Sunday, January 31, 2010

Cartier ID One Concept Watch




I like Mechanical watches as they are made by tedious effort as the Swiss finest grail of horological pursuits. Most of the mechanical watches is always repairable, not like some of the quartz watch that the microprocessor chip may be dead after 45 years due to the copper diffusion up to the gold plated PCB substrates, or the moisture absorption of the PCB that causes Oxidation on the electrical joints? But somehow your mechanical watch though is sealed in a sturdy case; completely no moisture can enter, after many years of operation, the finest smooth surface will have more or less some accumulated wear and tear, the finest grade lubrication oil made from Whale, the oil would dry after years of temperature changes and ten million of mechanical contacts. Cartier is a name used to be linked up with Beautiful design, inlayed with a lot of diamonds, using a lot of different precious metal to build their watches. A “appearance of badly twisted watch” that has laid with some diamonds in a quartz movement can be selling at HKD$500,000.00. And who cares it is built with what kind of watches movement inside the beautiful cases, Cartier, Piaget, ETA, Jaeger … For years the Cartier is not a leader for his watches accuracy, precision and mechanical design excellence. Time has changed; Cartier is seeking all ways for build up a technological level to come in par with the best Swiss watch makers. Is there a need to create complete service free, adjustment free watch and requires no regulation during the whole life of the watch?! In fact this is the design concept of this Watch.. ID One from Cartier, ID means Innovation Development No. 1! We can see a lot of new technology was built in this Balloon Bleu shaped 46mm wide Concept watch in spacey sounding material called Niobium Titanium, a kind of Titanium Alloy that goes well with your skin, highly resistant to the your sweat, light and yet strong! Zerodur Hairspring that is made of Ceramic and Glass that is insensitive to change of temperature, no effect under magnetic field, an essential factor for good time keeping ability. Cartier has applied Carbon Crystal to make the balance wheel, escape wheel and lever. Carbon Crystal is a diamond-like material with adorable hardness. And no need to be lubricated. Cartier has equipped the Id one with an exclusive escapement cage that is effectively shock resistant; they use the most common plastic like material to act as shock absorber to the escapement cage. Plastic in a watch, that has is not new already as AP has been broadly introduced many colorful plastic like material for building their watches! But Honestly, I still feel that Plastic inside the watch may not be good enough to give ma a kind of secure feeling that the Plastic would not deformed after years, would not be creating some plastic debris that would be a kind of contamination to the watch. And this kind of technology would be one day able to use Machine to turn out part in a second and then the people would just have to assemble the pieces one by one and that wild be a Swiss watch you can only buy years of your salaries! Will that day come? I am sure that it might be soon!!? So Please keep you Patek Philippe in a good condition as the price will be appreciate even faster after 20 years, only you have to worry there may not be many good skillful mechanics that can take care your watch as it was built 40 years Ago.


HK Snob

Monday, January 25, 2010

Champange Court



This is a place that most of the camera collectors should know. We had been buying camera in the 70's in Champange Court. Recently there are a lot of new Watch shop selling new and used watches there.
A lot of local and or foreigners come to shop watches there. There are about 10 Watch shop and about 8 camera shops there.

It is just beside Mira Hotel at Tsim Sha Tsui MTR station with Exit to Kimberley Road.

HK Snob

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Piaget and Verachon Constantin Thin Watches

Super thin watch is hard to build, though there is no complicated function, since 1960, I started to appreciate thin watch as my father tough me the difficulties in making thin watch.


Nowadays, the watch are huge and thick, I really do not appreciate them.. If the watch trend is big, OK we can make it big, but Do not make it so thick, as this is too easy to make…

SIHH 2020 watch show is ready and we can see Piaget and Vacheron Constantin are preparing some of the simple but ultra thin watch to be displayed.

Piaget has been using painstaking effort in making thin watch since 1957. the 2 mm thick 9P hand wind watch shocked the world, after two years, the Automatic version 12P was official launched in 1960. That was the world record for Automatic watch of 2 mm thickness!

2010, Piaget celebrates his thin watch that has been built for 50 years, they created the 1208P

which is a 2.35 mm automatic watch with 48 hours power reserve , it is the world’s thinnest watch!

This design come with the Antiplano series, 43mm dia. Total thickness is 5.25 mm. World Thinnest Automatic watch with the second hand being located at the 4 o’clock position. Elegancy, thin and beautiful!

Another Watch masterpiece VC, Verachon Constantin builds two watches Historique 1955 and 1968, which was the classic of 50’s and 60’s as for their thin profile and precision.

Historque 1955 fit with a 1003 hand wind caliber which is the World thinnest hand wind watch, Geneve seal, classic circle dial with 18CT gold. Historque 1968 is a classic square adopting 1120 Calibre with a new rotor, Geneve Seal. Since it is not as easy as you can think to design and fabricate thin watch, These two greatest watches might create some of the new trend of watch fashion. Large, thin, simple and classic...








HK Snob

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Tissot Touch Sport watch

Touch is a new technology of Tissot. It has been quite an unique design on watch, and more and more Different design of sport watch or divers' watch are produced by Tissot.

Attached is the Hiking watch I used to put on.. Entirely made of Titinmum, very sturdy, light and comfortable


HK Snob

More About Movado Museum Watch



Watch is a way to tell your personal character, beside it is a time pieces. Movado has been one of the beautify design on his dial

Defined by a Single Dot at 12 representing the Sun at High Moon!
The Museum Watch dial is regarded as an Icon of Modernism. This watch was design by Bauhaus-influenced Artist Nathan George Harwitt in 1947.
When Harwitt dial was selected for the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art New York. In 1960, it was the first watch dial ever awarded this distinction.

I saw a shop behind Holiday Inn Hotel along Nathan Road at Tsim Sha Tsui has a lot of newest variety of Movado at a very Good price... Worth your visit if you think you are one of the Fans of Movado

HK Snob

Monday, January 4, 2010

Watch Shops ta HKIA





There are a few watch shop at HKIA, Tiffany, Cartier, IWC...
From my experience, I find that IWC and Tiffany has the best sales people, as they are more eager to explain to you waht they are selling and they have good knmowledge on their product. At IWC. I am sure you can find those beautiful, kind sales executives like Ruby and Jasmine could provide you a good explanation on their watches...design and detail of the structure..


Whereas Cartier... may be I met the green horn, it seems they do not know their product much, even they can not tell difference of Sterling Silver and vermiel... Even What Cartier Santos is!? beleive it or not? go and try.




HK Snob

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Piaget Bracelet


Piaget produces one of the best design wrist bracelet as shown, made in 1990 white 18CT white gold.


It was expensive to buy, and the white gold is made with good ingrdient such that the colour does not change after so many years.

I went to Goldsmith , Henry told me that it values about HK$5,500 in case sell the gold.

HK Snob

Monday, December 21, 2009

AP Queen's Cup









AP used to sponsor the Queen's Cup at Jockey Club each year for Promotion. Those beautiful ladies are James Bond Girl Michelle Yeoh, models and Hong Kong Movie Stars. AP Royal Oak is one of the best Design watch in 20th and probably 21st Century, one of my favourite watch! Pictures were taken by Nikon SLR Camera, YKL. HK Snob

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Blancpain

Blancpain started the watch manufacturing since 1735. An early small Swiss Watch company that they actually using a farm house as the factory.

I had the very first Blancpain watch in 1990. I had found that the watch was very accurate.
As I always mentioned, the Accuracy of a watch reflects how seriously the watchsmith and Engineer maintin the component precision, asembly process, material studies, material selection and experinece and Skill that they commit to Make that Watch.... I am expecting a Good watch should have at least 30 PPM accuracy per day as an average for time taking in 2 weeks, My Blanpain can make it.. and Surprisingly until today I still had it running as good as perfect as it was purchased 20 years ago....

feverip

Patek Philippe Dress Watch



A 18CT Solid White Gold Man's ultra slim watch. Elegant, thin with my favourite Square case design. A Perpetual lasting Watch for man!
HK Snob

Technomarine

Technomarine has a lot of designs of embedded with Diamond, Plastic cases, SS, Ti, Quartz and mechanical Watches.
This is a solid Titanium watch with an ETA movement, a Chronometer, Sturdy and Stylish sport watch.
HK Snob

Cartir Prasha

A Cartier Prasha SS Chrono, medium size fits to either man of moderate build and woman.

HK Snob



Green is Rolex, Rolex is Green



As a Tradition, Rolex used to Apply Green Colour on their watches, Watch boxes, warranty Certificates and and Catalogue.
This is a 1982 Rolex Day Date with Green Rolex enamel Dial... 18Ct Solid Gold with rubies and Diamonds on the bezel. Looks like new!
This kind of enamel Dial surface will have crack lines after 15-20 years. This Sample does also have some lines of micro crack on the dial. That may be due to the enamel process has some impurity or may be the delimination between the enamel and the dial base material after years of Temperature cycles.


The cause of the crack line is unknown to me. Anyway, this crack lines is the reflection of natural aging of this Beautiful Rolex.

Seems there is no perfect enamel dial. I am not sure if the new enamel process is improved or not?


HK Snob

Friday, December 18, 2009

LED Watch for young Lady

LED Watch for young lady, oversized, innovative design with Watch and strap comes in one!

Price is also not Cheap! USD$6.5!


HK Snob

LED Watch



Blue LED Watch with the Left hand LED column indicating the Hours and the right 5 Column LED bars for displaying the minutes.
Auto Light up once after 15 minutes. Push to Show Time and Auto off!
Very Attractive decorative watch . Work perfectly at Day and Stunning bright at night.
Powered by a CR2032 battery Cell.
Price!?
Well, quite Expensive... It is USD$7.00
HK Snob

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Highgear USA Altis Sport watch





This is a sturdy built Swiss made Multi-Functional Watch for sportman... no matter we use it for Hiking, Trekking or Cycling! It has Compass, Altimeter, Barometer, Chronometer, temperature, Timer and Alarm functions. The attached Sample is SS made, it would be better if there is Titanium version.

Other Reliable makes are Suunto, Tissot, Tag Hauer and Protek.

HK Snob.