Showing posts with label Watch Collector. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Watch Collector. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 17, 2019

A Journey of Watch Collection



If you ask a young Japanese student what is a mechanical watch, 95% of them cannot tell, as since they were borne, watches are driven by Quartz with a tiny battery cells keep them running for 3-5 years. As Japan is dominant by Seiko, Citizen and Casio, the three giants for watches. Very Few people are wearing a Patek Philppe or a Vacheron Constantin in the street. May be some on the central of Ginza. Of course nowadays that is quite common to see Japanese wears Grand Seiko and Rolex….

Where as in Hong Kong, if you ask an average adult what is an Automatic Watches, 55% of men and 85% of women would reply is saying it is a battery Cell driven watch, though there are tons of Rolexes are to be seen in a Cinema and or Train. They are the watch user but not watch collectors… they wear the watch that had to be recognized by his friend and people around them, they might not know the story of the watch at all.

To me, my father triggered me the interests in looking for watches since the first day he bought me a Citizen Hand wind  as it was displayed as “Student Watch” in one of the small shop at Sun Po Kwong where we lived nearby…. With HK$35 back in 1967…. Since the day, I was puzzled by the maze of running for different kind of watches…

When I passed by Rolex shop, I almost stuck my nose through the window to see the beautiful shinning Fluted bezel of a Rolex Day Date… I looked at the price tag, I think I could not afford it in my whole life,,,, that was an equivalent of my father’s four years’ salary… but every time I passed by I told myself ,.. one day I must have one like this…!

Gradually after I worked on M/V… and Oil Rigs… I started to buy myself Rolex Date Just stainless steel, then Cartier Two Tone Santos, Jaeger LeCoultre Reverso Pink gold…

After years, I got my first Daytona 16528 with Diamond, and Then I bought a Jaeger LeCoultre Perpetual Calendar in Yellow Gold with single Crown adjustment.

After I worked in the current company, I bought my first wife solid gold Date Just 31mm, but was stolen later on, so sad…

Moreover, I bought a few Rolexes to my wife, for another one… I got her a Solid gold Rolex Date Just with diamonds, and a Tudor Two Tone when we married, an Oyster Perpetual in steel, a Date Just in Yellow gold tone with date… and an Explorer II Polar…

Sooner I bought a few watches for another one I love,, a Day Date Solid gold 19018 Birch, a Day Date 18338  in blue, a Citizen minutes Repeater, an Oyster Quartz stainless 17000 and a two tone 17013 as she loved them for not stop moving after 40 hours….

There are as many answers to that question as there are collectors, but I have noticed one fundamental truth that binds them together. No matter their age, race, experience, and budget, all watch collectors can still remember the first truly remarkable mechanical watch they handled, or bought by someone?

What is the best beloved dress watch I like, it is rare and beautiful Constantin Triple Calendar wristwatch from the 1990s. It is a truly special, functional and not-too-unaffordable, the kind of watch that inspires a new level of respect for the art of watchmaking.  For myself… I think I like most Vacheron Constantin, Patek Philippe, Ademars Piguet, Cartier, Piaget,  Rolex, Panerai, IWC, jaeger..

I don’t know how many Rolex I have owned, but to be honesty I treat them as goods and tools Only few Rolex that I admire… such as the Day Date Onyx 18038, Submariner 16618 in onyx…probably a white Gold 1803 in Mahogany dial… or even a Coral which this is harder to find than to get to the moon by plane….what plane?

Recently when I get old I narrow down my collection and I told myself I prefer to spend less money on more variety of those not too complicated watches rather than to invest heavily on few expensive Complications…

In recently I start to collect some special rare species such as Presidents’ Watches… some watches of certain important people that carry a story…

If you ask me what is the best watch I like… Honesty I think the answer is still the same over the three decades…. A Platinum Day Date…or a nice Patek Dress watches…

If you ask me how about a Nautilus Ref 5712/A-001 or 5711/A-001? All I can say…. That is love and hate…

If you are old watch collector, you probably know what I mean…

HK Snob

Friday, April 5, 2019

Watch Collection


These are some of my watch collection, of course there are some I forget to put it there.
That is not important.
The things is I am shifting more from a lot of brands into just a few.
I think I like these most: Rolex, Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, AP, Tudor and Cartier.
HK Snob
                                            

Monday, April 4, 2016

Rolex toy of a Professional Photographer







This Friend was recently came to me on asking the Day Date... Well, he likes Day Date, probably because of me? Again?

Esse Dejos has Just bought a nice Rolex Day Date Ref 18039 with Diamond.

See attached Pictures.

He used Canon Camera with lens 100mm 2.8L to take those pictures at F8- F11 1/250  Shutter under Natural Lighting.

Note that the Black Dial Date Just was the one I sold him last month.

You can visit is Web site to see his personality and great pictures taken by Leica M9 and Leica M.

HK Snob
HK Watch Fever Group

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Everything About Rolex, Patek Philippe, Omega and Panerai

http://www.collectingwatches.com/en/

This is a great site that you have to go and find what is in your mind about your designated collection of either Rolex, Patek Philippe, Panerai, and Omega.
They supply Different topics in form of beautifully printed Book about the watches.
Interviews with the important people in the watch Industry. Picture, stories of the greatest Collection of Rolex Collections, and whatever you can think of about Rolex, the entire collection of individual Model…
Either you are expert, armature collectors, dealers, connoisseur and appreciator of Rolex, you got to go and look at this website.
HK Snob

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Gerald Genta, a Master Watch Designer and his best watch design in 70's



These two watches are probably the best design in the 20th Century and I am sure that there is not much you can tell on how to perfect the design further more. The Royal Oak AP was the design of Gerald Genta in 1972, employed the Britsih Royal Navy Royal Oak that has an octoganal Shaped window made of Oak. 8 Tiny screws to lock up the bezel onto the dial airtight!The first time to use Stainless steel on his top of the line watch instead of precious metal. 60's and 70's is the time for all sport orientated design watches. These are ten best popular sportive watches in the 70's. They are still the Hot Top watch line of these Makes! Why!? Because 60's 70's is the best year for almost all kind of design!

Marantz 10B FM Tunner- the best FM tuner ever made

Mckntosh 500WattX2 Power Amplifier- the Most Powerful amplifier.

Advent 201 cassette decksStereophile1973
Linn Sondek LP12 turntable design and made the first best Turn table in 1972, until now it is still the top Ten Turn tables for Vinyl Lovers.
Magnepan Magneplanar Timpani Loudspeaker1973 - best Static Loudspeaker!?
BBC LS3/5A loudspeakersFirst 1977 - Sure this is the HK people favourite Book shelf Loudspeaker.
Spendor BC1 loudspeaker 1977 Designed by the late Spencer Hughes after he left the BBC
Yamaha NS1000 loudspeaker1975
Advent 201 cassette decksStereophile 1972
Back to the watches, , these are some of the best watches in the 70's Audemas Piguet Royal Oak

Patek Philippe Nautilus

Vacheron Constantine Overseas

IWC Ingenieur

Girard- Perregaux Laureato

Omega Speedmaster Professional

Rolex Cosmograph Daytona

Omega Seamaster 1200 Ploprof

Rolex Explorer II

Tag Heuer SilverStone

Baume & Mercier Riviera

Bvlgari Bulgari Bulhari

I think these are the great Classic and some of them still top of the model currently!The reason is that they are the best design and best product...

As for the AP, is is a classic for sport, as a dress watch, you can wear it everyday, it is reliable, beautiful and a perpetual Pretty Watch!My one is a Solid Gold verison which I think only a few left in the world as in the 1970's Only rich people would buy a Gold Rolex, a AP solid gold? People would be a bit hesitate as I think that we a price that could buy a small Flat in HK!?In 1976 PP Developed the Nautilus Line which they had requested Gerald Genta to design for them, again Gerald Genta... Soon afterward, the GP Laureato was modified by Gerald to give some touch up on the design.So you see Gerald Genta is the best designer and what he created is two of the best Four Watch in the World , which, his design remains the Top of the line for PP and AP and they are the Classic for Tomorrow! HK Snob

Wednesday, September 30, 2009