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
