article to read

[triton]

perform artist are now new ambassdors

this performing artist is born to dare. can you guess who?



click here to read who is next artist to be targeted for watch endorsement

[triton]

bronze and blue dial - the new trend?

bronzes cases with blue dial is the new trend?

read it here

will you bet on it?

[Oceanklassik]

It's probably just me. Still prefer bronze on green

[Oceanklassik]

The Straits Times, life (Monday, September 4, 2017)

Paul Newman's rare Rolex surfaces to go under the hammer

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New York - Who would give the time of day to a 1968 Rolex Daytona once owned by actor Paul Newman?

Maybe not the cellphone-toting masses who think of mechanical watches as anachronistic devices once used by their grandparents. But to the swelling legions of watch geeks worldwide, who think of vintage timepieces as fine art, a Paul Newman Daytona is the one watch that seemingly every self-respecting collector needs to own.

It is coveted all the more because for decades, no one outside the Newman family seemed to know where it was. Well, the secret is out. On Oct 26, the lost masterpiece will go on sale as the centrepiece of a watch auction in New York.

Mr Andrew Shear, a prominent New York vintage watch dealer, said: "I could see it selling for US$10 million (S$13.6 million)."

No one would be more baffled by the commotion than Newman himself. The actor, who died in 2008, may have been a marquee-topping Oscar winner and global sex symbol, but in his daily life, he was the antithesis of Hollywood, said his daughter Nell.

For decades, he lived a quiet life with his family in Connecticut, often driving a Volkswagen Beetle and wearing a three-piece patchwork denim ensemble when circumstances forced him to dress up. Back then, his watch was similarly low-key. Although a modern Rolex Cosmograph Daytona costs US$12,400, the models of the 1960s and 1970s cost about US$250 and were little more than timekeepers for motoring enthusiasts, featuring a stopwatch for timing laps and a tachymeter for calculating speed.

Newman's 1968 model was a gift from Joanne Woodward, his wife of 50 years, when he became consumed with auto racing. The back was engraved "Drive Carefully Me". Even so, the 6239 model that Newman would make famous (he owned at least one other version later) was distinctive and relatively rare. There may be only a few thousand in the world today, dealers said.

Regardless, the actor apparently thought so little of it that he handed it to Mr James Cox, Ms Newman's boyfriend at the time, in 1984. Mr Cox's first inkling that his watch was valuable came at a trade show in 1993, when a Japanese man approached him and excitedly blurted out, "Paul Newman watch".

The legend continued to grow with the rise of the Internet, when vintage shots of Newman, with his rugged good looks, no-nonsense air and cool watch, became a staple of style blogs and Pinterest boards. Not that anyone besides Mr Cox knew where the watch was.

Three years ago, watch site Hodinkee listed it as one of the 12 Greatest Missing Watches, alongside Spanish painter Pablo Picasso's Jaeger-LeCoultre Triple Calendar, ex-Beatle John Lennon's Patek Philippe 2499 and Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro's Rolex GMT-Master.

Mr Cox, who runs a company that makes sunglasses for pilots, was only dimly aware of the hubbub. "At some point about eight or nine years ago, I realized that my watch had its own Wikipedia page and that there was this 'where did it go' question and all this stuff," he said.

But "I've always erred on the side of trying to keep the family as private as possible, and that was just the classy thing to do".

Finally, however, after discussions with watch experts, he spilled the secret in June, when he came forward with his decision to auction off the watch and give "a big Nell Newman Foundation, which focuses on environmental issues.

It is time now for watch collectors to act.

- NYTIMES

[Oceanklassik]

This is another article of the Paul Newman Rolex Daytona in today's Business Times:

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[Oceanklassik]

The Straits Times - Thursday, September 7, 2017

Formula One timekeepers


Watches are integral to the motor racing event and both go back a long way


Luxury watches are small and refined; Formula One cars big and brash. But they make good bedfellows and it is not hard to see why. Both are marvels of great design and even more impressive engineering, and both have a big and loyal fan base.

Their relationship goes way back. Time-keeping is a crucial part not just of Formula One, but also of motor racing in general, and has been so ever since the first documented motor racing event more than 150 years ago.

Without time-keeping, there will be no recording of lap times or race times and no way of determining winners and losers. Wristwatches in motor racing came into the limelight in the 1930s, thanks to the late Malcolm Campbell, a famous racing motorist and motoring journalist, who made headlines for breaking records, sometimes in unsafe vehicles.

On Sept 4, 1935, he set a new land speed record of 485kmh on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah while wearing, he proudly proclaimed, a Rolex. The first F1, as we know it today, took place in 1950 but it was not until 1968 that commercial sponsorship was allowed.

Among the many companies that forked out wads of cash to have their logos emblazoned on racing cars were Swiss watchmakers including Tag and Heuer, which were originally two different companies. Tag even bought a stake in McLaren in 1983.

Three years later when it bought over Heuer, Tag Heuer went into a collaboration with McLaren which went on for 30 seasons. During this time, the watchmaker produced a whole range of F1 timepieces, many in limited editions. Over the decades, many of the biggest names in watchmaking have sponsored F1 teams and produced watches for the event.

Although global TV viewership has waned somewhat, the event still reels in more than 400 million today. The Singapore race attracts an average international viewership of more than 80 million.

Partnerships on the horological grid this year include Tag Heuer and Red Bull, Hublot and Scuderia Ferrari, Bell & Ross and Renault, as well as Richard Mille and McLaren-Honda.


Race watches to look out for

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TAG HEUER CARRERA HEUER-01

Mr Jean-Claude Biver, chief executive officer of Tag Heuer and president of the LVMH Watch Division, says F1 is deeply rooted in the brand's DNA. In addition to three watches under its Ayrton Senna Limited Editions, the brand has also come out with a head-turning chrono in Red Bull's striking colours of red and blue. The forceful 45mm diameter watch comes with a bezel which sports a tachymeter scale in blue ceramic, a blue skeleton dial and a sapphire caseback which allows you to admire the mechanism within.

There are two versions: one in a steel bracelet and the other in a blue leather strap with red top stitching (above). Prices are $8,200 and $7,950 respectively.

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HUBLOT BIG BANG FERRARI UNICO TITANIUM

Hublot's partnership with Ferrari began in 2011 and the collaboration has yielded some arresting timepieces. The Big Bang Ferrari is a new edition of the iconic watch, with a minute counter and date window designed like a car tachometer and style of date inspired by a Ferrari speed dial.

Equipped with a Unico movement, the watch's bezel has countersunk notches for the six screws while the crown - marked with the Hublot logo - reminds one of the Turbo Performance Engineer in the middle of a Ferrari dashboard. The 45mm watch comes with a black strap made from black alacantra on black rubber, with red over-stitching like that seen in Ferrari upholstery; or in black Schedoni leather to reference the design of Ferrari seats.

The titanium edition (above) - of which there are only 1,000 pieces - costs $37,200. There are also editions in King Gold (500 pieces) and uni-directional carbon (500 pieces).

[Oceanklassik]

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BELL & ROSS RS17 TRILOGY

Last year, Bell & Ross entered the F1 arena and launched its first collection of watches with Renault, RS16. This year, it is following up with the RS17 trilogy. Reminiscent of an F1 steering wheel, these chronograph models feature different colours found on the steering wheel of the Renault F1 racing machine.

There are three models. The BR 03-94 (500 pieces at $9,000 each) has a ceramic case and a sporty carbon dial, making it light but sturdy. The start-and-stop push button is rendered in yellow and anodized aluminium, the same hue used by Renault since it entered F1 in the mid-1970s. The BR X1 (250 pieces at $34,900 each) is a new take on the brand's iconic BR 03, with a skeleton mechanism which can be admired through grey-tinted sapphire crystal. The bezel has a tachymeter scale for calculating racing speeds, while the dial flange has hour segments in different colours.

And if you have the means for something unique and different, the BR X1 Tourbillon (above) has a glorious tourbillon movement inside a cage that is fitted on a hub but looks as though it is floating on air. The stunning piece, of which there are only 20 pieces, goes for a cool $245,000.

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IWC INGENIEUR CHRONOGRAPH SPORT EDITION 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF MERCEDES-AMG

This is a new Ingenieur collection launched at this year's Goodwood Members Meeting (Goodwood is a famous venue for motor sport in the United Kingdom). First introduced in the 1950s, the Ingenieur line was developed by IWC to offer protection against magnetic fields generated by modern gadgets such as TV and radio receivers. Magnetic fields can negatively affect the precision of mechanical watches. Boasting elegant classic lines, the new collection runs from a basic Ingenieur Automatic up to a perpetual calendar.

F1 enthusiasts will probably zoom in on the IWC Ingenieur Chronograph Sport Edition 50th Anniversary Of Mercedes-AMG limited-edition model (above). Equipped with the calibre 89361, the caseback has holes drilled in a circular formation to make it look like a brake disc. The words Tribute to One Man One Engine are engraved on the soft iron cage, referencing the fact that every AMG engine is put together from scratch by just one mechanic.

IWC has opted to use red, white and anthracite for different features to reflect the colour schemes found at race tracks all around the world. The 50th anniversary Ingenieur model retails for $17,900.

- by Wong Kim Hoh

[Oceanklassik]

Business Times, Friday, September 15, 2017

Zenith CEO goes against the grain for greater gain

He is also revamping Zenith's website and plans to shrink the physical distribution network by as much as 30%


A DUSTY attic at the Zenith watch factory in Switzerland bears witness to the company's near-death experience and rebirth. Four decades ago, a gutsy foreman hid the dies and punches used to shape the myriad tiny parts that make up a mechanical timepiece, defying orders from the US owners to junk them.

The move saved the company when the Swiss industry, after nearly ruining itself with a wholesale embrace of quartz technology, reverted to mechanical movements a few years later for its high-end pieces. Zenith was able to tap its mothballed tools as watchmakers realized that survival depended on updating their heritage of craftsmanship, not jettisoning it entirely.

Now a new Zenith boss, chief executive officer Julien Tornare, is leading the latest attempt to revive the watchmaker as the industry recovers from the biggest slump since the quartz crisis. He's bucking some of the industry's conventional wisdom, this time with the blessing of the brand's current owner, French luxury conglomerate LVMH.

Surrounded by reminders of 1970s foreman Charles Vermot's actions, he's taking care not to move too far from the traditions of a watchmaker known for conservative designs like its plain-faced steel Elite Classic 3 Hands starting at 4,900 francs (S$6,864).

"If we don't want to become a museum industry, we need to evolve," said Mr Tornare. "Zenith is lacking brand awareness, is perceived as a bit dusty, a bit old-fashioned."

While exports are climbing back after a downturn caused by a crackdown on corruption in China, the rise of the smartwatch and terrorism in Europe, the industry faces a conundrum. Steeped in heritage and the antiquated manual assembly of mechanical watches, it's got to keep the history alive while embracing the demands of a new breed of buyers who might be eyeing Apple Inc's latest watch instead.

While LVMH sister brand TAG Heuer and some Swiss makers have introduced smartwatches, Zenith has no plans to do so, Mr Tornare said. Instead, he's introducing a new mechanical watch that features the first new oscillator since 1675, streamlining the roster of retail partners and encouraging fans to customize Zenith's watches - something that's frowned upon at most high-end labels.

Zenith, a 152-year-old brand whose timepieces sell for an average 7,500 francs, this year became the first Swiss watchmaker to officially partner with the UK's Bamford Watch Department, which modifies and personalizes pieces for clients. Zenith supplies it with components and in turn gets to validate the final product. The aim is to cater to the whims of clients like one collector who seeks watches with three yellow parts in them, Mr Tornare said.

Watchmakers have generally balked at customization for fear of losing control over their design and image. Germany's Blaken GmbH, which modifies and customizes Rolex timepieces, giving them a black tint, notifies visitors to its website that it's in no way connected with or licensed by the Swiss brand.

"It's just the beginning and very complicated to manage logistically," said Mr Tornare. "But it's like when people said they would never sell on e-commerce. You can't say you're not going to do it. If we claim we're innovative, it must not just be the product, but also the culture."

Mr Tornare joined Zenith in May after 17 years at Richemont's Vacheron Constantin, whose watches are considerably more expensive. Forward thinking is needed to attract what the Zenith chief described as a second generation of Chinese buyers - young people who are choosier than their parents and no longer willing to buy anything at any price.

For consumers everywhere, 10,000 francs has become a "psychological barrier" regardless of their financial means, he said. Early sales of the new Defy El Primero 21 range, which starts at 9,900 francs, have been the strongest for any Zenith watch in a long time.

The new CEO is revamping Zenith's website and plans to shrink the physical distribution network by as much as 30 per cent in the next 12 to 18 months, from more than 800 points of sale. Zenith will cut off retailers who don't promote the brand effectively, while looking for new store locations in Beijing and, eventually, New York and London.

Almost all markets are starting to recover, Mr Tornare said, reflecting the broader rebound seen in Swiss watch exports over the past few months. "We see good signs and more optimism on all levels. And the noise around our brand is positive."

- Bloomberg

[Oceanklassik]

Straits Times, life (Thursday, September 21, 2017)

Cartier Tank a style statement

Cartier Tank played a major role in making wristwatches popular in an era when pocket watches were the mainstay

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When it made its debut 100 years ago, the Cartier Tank watch immediately became a style statement. Rudolph Valentino, the original Latin Lover of Hollywood, apparently loved it so much that he insisted on wearing it every day when he was shooting his last movie, The Son Of The Sheikh (1926).

Andy Warhol famously described the Tank as a "state of mind". "I don't really wear it to tell the time. Actually, I never even wind it. I wear a Tank because it's the watch to wear," said the leading figure of the pop art movement who died in 1987. Time has not diminished its appeal.

Its legion of famous fans over the last century include playwright Truman Capote, matinee idols Cary Grant and Gary Cooper, Princess Diana, actresses Angelina Jolie and Catherine Deneuve, former United States First Lady Michelle Obama and fashion designer Tom Ford.

Entire books have been written about the watch including Cartier: The Tank Watch by Franco Cologni. The writer and historian describes the timepiece as a VIO (Very Important Object) and equates its status to "the most famous of human VIPs".

The watch was designed by Louis Cartier and inspired by the Renault FT 17 tanks used during World War I. The prototype was reportedly given to Captain John Pershing, leader of the American Expeditionary Force in Europe during the war, and to several of his officers.

In an era when pocket watches were the mainstay, the Tank played a major role in making wristwatches popular for men. The shape of the case, both a square and a rectangle, was a radical breakaway from the traditional round ones. The strap, meanwhile, is seamlessly integrated into vertical sidebars called "brancards" which look like the parallel treads of a tank.

The simple rectilinear lines were a deliberate departure from the curves and fussy details of the then-prevalent Art Nouveau style, which Louis Cartier abhorred. Instead, he took inspiration from Art Deco and other movements such as cubism. It is rare for any watch model to be produced over such a long period. But the Tank has many things going for it besides its aesthetic appeal. It is gender-neutral, sitting well on the wrists of both men and women.

The other defining Tank features that have enduring appeal include the Roman numerals, the blue steel hands, the blue sapphire mounted on the crown, the brancards and the chemin de fer. The latter refers to the double line, reminiscent of railroad tracks, on the dial of every Tank.

Over the years, Cartier has released different variations of the Tank. It has adopted sizes big and small, been bejeweled and fashioned out of different materials. The first Tank that was produced was called the Normale. Other iterations over the last century include Tank Cintree, Tank Chinoise, Tank Americaine and Tank Francoise.

In June this year, Jackie Onassis' Cartier Tank Ordinaire was auctioned by Christie's for nearly US$380,000 (S$510,600). The buyer was rumored to be reality television star Kim Kardashian. Investment banker Tim Yong, 33, has half a dozen vintage Tanks, which he bought from flea markets, dealers and auctions. "I started collecting them in the early 2000s when I was living in New York," says the Singaporean, adding that he is drawn to the watch's iconic case design. "I think it is one of the best value-for-money classic watches."

One of his more unusual pieces is the Bamboo Tank Coussin from the 1970s, with a yellow bamboo-style case he got from a dealer in Hong Kong. Another is a limited-edition Tank Asymmetric, inspired by, some say, Salvador Dali's melting clock.

Dr Serene Lim, a paediatric anaesthetist, has two Cartier Tanks, one of which is a Tank Louis Cartier and the other, a Tank Basculante with a blue grey dial. First introduced in 1933, the Basculante has a foldover case which makes it unique. It has often been compared with Jaeger-LeCoultre's Reverso. But unlike the Reverso, which has a case that moves from left to right on a horizontal axis, the Basculante flips upside-down in a swinging frame.

Mr Yong says: "The Tank today is like a crocodile. It hasn't changed over the decades. That makes it comforting, timeless and tasteful."


- Wong Kim Hoh

[Oceanklassik]

Straits Times, Home - Oct 10, 2017 (Tuesday)

Supervisor at airport shop jailed for taking watches worth $1.3m

A senior supervisor with Changi Airport's duty-free shop misappropriated $1.3 million worth of luxury watches and pawned them for about $490,000, a district court heard yesterday. To cover his tracks, Tan Wei Shen, 32, would indicate in the shop's stock-count list that the watches had been sent out to the service centre for repairs.

He was sentenced to five years and eight months behind bars yesterday for criminal breach of trust of 46 watches, and six charges of disposing of the items by pawning them at pawnshops. Tan stole the watches between December 2015 and June last year when he was working for Shilla Travel Retail at a Maison de Chronus shop in Changi Airport's Terminal 3.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Vikneswaran Kumaran said Tan misappropriated the 46 watches - comprising one Chopard, 16 Jaeger-LeCoultre, six IWC, three Piaget, 12 Breguet and eight Blancpain models - over the six-month period. He pawned them at two pawnshops.

Investigations showed that some time in May last year, Tan handed a stolen Jaeger-LeCoultre watch to a representative of Bedok Pawnshop and received $25,000 for it. Shilla Travel Retail discovered a shortfall of watches during its stock checks in December 2015 and April last year. But the company trusted his account when he lied that the watches had been sent for servicing.

In June last year, a retail manager of the shop became suspicious when he discovered a shortfall of Breguet watches. He checked the stock list, which indicated that Tan had sent the watches for servicing. But he found out from the service centre that it did not have the watches. When he confronted Tan on June 17 the same year, Tan admitted to misappropriating the watches and was arrested.

He claimed that he spent most of the money on gambling. Forty-five watches were recovered. Tan's lawyer, Mr K. Jayakumar Naidu, said in mitigation that his client had initially misplaced some watches which he was supposed to send out for repair. In order not to let the management know, counsel said, Tan borrowed from friends and his father took loans from loan sharks.

He said his client continued to take watches from the shop, and used the money he received to redeem them every month. Thirty-two similar charges under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act were taken into consideration.

Tan could have been jailed for up to 15 years and fined for criminal breach of trust as a servant; and fined up to $500,000 and/or jailed for up to 10 years for each of the other offences.

- Elena Chong

[Oceanklassik]

Some questions came to my mind in relation to the above article:

1. Is Shilla Travel Retail a pre-owned watch shop?
2. If not, how come their (new) watches need to be serviced or repaired?
3. Does it mean they accept customers' watches to be sent for repair/service?
4. If they even had to send their new watches for repair/service, what does it say about those
brands mentioned?
5. And if this is standard practice across watch retailers in Singapore, would it mean that
watch companies like The Hour Glass, Cortina, Sincere, Watches of Switzerland, etc, had to
monitor and regularly send their watches to service, when they are left unsold for a specific
period of time?

[triton]

the world's most valuable watch brands, read the article here.

rolex is one of the top 10

[triton]

1) Shilla is NOT a preown watch shop. hence, is the article reporting the truth or is it otherwise. sometimes one has to read articles from any sources with a discerning mind. this was taught to be when i was doing my A level.

2) refer to point 1. sometimes one has to see the BIGGER picture.

3) some watch retailers do accept watches on customers' behalf to be sent to the respective service centre for service/repair. if a watch retailer accept on customer's behalf, there is usually a written down a service form where customer will get one copy for reference.

4) refer to point 1. in an event where the new watch requires service, would you as a walk-in customer know? most watches are checked periodically before it is put on display.

5) there are some protocols that these watch retailers adopt to monitor stock level. some protocols have loopholes where it can be exploited by any level of management. if you want to know more, you can contact me to know it offline.

Some questions came to my mind in relation to the above article:

1. Is Shilla Travel Retail a pre-owned watch shop?
2. If not, how come their (new) watches need to be serviced or repaired?
3. Does it mean they accept customers' watches to be sent for repair/service?
4. If they even had to send their new watches for repair/service, what does it say about those
brands mentioned?
5. And if this is standard practice across watch retailers in Singapore, would it mean that
watch companies like The Hour Glass, Cortina, Sincere, Watches of Switzerland, etc, had to
monitor and regularly send their watches to service, when they are left unsold for a specific
period of time?

[Oceanklassik]

Read about the record-breaking S$24.38 million Daytona here!

[Iceheller]

Watch brand or luxury brand...

the world's most valuable watch brands, read the article here.

rolex is one of the top 10

luxury or watch? pp is not even inside so it is taking about affordable luxury... not really watch brand only lah.