i) PERSONAL HISTORY
“When I was a kid, my uncle worked in the watch industry, so he used to give me watches, like Casios. The first watch I got from my parents was a Carven, when I finished my A levels. Subsequently, at important stages of my life, I would buy a watch to reward myself. I got my first mechanical watch – a Glashutte Original Sixties Senator Square Chronograph – when I qualified as a specialist in 2006.”
ii) WHAT I LOOK FOR IN A TIMEPIECE
“There’s usually history involved in what I buy. It has to have horological significance. For example, the F.P. Journe Tourbillon Remontoir d’Egalite was among the first watches made by (independent watchmaker) F.P. Journe. Aesthetics are also important. I tend towards classical styles, although I have some avant-garde ones, such as the Urwerk UR-105. I also look at the technicality and finishing of the movement.”
(Related: 5 luxury watch trends defining haute horlogerie in 2018 and 2019)
iii) BUYING GUIDE
“The Datograph movement by A. Lange & Sohne is considered one of the most important chronograph movements of the modern era. It’s a beautiful movement with a lot of depth. This version, in rose gold with a black dial, is commonly termed the Dufourgraph, because it’s the same as the one owned by (independent watchmaker) Philippe Dufour, who said that the Datograph is the best chronograph. I can’t afford to buy a Dufour, but I can buy what he owns. (Laughs.)”
iv) THE TIME I FREAK-ED OUT
“I bought this first-generation Freak by Ulysse Nardin from a friend who was looking to sell it. I had been waiting for such a piece to come by. I like it because it’s innovative and there’s so much to look at. It’s essentially a one-hour tourbillon because the entire movement completes one rotation every hour. Also, it runs on rails around the case; the winding mechanism is the entire caseback; and the time is set by turning the bezel. It’s quite different from a typical watch.”
v) MY MOST WATCH-NERDY HABIT
“My favourite complication is the moonphase. I think it’s the most romantic complication out there. Whenever I wear a moonphase watch, I make sure it’s correctly set. I set the moonphase by checking it against the (moonphase setting tool of the) Watchville app.”
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