Simple is Best?

This is a World that contains different people of all kind, he who can not satisfy with what they are having, and always want to get more advance products, new handphone. New face lifted car, and keep changing watches. Well, 30 years ago, people wanted to wear smaller watch, 33 MM is the trend from Italy for Rolex, there were small number of people worn 36mm Rolex in HK. Look at today, many people criticized my Rolex Day Date is too small, as they are wearing a “Huge Clock” of 54mm on the wrist. I am not trying to say I am mis-aligned with the current Fashion and trend for big, but I think there is a limit.

As you can see, many people have gone back to basis. As sometimes watch is just an instrument to tell time, and as the same time a men’s accessory.

These are the latest example of simple Watch

Panerai
Radioimir California 3 Days PAM424

A Funny Dial made up of Roman and Arabia number , which they are California Dial, It was used for the Military Divers,  once the diver was caught dead by enemy, they can not tell who they are from their watch. Panerai has used this California Dial like PAM249, PAM262. PAM349, 2011’s PAM376 and 2012’s PAM424 as shown. Equipped with P.3000 hand wind movement, there is OP logo as on the 6’ o’clock position, this is mostly ensure that will be hot item, Go and find it.. it is listed at HKD$68,000.00

Jaquet Dorz
Grande Heure Onyx

There is only one hand to tell the time on 24 hours calibrated dial. Each division is indicating 10 minutes. That should be good enough for someone like you working as a CEO, or CFO, but not too good for a pilot or a train master. The dial is made of black Onyx, classy and mysterious, equipped with 24JD53 auto movement, that can store up 68 hours’ energy, 43mm case was made of hi carbon steel, Price is around HKD$89,500

Van Cleef & Arpels
Pierre Arpels

Thin as Piaget 830P manual Wind watch, as the movement is exactly Piaget 830P. There are 38mm and 42mm White Gold and Rose gold, The good example of a Dress watch for your party and may be work in office. Clean and Sleek Profile that fits perfectly on your wrist.

Price:42mm Rose gold is HKD$136,000

If I were asked to choose, I take Van Cleer & Arpels for my own use, then consider Jaquet Dorz for collection and Panerai if I still have the budget.

HK Snob

 

Beautiful Women and their Watches

These are those stars on the Celluloid, models and celebrities who used to wear Rolex... Mostly Daytona and Date Just.
HK Snob

Celebrities and Rolex

These are familiar faces that wear Rolexes on their hands. Their watches are mostly Daytona, Submariner and Milgauss.
HK Snob

Chanel J12, A Beautiful watch for the beauties!

Chanel, a name in the Perfume and couture since beginning of 20^th Century.

Not until 2000, A Ledgend  Watch J12 was in production, it took  not too long for the J12 had became a real symbol of glamorous luxury watch with a touch of French Extravaganza style. Chanel is very young name in watchmaking business. Chanel’s first watch, called Premiere was created in early 1987. All watches and their movements are manufactured in Switzerland in Chanel’s own workshops. Chanel watches design is amazingly simple and ascetic, so everybody will be able to recognize a J12 from a distance - it leaves such a strong impression.

The automatic movement used to produce this remarkable watch is very sophisticated and precise.

The white or black ceramic style used to make as case as bracelet. This ceramic coatings was borrowed from a recipe created by NASA to build parts for their rocket ships. Ceramic is a nice and durable material and is an alternative way from the usual metal and leather materials used on watch market. It is cold, hard and a bit brittle, it can stand high temperature.

Ceramos® evolves from the platinum-coloured high-tech ceramic which Rado introduced in 1993.

And has been the leader in apply ceramic alloy to make watch since 1978 if I can still remember correctly.

.They have many like 23 different models to choose from currently from Chanel models of the traditional 38mm watch available. No matter white ceramic, black ceramic, white with diamonds, black with diamonds, pink sapphire, pink gold to name just a few. There is also a larger 42mm GMT watch, a Superleggera, which is a certified chronograph plus an array of exclusive editions and custom versions of this remarkable timepiece.

Movement, who cares if that is Geneva Seal, double goose neck trimmer, 28 jewels or 19 jewels of not as I believe people buying this watch is solely for the design and outlook but not movement. And That is why they make one and only Tourbillon, as Chanel knows no one would likely to spend USD$200,000 for a Chanel Tourbillon.

Chanel has released the very limited edition (only one made) J12 Tourbillon watch to commemorate the re-opening of their store in Beverly Hills. It is made of ceramic, white gold, and blue sapphires. The timepiece is manually wound but has a power reserve of 100 hours! This model has ‘Beverly Hills No. 1/1’ inscribed on the back. Who is the lucky one to be the owner of this watch?

More and more Celebrities are owning a J12 after the pursuit of the Chanel hand bag.

Kelly Osbourne, Jessica Simpson, Heidi Montag, Sharon Osbourne, Fearn Cotton, Michelle Yeoh, Kung Li, Ashley Tisdale, Dale Winton, Faye Wong and many others are fans of Chanel. In HK, when you walk in IFC, or Landmark, I guess that there is at least one out of 12 women ages between 30-45 who is wearing Chanel J12.  Why? simply, because they are comfort to wear, easy to match with their clothe, beautiful especially those with Diamond bezel, and of course, because they are Expensive.. That is none of the challenge of the Woman of HK…to buy the expensive one! For those charming and sophisticated lady, he got it free from her boy friends!

HK Snob

It is not a Uylsse Nardin, it is not JLC, it is a Rolex!

This is not an Uylsse Nardin, nor Jaeger Le Coutle, in fact this is a Rolex Ref 1002 modified by replacing with a special Dial, likely the craving was made on a silver base-pate and then plated with Platinum.It was likely made between 1980-1990. Well, I think it is fun to wear as this is very unique and attractive!... and everyone knows that is a Rolex Oyster Perpetual even look at it far away as Rolex has a very unique profile and shape!

HK Snob

IWC Ref.37170 Pilot Watch 42mm Chrono-Auto.

IWC Ref.371701 Pilot watch 42mm. Chrono-Auto.

An IWC Ref.371701. Self-winding . Small seconds hand with stop function. Day and date display. Split-seconds hand for intermediate timing. Screw-in crown. Soft iron inner case for protection against magnetic fields which is IWC favourite application Design. Convex sapphire glass, nano-coating of an antireflective on both sides to reduce flare.

Secured against displacement by drop in air pressure, Water-resistant 60 metres. Stainless steel Case height 14.7mm.X 42mm. with Black Crocodile leather strap with Stainless steel buckle. Paper and Box. Ask for $26,000.

This is a Iconic watch of IWC and has been one of the top seller models for IWC, IWC fans should have at least one watch of this type after the Engineer II and or Davinci!

I was an IWC fan when I bought my first IWC Solid Gold Little second hand from Kiu Tai Yu in 1986. That watch never steal a second a day from me. a beautiful, accurate and Classic watch… Stupid that I sold to my school fellow with just HKD$2,000.
This particular IWC is now for sales at HKD$26,000 with Cert. Box and everything.
(Sold on 21 July 2012. at HKD$25,000.00)

HK Snob

New Old Stock Rolex Day Date Ref 18248

This is the one I am sure many people may like for its simplicity dial design. The dial is made of Onxy, finely lapped into a thickness of 0.25mm. Then cut the two windows for "Date" and "Day" display using laser? Well, even though the yield of making the dial sucessful is less than 30% I think. it may take also at least two to three days to make one dial. So there is very few Rolex watch come with this special material as for the dial.  Still you can find a few new models do comes with this material. But the number is very small. This is one of the favourite of Rolex Day Date, but the price is high, The Croco Strap is big, thick and beautiful too.
HK Snob

Top of the World, Rolex Daytona with a lot of Diamonds

This is Rolex Daytona White Gold with a lot of gems and Diamonds. I am sure the White gold is better in looking than Pink gold or yellow gold. More or less this is my preference, however, if the watch is made of yellow gold, I am sure the diamond will be losing its luster under a lower contrast.

The way they choose the diamond may take weeks. And the way they cut the diamond to the right size and colour selection makes this watch an ultimate Rolex luxury jeweler item rather than a timer for your sport event! Don't be surprise that this watch is not cheap not just for the material itself, but the impeccable skill in embed the diamonds onto the watch case.

Diamonds are forever, diamond Rolex is for Watch Fever.

HK Snob

Red Shanghai 19 Jewel NOS Watch from the Great China 1970

This is an New Old  Stock Shanghai 19 jewels Watch with Red Date and Red Second Point. Does it look old or Does it look modern after sleeping for 42 years!?
Friend of mine asked me for HKD$600, that is the price of a Dinner buffet at Holiday Inn Golden Miles, but that watch might cost someone's 4 month Salary in the 70's!
Time has changed, Monney depreciates, but the name of Shanghai depreciates even more rapidly than RMB. What if this was a Rolex, Patek Philippe, well, that will be different story!
If you run business in Shanghai using products of Shanghai Tang, you should equipped with one of this Watch!
Shanghai Snob

China Rolex

This is a Rolex made in 1948-1959, at that time China had no good movement at all, so some of the watch makers used Swiss Chronometers for their Watch. It is a bit too small in Today's eyes. The Movement is Vulcain with no Shock Absorber adjusted to 5 Positions.
HK Snob

Anonimo Dino Zei SAN MARCO .. Limited Edition 250 pieces

Anonimo Dino Zei SAN MARCO .. Limited Edition 250 pieces

Big, massive, Automatic, power reserve, date at 2 O'clock position, water proof equipped with an ETA movement. An Italian designers watch.

"In military terminology the day and time of a landing are indicated respectively as “D” day and “H” hour; the timescale for the various phases of the operation utilizes these references to indicate the sequence of the major events. Consequently, for example, “D – 1” indicates the day prior to the landing and “H – 2” that there are two hours to go to the moment at which the first vessel of the first landing wave reaches the foreshore.
The “San Marco” watch can provide the following information: the difference in days from “D” day (from D-6 to D+6), visible in a special window marked with the wording “D-DAY”, where after the appropriate initial regulation the corresponding number Special Functions of the “San Marco” watch changes every 24 hours; the time difference from “H” hour, which can be read off a mobile internal ring, appropriately graduated (from -6 to + 6) with the letter “H” at zero position, which by rotating the ring can be brought into line with the position corresponding to the “H” hour on the main dial.
In normal use, these functions can be utilized to memorize any desired temporal reference."

HK Snob

Rolex was once called "Five Match Sticks" in China

These are some of the Chinese Made Watches, usually they are the basic Calibre with 17 jewels, hand wind, not quite accurate, easily gain or slow about 30-45 seconds a day, in 1980’s a good Shanghai watch with 19 jewels was about RMB250, a Pheonix bicycle was about RMB200, at that time a worker earned about RMB36 a month. It was not easy to own a watch, needless to say Rolex.  At That time the watch are “Shanghai”, “Dong Feng”, “You Yee” and “Ji Nin” whereas “Shanghai” was one of the best watches.

In 1980.when China was open for foreign investment, when we spent FEC (Foreign Exchange certificate) in China, Many of the Chinese started to know what a Rolex looks like, at that time local Chinese Sometimes called Rolex as “Five Match Sticks”;  that was what the “Crown” looks like!

There are quite a few brands of Chinese Made Watch was using “ Crown” as the logo for their watch, of course they are printed with Chinese name, Not Rolex...
This is a good NOS (new Old Stock Shanghai 19 Jewels) watch, it was selling at about RMB 125 in 1980., now it is about HKD$800 only! TIme changes.... if that is a Rolex Oyster Date just Rolex, it was sold about HKD$5,025 in 1981. now if that is a NOS, it is able to sell at least HKD$20,000. But a Superb quality of 1980 is just a few time more expensve than it was worth. negleting the depreciation of Money over the years.
So All it matters is Brands for Watches!
HK Snob

London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and Omega as Official Timekeeper

London 2012  

In 2012, London will host the Olympic Games for the third time, the only city to do so. London welcomed the world to the first post-War Olympic Games in 1948. The Organizing Committee triumphed in bringing together 4,000 athletes from 59 countries who competed in 117 events. The Olympic Games were not only once again the greatest sporting spectacle on Earth but a powerful symbol of a world at peace.

When the last Olympic Games took place in London in 1948, Omega was there as Official Timekeeper. Omega is looking forward to returning to London where, for the 25th time, we will assume our Olympic timekeeping role.

The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games have special significance for Omega. It has been 80 years since the brand first served as Official Olympic Timekeeper at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympic Games. It will also mark the 25th time Omega has assumed this enormous responsibility.
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1948 – The birth of modern sports timekeeping and Seamaster

Times have changed considerably both for athletes and for timekeepers since 1948. That was the year that OMEGA helped to usher in the birth of modern sports timekeeping.
This year in London, Omega new equipment will include a highly advanced timer and an updated athletics starting block. But these, and the rest of our devices, have the same aim as the chronograph stopwatches used to time each event at the Los Angeles 1932 Olympic Games: to record for posterity the extraordinary performances of the best athletes in the world.

Remarkable Omega for a spectacular event

1948 was important for Omega not only in terms of Olympic timekeeping but also because the brand launched the Seamaster line that has been such an important part of its product offering ever since. The Seamaster 1948 ‘London 2012’ Limited Edition to honour the Olympic Games is based on the design of that very first Seamaster, which is as stylish now as it was more than sixty years ago

Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 44mm
To commemorate the Games, Omega has also created the Seamaster Aqua Terra 44mm London Chronograph in two configurations. One features a bicolour case crafted from 18 Ct red gold and stainless steel and presented on an integrated blue leather strap. The other is made of rugged stainless steel and is presented on a matching bracelet.

This is a grand huge picture I took yesterday at Hang Lung Centre to the Opposite Omega AD. This is a new design That I will be feeling new, more polished facets, more angular profile giving me a sense of strength, solid and shaper look! I like this design, and probably I will consider to get one too. It would be more of a marketing gadget and value if Omega would design more  colourful dials with different material for our choice…Like what Rolex has been adopted in the concept of the dial design.

HK Snob

Boucheron's Swan

The Cypris Tourbillon is set with 852 gems, including 290 blue sapphires, 313 black soinels and 190 round diamonds, Two Blue sapphire oval cabochons for the eyes and an Onyx piece forms the beak.

Boucheron brings the majestic bird to life in the Cypris Tourbillon, a jeweled timepiece that is fitted with tourbillon movement with three golden bridges, ensconced in diamonds and gemstones for the ultimate of jewellery and watchmaking!

Price is not a concern for those who will drive a vintage 1956 Porsche to attend a ball…

I seldom admire watch that is made with more jewellery than a watch itself, but somehow there is exception.

HK Snob

Some of the most sucessful watches in the past 40 years

Written by HK Snob using a Montblanc 1972 masterpiece Model 82 Fountain Pen on Blank Paper..

HK Snob

Rolex Submariner 16610LV

A Limited Green Bezel made of ceramic Rolex Submariner, first time for Green bezel, It was almost no way to get one a few years ago. This is a pre-owned one friend of mine wants to trade in...(Sold finally)
HK Snob