Timepieces- Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust Lady

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust Lady

I tried to pick up this watch about two months ago for my Mom's birthday. While it was well over six months after this Rolex Oyster Perpetual Dayjust Lady first launched, the shop still had not received any stock.

I thought this would be a great watch for my Mom because of the beautiful rose and white gold bracelet and the rich chocolate brown dial. It has just the right sprinkling of diamonds around the bezel and I particular like the diamond pave Roman numeral VI. Scintillating without being tacky- a fine balance not a lot of Rolex watches can claim to master.

And at 31 mm, it's still noticeable without being dominating- perfect for my Mom's dainty wrist.

They're now finally available to buy! So maybe this will be something I'll look into for Christmas!

Timepieces- Harry Winston Cluster of Time

If you think the wristwatch is obsolete for telling time, then I assure you the handy ticker has nothing on the pocket watch. But since watchmakers seem to have exhausted the oversized trend that blossomed over the past few years, I suspect they're hoping pocket watches will become the new collector cult favourite.

Glashütte Original No. 1

This year saw several interesting pocket watches. Most elegant I think was the Glashütte Original No. 1, handsomely sized gold piece with a clean and simple Roman numeral enamel dial, a material the watchmaker is very gifted at working with.

Hublot Liberty Bullet

The more bizarre pieces that showed up this year are the Chopard L.U.C Louis-Ulysses The Tribute and the Hublot Liberty Bullet watch. The Chopard piece features a mechanism that allows the case of the watch to be worn on a leather strap or a bracelet and also to be fitted as a pocket watch. The Hublot piece is even more outrageous. The bulky piece, shaped like bullet (!!!) can also be worn both as a wristwatch and a pocket watch.

Chopard L.U.C. Louis-Ulyesse The Tribute

Seems there's not much in the ladies department in terms of pocket watch. Well, maybe with the exception of Breguet's various ladies' pieces. Most recently generating a bit of a buzz (really, just a bit?) is the recreation of the Marie Antoinette No. 1160. One of the many pieces commissioned by the Queen, she sadly never witness the splendid glory of the piece in her lifetime.

Breguet Marie Antoinette No. 1160

While I love the exquisite craftsmanship that goes into producing these pieces, I'm also a strong believer in the idea that a good watch should be practical. Dare I say that all of the pieces I mentioned are just an extravagant showcase of the watchmakers talents. This excessive showmanship has little user value in my eyes. Albeit, they're undoubtedly coveted treasures for serious collectors.

I truly think there are only two reasons why anyone would want a pocket watch- 1. a genuine appreciation for the traditional artisanship that goes into crafting a beautiful, intricate timepiece and 2. to put on a show.

Harry Winston Cluster of Time

Well, I think Harry Winston just gave women everywhere a third reason to covet a pocket watch- The Cluster of Time.

This is a bit of a cross between pocket and pendant watch. I think there's nothing chicer than being discreet. Hence, if I were ever lucky enough to own something like this, I would definitely wear it as a pocket watch.

Several cuts of diamonds are used to build this piece. Each of the diamonds on the back are set at an angle to create volume and depth. The face side of the piece is equally sparkling, with a full pave of stones. It hangs on a long diamond chain that can easily loop twice around the neck.

The watch is designed to be read lifted upwards, hence the hands seem to be moving in the 'wrong' direction when hanging from the chain

It's probably the most likeable women's timepiece of the year. It's a beautiful pendant and it's a watch, which makes it perfect even for ladies who don't care so much about watches. The way the diamonds are set on an angle allows them to catch the light any way you position the piece.

Harry Winston is great because it's one of the very, very few jewellery houses that's really got a good hand on watchmaking. It's not making watches just to move sales. The passion the house puts into fine complication watchmaking, as seen in the Opus series which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, is unquestionable. So, although the Cluster of Time is awe-inspiring, it's no surprise our man Harry is capable of creating a jewellery timepiece of this calibre.

Timepieces- Graff Galaxy Ladies

Graff Galaxy Ladies

A watch with lots of diamonds has become linked with tackiness. As more women are striving for mechanical sophistication, there seems to be a lessening emphasis on jewellery timepieces, especially for women who deem themselves watch collectors.

But of course, not all diamond watches are tacky. And when diamond on dial is done gracefully, it can really be marvellous. Take this incredible watch by Lawrence Graff, the Graff Galaxy Ladies. Sure, there's a lot of diamonds, over 30 carats in fact, and you can barely read the time on the dime-sized dial. But who cares!

The name for this watch is right on; its like the milky way- a snapshot of a twinkling constellation. The 70 diamonds that make up the bracelet are not set on a white gold platform. Instead they are set individually on prongs and then linked together, giving the watch a chain-mail like effect. The fluid bracelet moves rather freely with the contours of the wrist.

When Michel Pitteloud, Graff's watchmaker first showed me this watch, it seriously took my breath away. While the jeweller is making serious efforts to present itself as a haute horlogerie manufacturer, I do believe Mr. Graff finds it hard to sway from his dazzling roots in diamonds.

And it goes without saying that it was a laborious task to find diamonds of the same calibre for this masterpiece. Pitteloud agreed that if it wasn't a project by the house of Graff, this gem-intense design would never have been realised.

Cool findings- Unblock Me

So I was trying to peel myself from this iPhone game to blog. I told my self I would put it down when I get to level 200. But then it turns out the game doesn't end at level 200. So I decided, why not write about this app.

I've played this game back when it was first launched on the iPhone 2G. The reason I picked it up again yesterday was because, well, both my parents are hooked! My Dad took over my iPhone 3GS when I upgraded to iPhone 4, so naturally he began exploring the phone and its various applications.

I downloaded Unblock Me for him and he immediately became addicted, staying up way past his bedtime to solve the puzzles. The next day he introduced the game to my Mom. She asked my brother download the game on her phone. Ever since, the two of them have been trying to out-solve each other.

My Mom is so addicted in fact, she plays between commercial breaks! Pretty funny!

Fun findings- Drakes of London

Nifty ties from Drakes of London

I obviously don’t know much about menswear. And before this weekend, I hardly knew there was so much that goes into creating just a tie. I headed to the opening of The Armoury, a new menswear shop in Pedder Building, Central. And there, I met a cool Englishman called Michael Drake.

Michael Drake

The very funny, and very charming Michael brought with him to the opening his collection of ties, scarves and pocket squares. This man was responsible for designing that signature checker for British brand Aquascutum. So he’s deficiently got the authority on commentating in this subject matter.

Thirty years ago, he branched out and created his own brand Drakes of London. While is collection consists of all aspects of menswear, his focus in Hong Kong is on ties and scarves. He does an incredible job mixing the classic with the contemporary, mastering a look that rides the fine line boring bloke and the chic cosmopolitan.

And with that old school English look making a big comeback, it’s easy to imaging why a classic name likes Drakes of London is generating new found fame among hipsters and gentlemen alike.

And he offered me this great quote about mastering the look of a sophisticated gentleman: “Men should never seek to be fashionable. Instead they should strive to be stylish.”

I guess the appeal of a man clad in red pants and a pink mob is really very dismal.

Stuff I love- Yo-Yo Ma, Soul of the Tango, The Music of Astro Piazzolla

Yo-Yo Ma, Soul of the Tango, The Music of Astro Piazzolla, 1997

Yo-Yo Ma! Astro Piazzolla!!!

A great friend of my got me hooked on this. My favourite CD of any genre- Yo-Yo Ma's Soul of the Tango, The Music of Astro Piazzolla. I don't know anything about music. But what I do know is the incredible emotions this music evokes- exhilaration, love, lust, humour and grace.

Originally released in 1997, I don't think I got my hands on it till around 2000. Nevertheless, the passion and the energy of the notes by Astro Piazzolla transcends time. It's great for driving, walking around town, chilling at home, and just about anywhere else, anytime.

Yo-Yo Ma plays The Soul of Tango, The Music of Astro Piazzolla

I love Yo-Yo Ma because, well, he's such a diva! Check out this video. The way he's seemingly completely one with the music!

Sidebar on Yo-Yo Ma. The friend who got me the CD, who's also a musician, met Yo-Yo at a masterclass. My friend ran into him in the washroom and caught Yo-Yo leaving without washing his hands! And ever since, our on going joke is that, he's been waxing his strings with his 'special formula' and that's why he plays so well.

Things that make me cry- Lan Yu

Lan Yu, 2001

A perfect interpretation of how love destroys innocence. The 2001 film Lan Yu stars Liu Ye (recently one of my favourite actors) and Hu Jun about a college guy who gets picked up by well-off business man.

There's somehow something very beautiful about so called "May-November" romances. The coming together of a naive mind and a seasoned soul inevitably leads to self-discovery. Someone who has nothing to loose with a person who has been mistreated by life and has grown cautions seems a formula for disaster. And when the world thinks the youngster is bound to learn a few life lessons, the more mature half of the relationship turns out to have plenty to gain too.

I love the feeling of being protected and taken care of. And I love knowing the person I'm with is incredibly intelligent, is great at something that I'm not and is someone from whom I have plenty to learn from.

I think that's mostly why younger people find themselves attracted to people with experience. And in Lan Yu's case (as portrayed by Liu Ye) , it's nice to find someone you feel like you can depend on during a time of change and uncertainty (when he moved away from home to go to college).

The sad truth is, be it willingly or not, seems the younger one in the relationship finds a way to escape the insecurity and self-doubt of the seasoned soul (the character Chen Handong played by Hu Jun).

It's so touching to see what an innocent spirit is capable of; wholeheartedly and naively believing in true love.

Timepieces- Gerald Genta Octa Fantasy Tourbillon

Gerald Genta Octa Fantasy Tourbillon

It's not something new but it's definitely something to desire. This Gerald Genta watch, a part of the Octa Fantasy collection, combines two extremes, Mickey Mouse and the tourbillon, into an attractive timekeeper.

The man is noted for is fantastical creations that mix playful details with extreme complications. The Mickey Mouse watches are no doubt icon of sorts for the watchmaker.

Cool story: I actually met Daniel Roth, the brand's watchmaker, some two years ago at BaselWorld. I own a Mickey Mouse watch. Of course it's nothing like this incredibly pricey mechanical masterpiece. In fact, I got it for a couple hundred bucks at Disneyland. It's got an oversized dial that's well into the 40mms. But the reason I got it is because of this hands; the hands of the watch are literally hands, Mickey's hands for that matter. It's incredible the amount of attention I got at the fair from fellow journalists, collectors and a few watchmakers.

My Mickey Mouse watch

So back to the Daniel Roth story. I met him at the Gerald Genta/Daniel Roth booth at Basel. He saw my watch and immediately demanded that I take it off so he could have a look. As I fidget to hand over the timepiece, he tells me he's working on a piece with moving Mickey Arms. He then proceed to take of his watch- a Daniel Roth Endurer, and offered me a trade! He examined my watch for a bit and was rather impressed with the lacquered stainless steel inlay of Mickey.

Daniel Roth Endurer with a chronometer at 6 o'clock position

And of course, we switched back at the end. But nevertheless, it was still pretty neat to have spent some time with the master watchmaker.

Fun findings- Instagram

My brother told me about this cool iPhone App, Instagram.

Basically, it's like Twitter except you post photos instead of a short blurb of text. It's amazing because people do some crazy and beautiful things with their simple iPhone camera! You can also tweak your pictures with all sorts of effects.

Here's me. I've got six followers and a few photos going so far.

My Instagram feed

This is one of the photos I uploaded. It's a picture of a Flash art piece by Chinese artist Bu Hua.

Cute Flash art by Bu Hua

Here's a list of popular posts. You can click to follow other users.

A good sampling of photos from around the world

You can follow me @lumbear :)

Timepieces- Breguet Reine de Naples Hour Strike

Breguet Reine de Naples Hour Strike

The Breguet Reine de Naples Hour Strike. Launched back in March at BaselWorld, I can seriously say this is my favourite watch of the year out of everything I saw at the show. Mechanically, you wouldn't expect anything less than perfection from Breguet- It's the first ladies automatic watch to be fitted with the hour strike function, a seemingly useless but very charming complication.

When the function is switched on, the gong strikes three times (if I remember correctly) at the hour every hour. You can also set it off just for the heck of it with the pushers on the side. What is the point of such a function, you may ask. Well, for the purpose of keeping time, watches are obsolete. But the genuine passion and craftsmanship that goes into producing something that is as 'useless' as this is very moving.

The watch, with its oval case dotted with diamonds just around the bezel, does not scream 'I'm filthy rich and don't actually even care about reading the time.' It's elegant, it's sophisticated, it's a work of art for the wrist.

Everyone who knows me has heard me declare my love for this watch. One day, if I ever get married, I would like this in place of an engagement ring. It's the ultimate timeless declaration of love!

Things that make me cry- Yue Minjun

As I get older, I find myself crying at pretty much anything that's remotely touching. That includes everything from limping dogs, grannies collecting cardboard on the streets, the cheesiest TV shows, and some very good movies.

And to sum up why I will be talking a lot about things that make me cry- Sometimes you need to be sad to be happy. I know it sounds very pretentious and over-analytical, but this is the truth. The truth is, beauty is the source of sadness for many things. A painting, a song, a story, a a relationship; sadness is beautiful. This is what the dormant romantic in me thinks.

Things that make me cry:

So, what's making me weep today? This incredible painting.

Between Men and Animal, Yue Minjun, 2005

I think anyone who slightly keep their eyes open to the arts will recognize the fascinating works of Yue Minjun. His paintings and sculptures have been analyzed to death and are pretty much the most notable representations of the incredible success enjoyed by contemporary Chinese artists today.

Why it makes me cry:

Well, first of all, it's pretty awesome! The use of contrasting shades and the cheery smiles certainly has a strong, compelling affect on the psyche. But the 'I can't catch my breath or keep my eyes open' laughs are also what make this painting a bit sad for me. When you repeat something many, many times, it begins to loose its meaning. I think that's what the artist is trying to express here- sometimes we lie to ourselves to a point that maybe we start to really believe in it, but by then, whatever you were striving to achieve with that lie looses its meaning.

And the stripped identities and blurred individuality of the people in the painting; It's how I feel sometimes too. You spend your whole life thinking you're going to be something great one day. On your way there, you conform and redefine yourself to fit the model of success. And then one day, it hits you- you've lost sight of everything you believe in and is just another faceless soul in the crowd. Pretty sad, huh?

I'm here!

I signed up for this blog a long while ago, but I haven’t been committed enough to produce anything besides my profile. So here I am on a my final days at the job, not having my lunch during lunch hour.

What do I do? I write advertising copy for a magazine. A mindless job that slowly nibs away at your soul. Not exactly what I had in mind when I said I wanted to be a writer and a journalist. But it pays the bills. I had only recently come to terms with my current employment situation when a colleague of my, who’s stuck in a similar situation, told me I should seek for satisfaction outside of my job.

So now that I finally decided to look elsewhere, I've quit my job.

If you read my profile you’ll probably have a gist of what my plan for this blog is. Exploring the trends among the ever-growing population of the adult-child and all things that amuse us.We’re all children at heart; it’s a cliché and its true. But there’s no reason why we can be children who indulge in the finer things and the pursuit of the unknown, even if we can’t quite pay the price.