Watches encompass culture, emotion, patience

A. Junaidi The Jakarta Post/Singapore

Many cultures give an important place to the concept of time. In Western nations, the importance of time is illustrated in the saying; "Time is money" while in an Arabic phrase: "Time is a sword", shows that time can kill if we do not use it wisely.

In the distant past, people would observe the movement of the sun and moon to determine the time. They then developed clocks and watches to measure time more precisely. But as times have changed, people no longer look only at their watches to know the time. They can now see the time from their cell phones and through other electronic means.

Is this the end for watches? No, of course not. This could be seen from the thousands of people visiting Tempus, The Great Watchapade, a five-day watch fair organized recently by The Hour Glass Ltd at Raffles City Convention Center, Singapore.

Besides looking at expensive watches, people also attended seminars and observed how independent watchmakers demonstrated their skills at the fair, which commemorated the 25th anniversary of The Hour Glass company.

"It's not only a watch. It's culture. We show people watch- making process and educate them on the values of watches," The Hour Glass deputy general manager Michael Tay said at the opening of the fair.

Tay said the fair, which was modeled on the annual world watch fairs in Basel and Geneva, included five full days of educational and hands-on activities related to the world of quality watch- making.

He said the fair was also an opportunity for watchmakers and chief executive officers to meet their customers and watch collectors, some of them Indonesians, from Asian countries.

More than 35 renowned luxury watch brands were displayed at the fair, including Audemars Piguet, Bvlgari, Cartier, Chopard, Corum, Daniel Roth, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Montblanc, Omega, Patek Philippe and Tag Heuer, with prices ranging from US$11,250 to US$20 million.

Several independent watchmakers, such as Philippe Dufour, Vianney Halter, Kees Engelbarts, Thomas Prescher, Roger Smith, Volker Vyskocil and Urwek gave a presentation at the seminars and exhibited their watches.

They are called independent watchmakers because they have set up their own brands and have not merged with big brands, such as Bvlgari, Cartier, Tag Heuer, and so on.

The independent watchmakers usually produce only a few watches a year and sell their products mostly to collectors at events such as the Basel and Geneva fairs.

Vianey Halter, one of the independent watchmakers, said independent watchmakers usually worked for big companies before deciding to set up their own companies.

"My personality meant I preferred to be independent. So I quit a big company and set up my own. Although it's small, I'm satisfied," Halter said.

Another independent watchmaker, Philippe Dufour, who lives in Valle de Joux, Switzerland, said people loved watches and would be willing to pay a high price mostly due to emotional attachment.

"It's emotion. You wake up in the morning, touch your watch and wind it," said the 56-year-old Dufour who produced about 20 watches a year under his own brand name.

He said a collector currently would have to wait for at least three years to get one of his watches, which were known for his philosophy of "simplicity".

Watch collectors must be patient, as they may have to wait for a long time before getting their very exclusive watches.

BOX: About The Hour Glass

The Hour Glass Limited is one of Asia Pacific's most established specialist watch retailers. From a one-boutique operation in Singapore in 1979, which was founded by Henry Tay, The Hour Glass Group has developed into a regional network of 18 retail stores in Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia and Thailand.

The Hour Glass has opened stores in strategically located shopping belts, such as in Gayson Plaza in Bangkok, at 1 Utama in Kuala Lumpur and in Ginza, Tokyo.

Henry Tay, a medical doctor who graduated from Monash University, Australia, inherited his expertise on watches from his father Tay Tuan Kee, the oldest retailer of Rolex watches in Singapore.

"Watches are my lifeline. They are in my blood," the 60-year- old Tay was quoted by The Straits Times as saying.

Tay who once practiced in his medical clinic for two years, set up the first The Hour Glass shop in Lucky Plaza in the famous shopping area on Orchard Road.

The company, which cost S$1 million (US$625,000) when it was set up, has grown to be worth US$200 million. It has acquired some Swiss brands, such as Daniel Roth and Gerald Genta, in 1994 and 1996, respectively.

In the business, Tay was helped by his wife Jannie, a Malaysian who also graduated from Monash University and quit her job as a lecturer at the University of Singapore.

His 28-year-old son, Michael Tay, who graduated with a degree in business and international management from Oxford Brooks University in the UK, seemed intent on continuing the family business.

Tempus, the Great Watchapade, which cost US$1.5 million to organize, was Michael's idea. He wanted to set up a watch fair in Asia similar to the annual fairs in Basel and Geneva.

"If it's a success, we could run the fair every two or three years, or even annually," Michael said.

A.Junaidi