Celebrity Life

Catherine Png, Paneristi and director in the IT industry shares about her collection.

The post Watch collector: For this enthusiast, watches are a passion best shared with family appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

Catherine Png, Paneristi and director in the IT industry shares about her collection.

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.

Patek Philippe begins a new chapter for the Twenty~4, while retaining all elements of the continuing story.

The post Fresh New Looks On The Patek Philippe Twenty~4 appeared first on LUXUO.

Bridgerton has been the talk of ‘the ton’ since it launched on 25th December - over 63 million households tuned in to watch the Netflix period drama in its first 28 days.

Inspired by Anthony Bridgerton’s trusty pocket watch and the eclectic mix of characters; pre-owned watch specialist Watchfinder & Co. has put their learned skills to the test to determine what each character would likely wear in 2021. Don’t worry no spoilers here, just pure unabridged fantasy!

Anthony Bridgerton

Anthony Bridgerton is a busy man. Juggling the responsibilities of taking over from his father as the head of the Bridgerton family, seeing his sister through her first social season, finding time to call in on his songbird mistress Sienna and still managing to drop by the gentleman’s club and take in a few boxing matches is no easy feat. Today, Anthony would rely upon something like the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso. With its interchangeable style, thanks to its reversable face, this watch can adapt to many social setting. On top of this the Reverso also keeps to the most accurate time, ensuring Anthony can continue to keep all those plates spinning a little longer.

Buy the watch – JAEGER-LECOULTRE REVERSO DUO

Benedict Bridgerton

Aspiring artist and all round dreamer, Benedict, is the second eldest of the Bridgerton siblings and yearns for something other than the endless society balls he finds himself attending. Benedict dreams of turning his artistic hobby into a full-fledged career, and soon finds himself looking outside the world of ‘the ton’ in order to achieve it. Nowadays Benedict would likely wear something like a Franck Muller Vanguard. A watch brand that has enjoyed its own artistic journey. The Vanguard blends a classic watch case style with modern artistic colours and materials outside the normal canon of watchmaking – a perfect blend of watchmaking and artistry. How perfectly Benedict.

Buy the watch - FRANCK MULLER VANGUARD

Colin Bridgerton

The witty and charming Bridgerton brother, Colin, may well have taken a liking to the newest young lady in town but his heart belongs to travel. A Patek Philippe World Time is the obvious watch choice for this aspiring globetrotter – one of the signature complications from the Maison and much sought after by travellers around the world. The World Time allows the wearer to track the local time of 24 capital cities simultaneously, whilst still being quintessentially elegant – much like any other Patek Philippe. It’s the indispensable sidekick for any would be grand tourist.

Buy the watch - PATEK PHILIPPE WORLD TIME

Daphne Bridgerton

The picture-perfect young debutante who packs a punch (literally). Daphne has been waiting her entire life to make her grand debut on the marriage mart and does so with such aplomb that she is named the diamond of the first water. But there is more to Daphne than meets the eye – beautiful and demure on the outside but Daphne is also smart and determined and strives for absolute perfection… Much like the bejewelled work of the Piaget Altiplano which carries a complex manual movement encased within an exquisite case of white gold and diamonds.

Buy the watch - PIAGET ALTIPLANO

Eloise Bridgerton

Certainly the most vocal of the Bridgerton household, Eloise is not one for pomp nor ceremony. Having no interest in following in the footsteps of her sister Daphne, she has an incurable sense of curiosity, a lust for education and has little time for the restrictive gender roles of the period. Eloise would be perfectly paired with a Grand Seiko - a Japanese brand known for throwing two fingers up at the rest of the watch world in the 70’s when it fundamentally changed the status quo of the watch industry by introducing new and progressive technology that left many of its peers at the wayside. And whilst this titanium 43.5 MM is technically classified as a men’s watch… who is Eloise to be restricted by convention?!

Buy the watch - GRAND SEIKO SPRING DRIVE

The Duke of Hastings

Rife with scandal, intrigue and glamour, the new Duke of Hastings, one Simon Basset, is the most sought-after bachelor in London. His impeccable appearance, taste and style (although he wears too much black according to Lady Danbury) juxtaposes his distinct lack of interest in his title, society, or taking a wife. A true enigma. He is reserved and keeps his emotions close to his chest, but morally upstanding and values honour. The obvious watch pick for Simon Basset is a 2020 Rolex Submariner in steel and sleek green ceramic - a watch that is as sought after as it is scarce. Produced in very much finite numbers, the current demand for the modern take on perhaps the most iconic wristwatch ever produced far outstrips its supply, with waiting lists of up to 5 years long…

Buy the watch - ROLEX SUBMARINER 126610LV

Queen Charlotte

The veritable tastemaker of London society, Queen Charlotte. It’s only fitting that a modern day monarch pick something made by the ‘Jeweller of Kings, and the King of Jewellers’ – Cartier. Exclusivity is the currency of luxury so a limited edition befits Queen Charlotte – perhaps the baroque themed Cartier Tortue minute repeater. Produced in an extremely limited run of just 25 pieces. This classically designed wristwatch, in 18k yellow gold, is a true feat of watchmaking, and with its iconic chiming system it ensures all eyes will be on the owner!

Buy the watch - CARTIER TORTUE MINUTE REPEATER

Lady Portia Featherington

For Lady Featherington it’s all about show. From the brightest dresses to the tightest corsets, Lady Portia Featherington is entirely focused on keeping up with the Joneses and wearing her wealth and style (read: poor credit and broken promises) for the whole world to see! The Hublot diamond set Classic Fusion would be an obvious go-to for posey Portia, given its confident, unrelenting and flashy nature, this diamond encrusted device has the natural born will to dazzle all those who look upon it.

Buy the watch - HUBLOT CLASSIC FUSION

Penelope Featherington

The youngest and perhaps most vicarious member of Featherington family; Penelope is an intelligent girl with a sharp wit and kind heart. She would prefer to quietly sway near the perimeter of any ballroom rather than take centre stage. And whilst she is able to move through most social settings without stirring much attention or fuss, she is not one to be overlooked or underestimated. Penelope’s pick is the Rolex Oyster Perpetual. It’s not just any watch, the Perpetual is a direct descendant of the original Rolex Oyster - the world’s first waterproof wristwatch. Smart and sophisticated yet entirely unassuming – the green dial even provides a subtle nod back to her mother’s lust for all things green!

Buy the watch - Rolex OYSTER PERPETUAL

The post Modern-Day Bridgerton: The Watches They Would Wear appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Launching this spring, Wristcheck is setting a new standard for pre-owned luxury watches aimed for the new generation of collectors. And behind it all is the 24-year-old Austen Chu.

I first met Austen Chu in 2019, and through all the conversations that we’ve had since he’s always struck me as extremely well put together, independent, and wise beyond his years. There’s no doubting his knowledge and passion for watches, something he’ll tell you he’s developed since kindergarten when he first learned to tell the time. His mother had bought him a Flik-Flak because of it.

Today, he’s a valuable client of some of the world’s most prestigious watch brands. Patek Philippe allocated him a watch after he correctly predicted that year’s novelty before it was even released. And Audemars Piguet periodically lets Chu break the news of its new watches – even before traditional media. In 2020, Chu marked an incredible milestone when AP’s CEO, Francois Henry Bennahmias, allowed him to help design an 88-piece limited-edition titanium Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar watch that was retailed exclusively in China.

You almost forget how young Chu is – he’s still in his early twenties – until he tells you of his days of clubs and partying. A personal favourite: the night he spent in a park in Switzerland, drunk and unable to find his way back to where he was staying, as he cradled a newly bought grail watch, the Audemars Piguet Openworked Perpetual Calendar 25829ST.

“That story is funny,” he recalls. “I was with a friend and we were staying at his sister’s house in Geneva. We picked up the watch at a second-hand dealer, because it was already discontinued, and I remember I was wearing my 15400 when we got the new watch. It was nearly dinnertime and so we just decided to get drunk for some reason, because that was the most expensive watch I’d ever bought in my life by far.

“We got really drunk and both our phones were out of battery, and when we got into the taxi to get home all my friend could say was, “strasse, strasse,” which just meant street. We spent the night going from convenience store to park, still drunk, just waiting for morning to come so we could go and charge our phones. It was really funny. I mean, how did we get ourselves into this situation? It takes a special kind of stupid,” he says, laughing.

Chu has always had an entrepreneurial spirit about him. Born to a middle-class family and raised by a single mother in Shanghai, he’d started his first business – a public relations company for Shanghai’s lively club scene – while a teenager; by the time he was 19, he’d sold it. Today, in line with his own interest in watches, he’s launching a new venture, a pre-owned watch retail platform called Wristcheck.

His partner in the project is Sean Wong, a fellow watch collector and the senior vice president of Hypebeast. Their vision for Wristcheck was simple: to bring the same level of luxury and cool factor to pre-owned watches as Hypebeast did for street fashion. There’s already a lot of anticipation for the opening of its showroom, located in a prime spot in Landmark right next to the Tiffany & Co boutique on the first floor. The showroom opens in February, and Chu promises that it will look amazing.

Chu connected with his new business partner through, of all people, Wong’s five-year-old son. “It was completely serendipitous,” says Chu. “Sean had this segment on Hypebeast for kids, where the interviewer was a five-year-old, interviewing different people in different industries. They reached out to me and I thought it was a great series. And it turned out the kid was Sean’s son.

“It was actually the hardest interview I’ve ever had to do in my life,” Chu says with a laugh. “Because a five-year-old asks the most unexpected questions. I remember I was speaking about taking photos of watches. I said that it was a hobby of mine. And his follow-up question was, ‘What’s a hobby?’ But it was great. Sean and I grabbed lunch a week later and we really got along.”

The concept of Wristcheck had been brewing in Chu’s mind for some time, so he was grateful to find a partner in Wong. “I told him, look, I’ve been planning on doing this for a long time. But I need to find the right partner to do it with. I need someone with operations experience, and I need someone who understands my vision and believes in that. I’m just very thankful that Sean did.”

In many ways, Wristcheck is an evolution of what Chu’s been doing on social media for years. In 2017, he created the Instagram account @horoloupe to talk watches with the watch community. Today, he has more than 120,000 followers, all eagerly lapping up the content he posts. Many of the watches are rare and hard-to-find pieces from his own collection: Audemars Piguet is an obvious favourite, but you’ll also find Rolex, A Lange & Söhne and Patek Philippe. Recently, Chu has also been looking more into independent watchmakers, so Rexhep Rexhepi, MB&F and FP Journe have also made appearances.

All the photographs are his own and, more importantly, each caption is thoughtfully worded to be informative and educational. “Social media played a big role in starting Wristcheck,” Chu explains, “because I was able to see the huge disconnect in the market between the next generation of watch collectors and the current generation of collectors that traditional media caters to today.

“That’s not to say that traditional media weren’t true pioneers in their time,” he adds quickly. “I remember when all these watch blogs popped up and I thought, ‘Wow, this is amazing.’ Prior to that, all you had access to were the watch forums and they had the worst user interface.”

Having grown up with technology at its fingertips, the younger generation wants to consume knowledge, make up its own mind about things and not be told what to think by brands and traditional media. “We’re scrolling through our phones all the time, learning about discontinued models that we didn’t know existed,” says Chu.

What Wristcheck tries to do is to inspire the next generation through editorial, and provide a safe and secure exchange

Austen Chu

This new generation of big spenders, who’re used to queuing up for Air Jordan Ones and spending thousands of dollars on shoes, are now looking to place their money elsewhere. And this is where Wristcheck fills the gap. It’s not just a retail platform – there’s also a content-creation component to it. Knowledge is key, as are transparency and openness.

“At some point, every brand was the coolest brand on Earth,” Chu says. “In the 1990s, you had Breitling. In the 2000s, Franck Muller. I think my mission is to showcase all of that and say, hey, you know what, these are awesome,” says Chu. “Our generation is into knowledge-based collecting, we’re into learning. So, what Wristcheck tries to do is to inspire the next generation through editorial, and provide a safe and secure exchange. We’ll publish everything. We’re going to break down our fees, all our costs, where our money’s going.

“At the end of the day, transparency is the future of luxury. People care about where their products come from, they care about the source,” says Chu. Wristcheck will be carrying accessories as well, one of which is a brand called Parts that sells watch straps made out of apple skin, which looks and feels like leather.

In an industry that’s sensitive to flippers and dishonest dealers, pre-owned can be a tricky business. Because Wristcheck only focuses on pre-owned and discontinued models, Chu says that brands he’s worked with so far have been nothing but supportive. Wristcheck will be open to consignments in the future, but for the opening, Chu is focused on independent brands that he’s sourced himself.

He’s brought some of them over to show us. One exciting piece was the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Laptimer Michael Schumacher. Only 221 were made, in tribute to the number of Formula 1 points-scoring races by the seven-time champion.

“This piece shows how much AP cares about its people because this watch came out after Schumacher’s accident. It’s basically a new kind of complication, like a split-second chronograph but with the ability to time consecutive laps on the racetrack,” says Chu. “It’s an amazing watch.”

The post Austen Chu: What’s the Hype? appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Express your love in a... timeless way.

The post A Lady’s Gift Guide for a Timeless Valentine’s Day appeared first on LUXUO.