GALVEN TAN Investment property consultant
SURE WINNERS
AN INVESTMENT PROPERTY CONSULTANT ON THE VALUE – MONETARY AND PERSONAL – OF TIMEPIECES.
A HOBBY BEST SHARED:
“I’ve always fancied watches. When I first started working in 2004, a good friend showed me a pre-owned Rolex Submariner. It was a regular one with a black dial. I bought it with my first salary and it’s still one of my favourites. A few years ago, the same friend came across this IWC Pilot’s Watch Double Chronograph ‘Top Gun’ (pictured), which he didn’t plan to get. I liked it at first sight because I thought it was unusual, so I got it instead. Later, he bought one as well – now we have the same watch.”
FORWARD PLANNING:
“Most of my watches are Rolex sports models. Even though I don’t sell them, I like watches that hold their value over time. This is important because, like the Patek Philippe tagline says, you’re holding on to the value of your watches for the next generation. That’s what I intend to do in future – divide my collection for my sons, who are now nine and four.”
IT’S A DATE:
“The date display is very important to me. When I want to check the date when I’m writing a cheque or signing a document, I’ll look at my watch rather than my phone. I have a Rolex Yacht-Master II, which doesn’t have a date. I thought I could live with that because I like its unusual dial, but I get frustrated when I look at it for the date and it’s not there. So I wear it on the weekends instead of regularly.”
CAR OR CALENDAR WATCH:
“The Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Ref. 5205G-010 (pictured) was my first significant watch at that price level. The year 2014 was a good year business-wise and I was thinking of buying a Mini Cooper S with manual transmission as a fun second car. But my wife didn’t like to drive then, so a second car would have been purely for fun and I would have probably been sick of it after a while. My brother-in-law said: ‘Why don’t you buy a watch instead?’ That made sense.”
SIGNS OF THE TIME:
“I generally like watches that are practical and hold their value. The Panerai Luminor Sealand ‘Year of the Dog’ (pictured) is probably an exception [laughs]. But I like the design and it has personal meaning for me. I got it for my wife, who was born in the Year of the Dog, for Valentine’s Day in 2017. She’s not into watches and literally rolled her eyes at me and said: ‘What use would I have for this?’ So I kept it and sometimes take it out, wind it, look at it and put it back. I also have the Monkey edition because my younger son’s Chinese zodiac sign is the Monkey. I’m looking for the Rabbit and the Horse for my older son and myself, respectively.”
WATCHES
THAT BEST REPRESENT MY COLLECTION
Rolex Oyster Perpetual Sky-Dweller in rose gold
01 HAUTE TOPICS
Mixing fine dining with fine watchmaking is a recipe for virtue.
In the world of luxury, anything worth doing is worth doing imperiously well. the credo of exclusivity, it can even bring two otherwise disparate worlds — haute cuisine and haute horlogerie — together in one sphere. According to Blancpain, “watchmakers and great chefs alike demonstrate a fascinating ability to assemble a wealth of components and ingredients so as to create masterpieces”. Incredibly, the Le Brassus watchmaker isn’t just passionate about diving watches and carrousels. ever since it presented Frédy Girardet with a specially engraved watch after he won the World’s Best Chef award in 1986, the brand has been rubbing shoulders with the culinary elite.
Three more commemorative watches were given to Girardet and his contemporaries, paul Bocuse and Joël Robuchon, for being Chefs of the Century three years later.
With this, Blancpain’s gastronomic ties were formed and included active participation as the official timekeeper for various culinary contests.
Its circle of friends and ambassadors also grew to include some of the other sharpest names in the industry, including Julien Royer, Martin Berasategui and edgar Bovier.
Blancpain’s association with fine dining became even stronger when the watchmaker recently announced a three-year global partnership with the Michelin Guide. the two will celebrate and promote both parties’ touchstones of “excellence, passion and expertise” in more than 20 events a year.
02 MALE ELEGANCE
03 PERFECT BLUE
04 FLIGHT PLAN
Now that CeO Georges kern is steering Breitling onto a more heritage-driven path, vintage fans can look forward to additional retro revivals. Following the success of the Navitimer Ref. 806 1959 Re-edition, another iconic pilot’s watch has been given a faithful makeover. the aVI Ref. 765 from 1953 is back with a new movement (Calibre B09), increased water resistance (30m) and two new case materials (red gold and platinum) but that’s where the modern concessions end. thanks to input from renowned collector and Breitling consultant Fred Mandelbaum, the styling, down to the millimetre, remains virtually unchanged. there will be 1,953 pieces offered in steel, while the red gold and platinum editions are limited to 253 and 153 pieces respectively.
