STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY

The iconic form of the Santos continues to lend itself to a host of creative variations.

Santos de Cartier Chronograph in steel with black ADLC-coated bezel, 43.3mm

Cartier Santos-Dumont in rose gold and steel, 31.4mm (large model)

Santos de Cartier in steel, 39.8mm

Santos de Cartier Skeleton ADLC “Noctambule” in ADLC-coated steel, 39.8mm

TALKING TIME YU CHYE FONG

Civil servant and fan of small yet striking watches

A FINE ART

THIS WATCH FAN FAVOURS PETITE TIMEPIECES THAT PACK A PUNCH.

HOW MY LOVE FOR HOROLOGY BEGAN:

“I was introduced to horology by a collector friend and former colleague around 2011. He used to talk about jewellery and watches as movable investments as opposed to, say, property. I got my Patek Philippe Calatrava 150th Anniversary Officer’s watch, which was released in 1989, through him. But I started small – my ﬁrst ‘serious’ watch was an Oris automatic.”

A GRADUAL EVOLUTION:

“When I ﬁrst started buying watches, I stuck to timeless classics such as the Omega Constellation and the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso. Smaller watches appeal to me and ﬁt better. However, in recent years, I’ve grown in my collector’s journey and become more attracted to unusual pieces that combine ﬁ ne movements with elegance, playfulness and vibrant colours. For instance, I have two Chopard Happy Sport watches, one purple and one green, which I recently bought a year apart. I like the colours and the guilloche details on the dials.”

WHY MY WATCH BUDGET HAS SWELLED:

“In the last two years, I’ve visited the Chopard and Jaeger-LeCoultre facilities in Switzerland. I was introduced to the processes involved in watchmaking, and had the chance to try some hands-on activities. At Chopard, all I had to do was put some screws into place. Even though it sounds easy, it was quite challenging because they’re so small that if you use a bit more force, they go ﬂying. When I ﬁrst got into horology, I balked at the thought of paying a thousand dollars for a watch. Then seeing the effort and details that go into watches helped me understand why they cost so much. ”

ON STATEMENT STYLE AND STARS:

“When buying watches, I’m ﬁrst attracted to their aesthetics. I bought my ﬁrst Parmigiani – the Tonda Metropolitaine Selene – a few years ago at an event by The Hour Glass. I liked its mother-of-pearl dial with a ﬂoral design. Just this year, I got a Parmigiani Kalparisma with diamonds and an aventurine dial. I usually don’t go for bling watches, but I really liked the galaxy theme with its sparkling dial and a star indicating the seconds.”

WATCHES > BAGS:

“Aside from watches, my other main indulgence is travel. I don’t buy branded stuff – except for watches (laughs). A number of my friends like designer bags, but I can’t see the same amount of details and effort that go into a watch going into the making of a bag. Some watches are really works of art. If you asked me to spend $10,000 on a bag, I’d rather use the money to buy a watch.”

THREE WATCHES THAT BEST REPRESENT MY COLLECTION: