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.

Hublot on Holidays Part 2 - Hong Kong Hustle

Spontaneity is not the first thought that came into our minds when planning the second part of our holiday, rather necessity and a desperate need to get out of the cold. Imagine just visiting a tropical island and returning back to Sydney with temperatures of 8-12 C and rain. We jumped online searched for an Asian holiday package that could be arranged within 24hrs. Bingo the decision was made. Destination is Hong Kong. Flight tomorrow! We were excited about coming to this vibrant metropolis where change is the only constant. Pic of new building Our first morning here Shot from hotel A quick journey from Kowloon on the ferry to Hong Kong Island. Wow my first visit to an actual Hublot Boutique (but not the last). We must have spent the better part of 4 hrs there trying every watch in the shop. Can you tell which one is mine? I was also privileged to try these two marvels.

I have to commend the hospitality and professionalism of the staff at the Boutique. They put up with this overenthusiastic Hublotista for over three days. If you thought our day was frantic, the evening turned into a serious gastronomic extravaganza. We met Loic Biver at the trend setting One Peking. The lift took us to the 28th floor to experience Hutong. Boasting ornate carved wood screens, finely carved wood chairs and impeccably decorated with bamboo bird cages galore, Hutong is Northern Chinese charm at its best. Hutong is a stylish mix of old and new, befitting the Fusion theme. The food is just heavenly. We had salted duck, bamboo clams which are close to impossible to cook just right. The signature dish is crispy de-boned lamb ribs, alas gone before we could take a photo. After dinner we moved onto Aqua sprit and enjoyed the spectacular light show that is Hong Kong Harbour at night. By this stage Loic and I have had a few Mojito’s LOL. The next night we met up with wb!, his charming wife and Micro to experience some of the best local cuisine. The venue was Under Bridge Spicy Crab and naturally we had a few spicy crabs in Typhoon Shelter Style. Hublotista certainly know how to have a good time. (See post on Timezone Forum by wb! Hublot and food - Hong Kong visit) Our only regret was that we didn’t have more time to spend in Hong Kong as Micro is a fabulous host and I’m sure that he would have show us more places that capture the essence of this electrifying city.

Hublot on Holidays Part 1 Paradise

I’ve always been quite sheepish of wearing my watches when travelling but this self imposed nonsense has quickly withered away LOL.

Vikki and I recently had our 10 year wedding anniversary and as such we wanted to make this holiday something special. We wanted to escape the winter cold and just relax in pure luxury. Initial thoughts were Hawaii, Maldives or Mauritius. A combination of timing and circumstance actually made us stay in Australia.

Let me introduce you to Hayman Island. Hayman, in Australia's magnificent Great Barrier Reef, is a private island destination presenting a unique resort experience of adventure, relaxation, tranquility, indulgence and natural beauty.

Upon arrival on Hamilton Island we were escorted to the Sun Goddess for a 60 minute journey to the private island resort Hayman.


The Tantalum Matt was very much at home on this boat.


This is the whole resort

Imaging waking up to this view everyday.

Wow this was our room for 8 nights.

Courtesy of Swiss Prestige and Hublot we were lucky to get a Hublot t-shirt which Vikki proudly paraded around the resort LOL.

Some local wildlife

The cuisine was divine. Imagine the shock when I scratched my Tantalum Mat bezel by dropping a cheese knife on it. This faux pas must certainly be a worthy candidate for ‘Dumbest way to scratch a Watch Award’.

Naturally we also wanted to go snorkelling and see part of the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system stretching for over 3,000 kilometres. It can be seen from outer space and is the world's biggest single structure made by living organisms. CNN has labelled it one of the 7 natural wonders of the world.

Here is the floating pontoon that allows tourists to see a small part of this natural wonder.

Some shots of the Reef. Shame I didn’t use the flash as this would have brought the true colour of the coral to life.



This is the first instalment of a series of travel tales that I hope you enjoy reading.