CROWN Malaysia June 2017

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. Yeo Suan Futt, Writer As a generalist, a career in writing has enabled Yeo Suan Futt to pursue his many interests. He started out as a trade journalist covering the timber and woodworking industry, before moving on to writing on a host of topics in the lifestyle press, including men’s interest, motoring, cuisine, travel, technology and timepieces. He has also authored several volumes on local true crime. Celine Yap, Writer Having spent more than 10 years in luxury watch journalism,…

How quickly June has come upon us! It felt like just last week that we were at the Baselworld fair, getting our fill of all the new timepieces on display, and speaking to various watchmakers and CEOs. Though it was the fair’s centenary this year, there was no big fanfare to mark the occasion. The crowds, too, looked smaller than in previous years, speaking volumes about the state of the global economy. But despite the drop in attendance, the atmosphere was just as vibrant as before. This year, exhibitors looked to be putting extravagant pieces on the backburner, concentrating instead on commercially driven pieces to drum up sales. But make no mistake—commercial doesn’t mean boring, it just means that watch brands are trying harder than ever to figure out what…

GEORGE WONG CEO OF SILVERMALAYSIA On paper, George Wong runs a precious metals investment firm, but those who know him reckon his real job title should say ‘professional hobbyist’. With interests that span photography, martial arts, and felines, among many others, it’s not a surprise that a love for watches lands squarely in his stable. Parallel to his philosophy on investing, George is always on the hunt for a timepiece with the best value. Seiko Nano Universe Limited Edition + Seiko 5 Sport “Only 500 units of the Nano Universe were made, in four different versions. It uses the Seiko 5 movement which is old but affordable. Luminox 3050 Series “I don’t buy expensive watches simply because I’m too rough, always knocking them about and scratching them! I was lucky…

“IF BEING ‘COMMERCIAL’ MEANS BEING SUCCESSFUL, THEN SURE, I WOULD MAKE A ‘COMMERCIAL’ WATCH.”Christian Lattmann, Jaquet Droz CEO, on mass appeal. “You cannot have five babies in two years.”Jean-Claude Biver, LVMH head of watchmaking, on having patience. “Would you buy a diamond ring for your fiancée off the Internet?”Nayla Hayek, Harry Winston CEO, on online retail for luxury brands. “IT’S LIKE WE ARE A BIG FAMILY, AND HE IS DAD.”Anthony de Haas, A. Lange & Söhne product development director, on the late Walter Lange. “The customer has to fall in love at first sight.”Thomas Meier, Glashütte Original CEO, on the importance of good design. “We make gold products at silver prices.”François Thiébaud, Tissot president, on affordable luxury. “It is art for art’s sake.”Thierry Stern, Patek Philippe CEO, on tourbillons. “YOU CAN’T SUDDENLY DECIDE…

If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about horology but were too shy or embarrassed to ask, here’s the perfect solution: the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH) has just launched a ‘Watch Essentials’ training app. Designed as much for professionals as for watch newbies eager to boost their horological knowledge, topics range from basics like ‘Terminology’ and ‘External Parts’, to in-depth subjects like ‘Complications’ and ‘Market Players’. Keen to test our own watch knowledge (yes, writers always need a little reassurance!), we took the app for a spin and ended up spending an entire morning engrossed in its interactivity and ease of use. Each section starts with a video, followed by a quiz. Score enough points and you get to move on to the next section. With each completed…

We are not quite sure if we are seeing a predilection among chin-stroking designer-types for open-worked, cybernetic designs here, but the winning watches from Hublot and Armin Strom both seem to say that it is so. Hublot picked up the ‘Best of the Best’ prize at the 2017 edition of the Red Dot Award with the Big Bang Meca-10 Magic Gold, while Armin Strom snared the top spot in the watches category at the same awards with the Mirrored Force Resonance. Both watches are markedly different, though. The Big Bang Meca-10 Magic Gold is a time-only watch powered by one of Hublot’s most recent in-house movements, the HUB1201, with 10-day power reserve. On the other hand, the Mirrored Force Resonance is based on a traditional complication known as ‘resonance’, whereby…