Author Archives: Timmy Tan

Watches & Wonders: What and Who

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The “WATCHES&WONDERS” exhibition will be held from 25 to 28 September at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Photo: © WATCHES&WONDERS

The “WATCHES&WONDERS” exhibition will be held from 25 to 28 September at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Photo: © WATCHES&WONDERS

Touted as an event that will be the “first of its kind” in Asia showcasing the “very latest creations in the world of haute horlogerie” is the “Watches&Wonders” exhibition which will be held in Hong Kong from 25 to 28 September 2013.

“Watches&Wonders is the platform for fine watchmaking that is being brought to Asia. It is the personal delivery of the season’s latest [watch creations],” says Fabienne Lupo, chairwoman, Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH).

Since the year’s novelties from the participating brands are being showcased, how different will Watches&Wonders be as compared to the annual watch fair – the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) which was held in January?

“SIHH is a trade fair for retailers and the press. The business has been done. September is the period when [most of] the products will have already been made available to the retailers.

“Watches&Wonders is a cultural platform. The focus is on the participating brands’ experience, expertise and know-how; to allow each brand to educate and explain their patrimony.

“The brands will be presenting their craftsmanship. The different savoir faire from the brands are being highlighted to show the art and technique involved in making fine timepieces. Watches&Wonders is for expressing the expertise and general culture of fine watchmaking.

“The agenda for Watches&Wonders is very different from SIHH. At SIHH, the brands show what they do; [at Watches&Wonders] in Hong Kong, they will show who they are,” explains Lupo.

Richard Mille (Founder, Richard Mille) & Fabienne Lupo (Chairwoman and Managing Director, Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie). Photo: © TANG Portfolio

Richard Mille (Founder, Richard Mille) & Fabienne Lupo (Chairwoman and Managing Director, Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie). Photo: © TANG Portfolio

The 13 participating brands of Watches&Wonders are A. Lange & Söhne, Audemars Piguet, Baume & Mercier, Cartier, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Montblanc, Panerai, Piaget, Richard Mille, Roger Dubuis, Vacheron Constantin and Van Cleef & Arpels.

Watches&Wonders is totally different, reiterates Richard Mille, founder of his own eponymous watch brand. “Many people do not fully understand [the differences between the two exhibitions]. Is Watches&Wonders a duplication? It has absolutely nothing to do with it [SIHH].

“At Watches&Wonders, the participating brands will express their watch culture. Why? Because watchmaking developments can be complex. At Watches&Wonders, the brands will have the time to take care of more journalists. Moreover, there will be auction houses and banks participating as well,” says Mille.

One key highlight and attraction which even we will not want to miss is “The Mastery of Time” exhibition by the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH). It is in line with the content published in a book of the same name published by FHH and Flammarion. Written by historian Dominique Fléchon, the book details the evolution of timekeeping from ancient times to the present.

Around “100 artifacts and historically significant timepieces illustrating man’s ingenuity over the centuries in conquering his temporal environment will be exhibited”, according to an official Watches&Wonders statement.

For example, early spring-driven portable clocks and the first watches which were worn around the neck thanks to a cord or chain, also known as the haute époque watches will likely be among the items going on display.

In short, Watches&Wonders is more than just gaining a first-hand view of the year’s new collections, it is also about appreciating the history of watchmaking and how its evolution has allowed mankind to progress.

As Franco Cologni notes in his foreword in the 456-page tome The Mastery of Time, “… it is certain that the evolution of timepieces has accompanied, and even advanced, the history of civilization.”

Ressence: Look Disc Way

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Ressence Type 3 mechanical wristwatch by Benoît Mintiens. Photo: © Ressence

Ressence Type 3 mechanical wristwatch by Benoît Mintiens. Photo: © Ressence

It was excitement at first sight with the Ressence Type 3 mechanical watch. Its smooth curves were one thing but what made it an emotional and attractive piece was its kitchen timer look.

Moreover, what captivates is the very inviting thought that perhaps you can actually adjust the settings by simply touching the dial. But that is not to be; it only appears so because of what the brand claims as the “world’s first world fluid-filled refraction-free display” on its Type 3 mechanical wristwatch.

“The orbiting indications are bathed in a fluid that refracts light like air so the indications appear to be displayed directly onto the sapphire crystal, closer to the eye of the beholder.

“The high contrast white indicators against the black dial appear to be projected onto the top crystal as if onto a screen,” according to Ressence. The result? “Type 3 offers a tangible feeling of being able to touch time itself.”

We agree. But how does it tell time given the somewhat complicated look? This is where its true beauty emerges.

The time-telling features of the Ressence Type 3 are not as complicated as it looks. It only provides the hour, minute, seconds, day and date displays on the “regulator”-type dial.

The Type 3 mechanical watch provides highly legible time-reading of the hour, minute, seconds, day and date. Photo: © Ressence

The Type 3 mechanical watch provides highly legible time-reading of the hour, minute, seconds, day and date. Photo: © Ressence

Moreover, this timepiece, as highlighted by the brand does not have any hands. The “hands” seen are actually imprinted on the dial, well, rotating discs to be more precise. Do note too, that the entire dial revolves as well.

The longest pointer is for indicating the minutes, the shorter one for the hour and the sub-dial with the 1 to 6 numerals is for the continuous sweep seconds. The sub-dial with the orange pointer is for the days of the week where the two “empty pill-like” indexes represent the weekends, namely Saturday and Sunday.

The hand display on the hour disc which takes over the “responsibility” of the numeral 12 is actually the symbol of the brand. Is it not ironic that a “hand” logo is used for a watch with no hands?

Not really, as the brand notes that the hand is “a universal symbol of humanism”. More importantly, the hand “is also the icon of the harbour city of Antwerp in Belgium”. This is where the brand, founded by industrial designer Benoît Mintiens, is based.

The date, by the way, is referenced by using the orange triangle and where it points to.

The use of orange is a nice touch and something we very much enjoy as mentioned earlier in: “The power of the colour orange.”

It is therefore no wonder why it easy for us to enjoy the look of this watch which is a much improved version of their Series One. Somehow, there is this constant itch to touch the watch and the cure it seems, won’t come cheap because from what we understand, the Type 3 is priced at around 25,000 euros.