am. I think we will be packing on the weekend before!

Thanks for having a look! There are some more photos taken by others at the GTG over on Horomundi forum.

Catch you later!!

Joining the Order of the Calatrava

Sometimes less IS more!
Most people start their Patek Philippe journey with a Calatrava, by chance it is now my 5th Patek.

An unexpected opportunity arose from one of my preferred secondhand dealers. I was walking past his shopfront last week and I saw a 5117J in the window. Now this is a discontinued model and a fellow Sydney watch collector has a white gold one. I have been an admirer of this piece, as it combines the classic hobnail bezel with the more modern robustness of a larger case. According to the Certificate of Origin the watch was produced in 2003. It came with all accessories and a great price.

It is powered by the 315 caliber and yes I have broken one of my cardinal rules of not doubling up on a Patek movement that is already in my collection. One thing I did notice, is that the font used on the movement is different to that on my 5035G which was produced in 1998.

First impressions are that the Hobnail bezel adds a nice sparkle to the watch and it truly is an 'understated classic'. My concerns about it being too classic have been alleviated as it is currently sporting a black strap. I have ordered a tobacco Patek strap with my AD and the look will change dramatically. The 315 mvt is very efficient and the accuracy is what one would expected from Patek.

Here are some pics.







Any comments welcome as well as any other experiences or comments on the 5117.

Thanks for stopping by for a look!!
Catch you soon.

A worthy wait …..Now time to celebrate!!!

Kung Hai Fat Choi to everyone reading my blog. Well it certainly has been very fortuitous to finally collect my 5712/1A from the Sydney AD. The wait has been over 11 months and anxious at times as it caused me to buy things I just ended up selling.

However on a busy Friday morning, I managed to sneak out of the office (amid more financial market turmoil and appeasing nervous clients) to the comfort of my AD’s Patek salon section. To my surprise there was another customer from sunny Brisbane also collecting his 5712 Nautilus which added another surprising and exciting twist to the day. The passion for Pateks seems to be growing across the globe.

I couldn’t wait to get the watch on my wrist. Wow! This is the most comfortable steel bracelet I have ever worn and the sleekness of the 5712 seems to just melt into your wrist. I think that this will have to become my daily. I don’t care about marks and scratches (a sure sign of love LOL).

Here is a wrist shot!!!

Sydney, Australia hit by Big Bang!!!!!

We’ll it was just a matter of time, however this purchase consideration took longer than usual, as I’m getting tired of buying a watch only to seek the next conquest a few months later. As such I have adopted a more systematic approach to selecting a worthy candidate.

Mission
To buy a watch that is fun, ultra-modern and a watch that I would feel comfortable wearing on a daily basis as opposed to spending its life on my wrist at home or in my watch winder.

The setting
Given all the buoyancy in the watch industry to the point that classic ‘market bubble’ symptoms and behaviours are now firmly entrenched, I have so far chosen the recluse of the original independents such as Patek Philippe and vintage Rolex. I’m first to admit that it has been a rewarding and costly exercise going through about six brands and over 11 watches in 18 months.

So why Hublot??
The electric energy of Mr Biver is infectious. Whilst this has a strong initial attraction in the buzz that it creates, it can fade just as quickly. Despite only taking delivery of the watch earlier this week, the personality of the Big Bang has been singing to me over a number of months now. Big, bold, revolutionary and rebellious are all characteristics that appeal to me. The complexity of the case, material used, fuses magically with the robustness and dependability of the 7750 Valjoux ebauche.
Another key aspect as to the appeal of Hublot is that the management are very close to the customer, more so than any other brand. This is a rarity that I wanted to experience firsthand. If you ‘talk the talk you have to walk the walk’ an adage that Mr Biver and his team at Hublot has been successful in delivering.
Finally practicality, as I have a plate in my left wrist courtesy of my motorbike hobby (i.e. Ducatista), metal bracelets are something I tend to shy away from. I find the tyre-tread rubber strap incredibly comfortable, especially in the hot Australian summer which ravages leather\croc straps.


Which version did I choose?
The Rose Gold BB has its instant appeal as it remains the original look in my mind. I was nearly seduced by the industrial undertones of the Tantalum Matt Bang. Love the Ice Bang and Black Magic, but not as the first purchase.

Ultimately the daily wearer requirement made me settle on a Stainless Steel Big Bang. I love the contrast of this beauty. It has been on my wrist since the first day of purchase.

Now I’m am a true Hublotista!

Here are some pics!











Thanks for having a look!! Catch you again soon.

Rene