Grand Seiko Spring Drive Titanium Watch

This is a Seiko Chronometer using Seiko invention Spring Drive mechanism.

It can maintain an accurate +/- 1 Second a day
It is sweeping smooth motion on second hand...
72 hours power reserve with Indicator
Beautiful Dial with corrugated surface
Titanium case and bracelet.



This Youtube clip shows how Spring Drive works
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8siXmlwPzI

Price HKD$42,000

For those who appreciate Japanese superb Quality built watch for your everyday uses!

HK Snob
HK Watch Fever

BaselWorld 2014 Rolex Milgauss BLUE dial arrives HK!

Rolex Milgauss Blue Finally arrives HK's Dickson Watch... You cannot miss to see it before you leave HK. You can go to Rolex AD at HK International Airport terminal 1 Departure Concourse to find this watch under limited Supply.

Ref 116400GV as it carries a Green Sapphire also
List Price HKD$59,600
Selling price HKD$59,600 (No discount Now)

I remember whne the first 116400 Green Glass arrived HK, the prices was brought up to HKD$130,000! after two week it droped to HKD$70,000

That was because there was only one in HK!

This is another BLUE dial Rolex with Green Glass.... How Many do we have in HK? I really dont know, but it is not supplied in large Number as Rolex's Usual practice!

Ref 116400 Black Dial will be discontinued, that will be an Collectible item if you are fans of Milgauss, go get one if stock exists in Rolex AD with some discount!

Go and look for it...

HK Snob

Does It Take One Year to make a Rolex Watch!?

Does it take a year to make a Rolex?

Many people says that one is really too long, but Rolex could say that, they must have the mathematical data to support what they have said.

Rolex produces nearly 1,00,000 watches per year with 5,500 employees..  800,000 of those watches are recorded by the COSC.  Rolex also produces pieces that are not certified by the COSC.

That is about 5,000 watches a day as they work about 200 days a year in Switzerland.

I am working for Semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and normal lead time for a Precision Die bonder (USD$230,000) is 8 weeks, it really needs eight weeks to make such an equipment.. as you cannot do anything if there is no application design or drawing released to production to do it., now the semiconductor demand is hot due to the 4K TV, XiaoMei, new IPhone6, Samsung S5 and NOTE IV.. plus numerous gadget of electronics, Automotive and LEDs… The new equipment delivery time is 6 months for a die bonder…!!

Remember the day when European Sweden or German Shipping builders used to put the steel plate at the ship yards for 20 years so as to let the steel plate to release the internal stress, whereas the Japanese ship builder took may be just 2 years to do the same job, that is why a Japanese ship is not as strong and as long lasting than the German ship. Of course the cost of a German Ship say ten thousand tons is 1.8 times expensive that the Japanese ship in the 80s.

Same thing happened for Leica Lens that they let the glass ingot to go for the stress process and they scrutinize if there is tiny bubbles inside the glass, they will scrap it.

Whereas Rolex may be also being an expert in the use of metal, and Rolex has its own metals foundry for steel and gold, they may let the gold or Steel ingot to left for stress release process after machine milling then heating it at another temperature and cool down at a controlled temperature. This is an added process but you know that will improve strength of the metal and the amount of deformation is close to zero.

All manufacturing of Rolex cases, bracelet, mechanical parts are done by automation… somewhat like a Precision Die bonder, all precision part are made by CNC machine, but at the end of the process, all the wiring, module installation, set-up and testing are by hand, like a BMW. Typical time for a BMW is 24 hours to roll off the production line.

As for Rolex, I think it take 5 hours to make a dial, 10 hour to make a case that including the loading and unloading from one stage to another and stress release, probably 1 hours for a bezel, as for the movement parts, if they run in parallel, it may take only 5 hours to make providing there is no queue on the machine including the chrome plating and cleaning processes.

The assembly of the Rolex watch might take up a few persons each takes care of one module.

Total assembly time may be just 3 hours as they need to assemble them, lubricating it, calibrating it. then they have to pass to auto winder for winding test, may be 2 days, and then go to a water pressure checker for water proof test, that may take up 2 hour including transportation.

Then they will be pass to COSC certification, that may takes 3 days excluding waiting time as they are having other Swiss Big Chronometer makers like Tag Heuer and Breitling to be inspected.. then return to Rolex for final QC check and packing. So the manufacturing time if about 1 month min.

It depends on how you describe the manufacturing process, if everything goes serial, it may take a year or more to make a watch. If that applies to Patek Phillippe, it may take 10 years to make one triple Complication Repeater Watch.

“It takes a year to make one Rolex!”  is more or less an advertisement for Rolex. That make you feel better for every dollars you spend on your Rolex!

PS

I have not been invited for a plant tour Rolex production line, the data I stated about is based on my studies on various web sites and my understanding through friends, there may be difference with the actual data.

If you have a more accurate data, please update me, I am glad to learn.

HK Watch Fever

HK Snob 

There is another bad trade of Rolex Purchase in HK.

Recently there is a foreigner coming to HK to Buy a Pre-owned Rolex SeaDweller 16600.

It comes with Original paper.

That must be done in a hurry as obviously to me, we could tell that was something wrong at site!

Later this friend talked to me that what he bought was a Franken Watch. The Watch itself is Sea Dweller 16600 and the S/N is matching with the Warranty paper, but the Stainless steel bracelet is 93250 is not the right 93160.

Since this is a new found cases and I cannot comment too much when there are still talking on the internet.

Sometimes when we buy watch, does not matter to check carefully, and if you are hurry, please don’t buy as there may be a chance you still can buy a Franken watch in HK.

Nevertheless, there is a lot to learn, and of course, we can always buys a SeaDweller bracelet, but it might be cheap too, and it hurts the feeling of the one paid that amount of money for the complete Set of genuine Rolex Watch.

That is WHY I always talk to Friends to buy in some Shop that it CLAIMs, “ Full return if you find the goods is not genuine!” !!  if that Invoice does not state that quote, and they have no practice to full refund to you at all.

Let's see how we can help this friend.

HK Snob

HK Watch Fever

A Terrorist Attack on MH17

Getty Picture of Buk Missiles and Launcher

MH17

Another SHOCKING news to me from CNN, morning on 18 July, Pity about those innocent people n board, what a kind of world now… Somehow the Buk Missile was likely the killer. But who was the one to trigger it.

Buk is 16’ weight 1,500 pounds, carrying a 154 pounds war head, with a Speed of 2,684 MPH, that is 4 times of Boeing 777, that is no one can see the coming missiles before they are hit!

MH Airline Will go Bankruptcy

0n 17 July, another air borne strategy happened in 4 months. That is an Impact to MH airlines… Malaysian PM said today soon Malaysian Airlines Will go Bankruptcy!

Buk Design limitation

So the Buk can pick up the signal of an aircraft. But if it's operating in standalone mode, it can't tell whether that aircraft is a military target, or a jetliner with nearly 300 people onboard. It has to be used together with some other equipment.

Russian Newspaper

MH17 dominates newspaper front pages around world, but not in RussiaState-run Rossiyskaya Gazeta leads with story about Russians' eating habits, relegating plane crash to bottom of page.!

Conspiracy

Russia Today had used a report from the Interfax News Agency saying the Russian President was flying the same path over Ukraine at a similar time on his return from Brazil after the BRICK meeting,

But the website later said the unnamed sources in the report had been contradicted by other news outlets, saying Mr. Putin had not recently flown over Ukraine.

So the Russian Rebels’ real target may be Putin!?

Number “7” related to MH17

According to an aviation official quoted by a New York Times journalist, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, a Boeing 777, made its first flight on July 17, 1997, on 17 July 2014 it ended its life just 17 years old.

And on top of that, July is the 7th month of 2014, a year which has numbers adding up to 7.

Hope all the crews and Passenger would rest in peace!

I wonder how can we put the Launcher Commander in bars for 3,000 years!

HK Snob

The 2014 Nomos Tetra Berlin Collection

The Tetra Berlin collection celebrates the diversity of the city of Berlin with the visual representation of iconic landmarks.

The collection comes in 4 colour.

Nachtijall hosts a deep midnight blue lacquer ($2,320)

Goldelse features a rose gold galvanized dial with a brushed finish ($2,390)

Clärchen is the bright green lacquer with gold hands and markings ($2,320)

Kleen is the Mint green has accented with gold hands and markings, as well a power reserve at 12:30 position. ($2,920)

Amongst all I like the Bright green but love to have the power reserve, What I can choose!?

A unisex Case 29.5mm square case and a slim 6.3mm thick with stepped lugs.

The sapphire back showcases the in-house Nomos alpha caliber.

Manually wound caliber with three-quarter plate construction.

43-hour power reserve.

Size is bit too small for men, only valid on women’s wrist with such a Size I guess, I love to see it but can not Buy it with such small watch as it look too feminine.

The Designer might be a lady that does not allow the men to enjoy her beautiful minimalist concept of watch.

These watches are yet to be available in HK?

HK Snob

Omega Constellation

This is one of the beautiful Constellations sport model I like after the famous 168.005, though many people criticize it's a bit feminine.

The upper one is no question a Great Classic Omega!

The lower one is a later design with a slim profile, the gold bezel was carved with Roman Numerals. This makes the watch less congested with hour indexer and words... There is a "Star" at lower portion of the watch at 6' Oclock position.

Final touch up with four curved Claws to hold the bezel Securely onto the watch case, at same time acts as a protection shoulder for the crown. It's it smart!?

Again, the beauiful watch models were a creation of this greatest watch designer, who had created the legendary AP Royal Oak, IWC Ingeniur, Patek Philippe Nautilus and the Vacheron Constantin Overseas, including these Omegas,as I believe they were all designed by the same person, Gerald Genta.

HK Snob

Why there is NO printing on this Rolex 18038 Matt Dial?

Errors, Freaks or Oddities? Why no Printing on this Rolex Matt Dial?

No, this is Original faded Printing of 18038

Watch Dial can take up 50% of the watch of a Rolex if that is a rare or oddity

This is 18038 with natural fading printing after decades, it might be due to the paints composite was of experimental formula. Or paint was made with new formula or expired date, that would be found to have this after 20 years… Even small bubbles could be found over the matt dial.

The watch is eye-catching and it looks like we can see the Rolex Corona only, but there are all complete printing are there, just the colour is so light only.

Big, Fat, un-polished case, sapphire crystal, auto, an item that is extremely hard to be found.

HKD$42,000

Watch Was sold 23 July 2014

HK Snob
Watch Fever

Richard Mille RM011, A Rare And Unusual Watch For You!

Model: Chole Fransico

Richard Mille RM011 and Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4

I have a Passion of Orange, not the fruit unless it is very sweet, but the Colour is what I like…

Orange has a strong attraction to others, imagine why Black Box is painted in Orange, not in BLACK!

Today I wear an Oyster Birch Dial Rolex as I used to wear since 1^st  June up to now, I had an orange Mandarina Duck bag,  I had an orange Cohiba Cigar box as my pen case containing a Sterling Silver Pilot  Jaguar limited 550 Pieces Fountain pen, a Montblanc 1972 Model 82 Fountaicn Pen and a Dauphin Germany Sterling Silver Ball pen…

I love to have an Orange Lamborghini Adventador LP700-4  as my daughter Leica once had shouted “WOW!”  in the cinema seeing Maggie Q Detonated the bomb and destroyed the Orange Lamborghini.  (MI II?) What a Waste!?

Richard Mille RM011 with brown brushed Titanium case, limited to 30 pieces. Extremely rare, we believe there is not more than 2 pieces in Singapore and Hong Kong. Price is US$119,000.

HK Snob

Rolex 18038 an 1803 On Sale

This Ref 18038 is having a fat case, un-polished, the printing is NATURALLY faded out without any artificial rework, a rare species, asking HKD$42,000

This Ref 1803 comes with original Warranty Paper, asking HKD$42,000

FCFS

HK Watch Fever
HK Snob
Fever Ip
HK Kong Tsaan

週日發噏風, there is no place like HOME!

Thailand is used to be HK people favourite place to relaxation, shopping, SPA and sea side activities. there is political uncertainty that stop HK people to go there.

Korea, There is serious ferry accident, I believe you will not take ferry or boat tour there in Korea, except you are really need to make a quick change by their renown Plastic surgeon on your nose and face!?

Japan, March 11 2011 radiation effect persists, ¼ of my known friends claim he will never go Japan again as Radiation stay decade there…

Vietnam, I believe no Chinese would like to go as they have riot and had made damages to Properties of the Chinese.

Philippines, one of best places for diving, sea excursion and resort, Due to tension of the waters dispute with China.All Tours are cancelled, only individual would visit Philippines.

Malaysia, used to be a Muslim Country, there are two Chinese been kidnapped in a month at Sabah, who dare to go?

India, Women of HK likely will not go there, they have series of raping on British, American, and local India women, No exception for HK woman…I believe unless you are really a Mo Ye Cha "武夜义"。

Taiwan Recent Train station killing, a man killed 4 persons in less than ½ minutes… who dare to go?

Indonesian woman was not much better than Indian, there had a case of raping, killed and then mutilated her, the video sent from local Police…

Where can we go in Asia?!  Yes, still there is Singapore and China… and most of us should go back China to spend the money….

Australia, a local woman is suspected to be a racist to a Local HK lady seen on internet…why a Chinese HK lady has to be insulted by the White people!? Not long ago, another HK lady was attacked and killed at beach...is Australia safe? I doubt.

South Africa, two Shan Dong man and woman aged 47 and 45 respectively were shot dead by AK47 by a group of mobsters yesterday.

Simply stay in HK going Lantao island, Phoenix Hill, or going up the Peak, or Shopping at Nathan Road, Lady’s Street have a Hi-team at Peninsular Hotel Lobby, then take a ferry go to Central buying Rolex at Pacific Place or Causeway Bay.

Go to Shenzhen make a series of Foot massage, go to the best restaurant for your favour cuisine, go to buy somehting at Lo Wo Commercial centre on the way you come back HK... the moeny spent is more worthwhile as you do in other countries and has risk. Also this encourage local spending.

Or Simply take a A380 First Class going Singapore, take the Bah Koo Teh, then going to Hour Glass for Watch Shopping, watch a Movie at Shaw Cinema, going to The Orchard Tower to see Ah Gua!

What Fun…

HK Watch Fever
HK Snob

Don't Cry For me, Argentina!

Coat of arms of Argentina

Sooner FIFA heat goes up to 39.99 Deg C, as we will see how Argentina would defend himself against the Belgian team at Semifinal game? I don't have that time to watch the show live as that is too late for me as I need to face wiht the bosses tomorrow at the meeting...

Well, I hope that you still have time, come and consider this Submariner Ref 116610LV Hulk,

Tow deals, One at Rolex AD, and One cash deal , I have three left as of this moment...

I hope we don't have to sing this song, Don't Cry for me...Argentina!

Note that the coat of arms of Argentina resembles the Vasace and Rolex Hulk in design and colour respectively!

HK Snob

PS, I am not fans of soccer as I made mistake saying prevsious Argentina would smash German, I just heard about the RTHK2 News,  No, it sould be Belgium, The Result is Argentina won Belgium! Hurrah!

The City is Dying!?

“This city is dying, you know? Said by Joe Junior, who is of Chinese-Portuguese ancestry, pronounced the dead of this mixed ancestry city. I seldom touch on sensitive pieces of topics, but what I am trying to say China is doing the proper way and it will not let the city goes into state of “Dying!”

Well, Hong Kong has its own characteristics and its way of dynamic life, “grass root people" is working hard or they will starve!

HK is now having just 3% un-employment rate. Still most of the people cannot enjoy the fruit of the prosperity, rich people gets richer and greedier… Executives salary is getting higher and higher over the years whilst the junior staff is facing salary freezing or reduction.

That is why many people comes into the street to protest, filibustering, throwing banana, paper coffin, empty water bottles during meeting of senates…. Hong Kong, a place that is been going into more complicated political chaos in the recent years, when will it come into an end?

Lets not talk about this topics that shoots up my blood pressure to 170/120.

Take a tram tour going out to HK Island from West to East, it is just $2.2. You could possible seeing a lot of good side of the city, neon lights (replacing gradually by LEDs), countless Rolex shops you can see at Central, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay. Stop by Johnston Road Chee Kee for a bowl of Wanton Noodles, charge up yourself before next shopping at Time Square….

Get a few bottles of beer with your good friends at the Wan Chai local restaurants, it does not need to be in the Celebrity’s Restaurant as I bet no one will serve me being a cheap Kong Tsaan.

Enjoy the fantastic window shopping at the World’s largest Selection of Watches along Nathan Road or Tsim Shat Tsui and get into those familiar shops I used to go at Ap Liu Street, I think there is no place the same in other part of the World, though the smell is not presentable at Ap Liu Street but that is the HK local Favour, Like Stinky Dou Fu, if you likes it, it is delicious!

HK Snob

Live Rich and Die Poor, not the other way round!

Content makes the poor man rich, discontent makes the Rich man poor.

- Benjamin Franklin Quotes

I enjoy the power of Money, and I am not ashamed to admit it, I had rather be a Rich Snob than a poor!

Whenever I can, buy me a gift as a catalyst to drive me work harder, make me happier. Of course at the end of the month, we should reserve certain saving for investment...

Not the other way round, only saving and investment but never spending money, that he will likely Lives Poor and Dies Rich!

I had rather to be Live Rich and Die poor, the spirit of snob!!

The upper portion of the picture is one rich Chinese wears Casio Watch, and a ragged khaki trousers, he earns $5M a year. Below is the HK Snob, or Kong Tsaan.

HK Snob

Memorigin launches the latest Transformer 4 Turbillon Watches Limited Edition

A collaboration between Memorigin and Hasbro, Memorigin has launched a promotion for their new Transformer 4 Tourbillons: Optimus Prime and the Bumblebee Edition, on 26 June, same time Transformer 4 "Age of Extinction" is shown.

This has made this HK base watch Brand a tradition of Launching special Watches like Swatch 1989, Montblanc 1991 for their limited Fountain Pen and recent Panera's limited strategy. They all work out temptation for people to buy, appreciate.  How about Memorigin?

Memorigin has already launched a Batman, Bruce Lee and a Superman Tourbillon special watches, the response is avergae but no surprise, but I look at this Transformer 4....

I really Like it. It carries a look of Konami Busou Shinki, a beautiful decorated Turbillon with Skeleton Memorigin Logo, the Bumblebee Yellow with matted Titannium bezel linked with yellow matching leather strap, it is beautiful!

Memorigin has found a direction on his Turbillon Watches.

Price yet known to me, but will check as I used to get less 40% Discount on this brand at their retails link. I might feel a bit proud if I had one on my left wrist as this is a Turbillion Watch made in Hong Kong!

HK Snob 
William Lam established the Memorigin in 2010 with help of his father who runs a Movement Factory in HangZhou.