CROWN Malaysia December 2016

Ong Weisheng Stylist Formerly an in-house stylist for a high-society magazine, Weisheng brings eight years of experience to his freelance work. Fond of constructing mini sets for his shoots, Weisheng believes in tailoring his style to suit the subject matter; an approach evident in his evocative watch and jewellery spreads. Brian Jones Writer Brian is a freelance writer and editor who was born in the outskirts of Washington, D.C. and currently based in the outskirts of Seoul. Along with writing on all things horological, he’s been known to pen pieces on men’s fashion, sports and popular culture. When he’s not writing, he can be found travelling the continent, fumbling in his attempts to speak the local tongues. Charmian Leong Writer After seven years of full-time employment, four of them spent…

How would you like your news briefs? How about we start with not-so-good and end with something positive to close 2016 on a high note? First up, the latest round of financial reports from the luxury conglomerates don’t make for very happy reading, with the Swatch Group and Richemont Group posting unfavourable returns. Richemont Group, in particular, is taking tough measures to solve its woes, the most noteworthy being the abolishment of the group CEO role. Moving forward, brand CEOs will report directly to Johann Rupert, the group’s chairman. Next, some moderately good news. The downward trend for luxury watch retail can probably be attributed to market cycles. Today, we are seeing the effects of the cooling of the Russian and Chinese buying surge, which has been on a good…

“If you love something or someone, you give it due respect.”Angelo Bonati, Panerai CEO, on the foundation of the brand’s success “WE DON'T PRETEND TO KNOW EVERTHING, BUT WHAT WE KNOW, WE PASS ON.”Philippe Dufour, master watchmaker, on legacy “Remember when a watch manufacturer could just produce anything and find someone who will buy it? Those times are over.”Patrik Hoffman, Ulysse Nardin CEO, on changing customer sentiments he tourbillon has been around for 200 years. What major new innovation have we seen since? The quartz movement? It’s time we buck up.Gregory Dourde, HYT CEO, on the watch trade’s stagnant creativity “Think carefully about where you want your adventure to go.”Stephen Forsey, Greubel & Forsey co-founder, dispensing advice to young watchmakers “It is a little dangerous.”CHRISTOPHE CLARET, MASTER WATCHMAKER, on making…

Panerai Luminor “I bought this watch eight years ago and it’s my go-to watch. I like the size how it sits nicely on my wrist. I’ve a thing for matching my shirt colour to my watch dial, so I’d put on a white shirt with this.” Breitling Chronomat Evolution “This is my one and only gold timepiece! I like how it looks against the steel, and it’s obviously not something I would wear everyday. This Iron Man thing came from my colleagues; they gave me that nickname because they say I’m like Tony Stark, a workaholic.” RICHARD LOW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR A high-flying executive in the insurance industry, Richard Low got bitten by the horology bug in 2001, where he not only scooped up his first TAG Heuer, but also gifted…

From October 28 to 31 December, watch lovers in Malaysia will be treated to ‘An Exquisite Showcase of 100 Complications’ courtesy of Sincere Fine Watches at their flagship boutique in Suria KLCC. As its name suggests, 100 complications worth over RM100 million from 22 different watch brands will be on display, and visitors can expect an astounding spread that spans tourbillons to minute repeaters—with each expressing a unique take on technically inspired haute horlogerie, as well as demonstrating a high level of artisanship and ingenuity. Vice-chairman and managing director of Sincere Watch, Kingston Chu, shares his thoughts on the exhibition. Sincere held the 100 Tourbillons Exhibition in 2014, which was so successful that the company is organising 100 Complications this year. Can you give us a sense of how successful…

Of course, the winners of our inaugural Instagram contest will tell you that receiving the prizes that was the best part of the #CrownMoment Instagram contest. But if you asked us, it was so much more – the creative wrist shots that brought respite to challenging days at the office, as well as the kindred spirits that we met as a result. Two Bremont watches were up for grabs – the Supermarine S500 dive watch that is water-resistant to 500m, and the BC-F1, a fuss-free model with dial design inspired by vintage aircraft fuel gauges. The Supermarine S500 was won by Ronald Chew @horologym, a personal trainer, while the BC-F1 Frank Desvignes @frankdesvignes, chief of digital at AXA. Additionally, CROWN gave away 10 Boxy watch winders sponsored by Forte luxury,…