My watch stories

Recently i was talking to my brother in law about watches and it made me think about the watches i have and more importantly the stories behind each watch.

Tag Monza - the watch that started it all

When i was 15 (or 17), at one of dad's dinners, there was this sharply dressed young guy that came and he had presence. I saw his watch and it was a tag (those days i did not know what tag was). He told me he was 28 and he looked successful. I told myself on that night that i would buy a Tag before i was 30. At 27, i had my first successful year at work and i realised i had found my career path as a fixed income trader. I bought this watch then and it will always be special for me.

Rolex Oysterdate Perpetual -

This one is heritage. My grandmother bot this watch for my grandfather for MYR162 or 167 in 1962 or 1967 (i get mixed up on the 62 and 67). My dad told me about this watch that was just sitting at home as it was not working. I saw the watch and knew that it had to be fixed. I asked my dad for that watch and i spent the 2k to fix it. Recently i was in Korea and walked into a vintage watch shop and found the listed price at USD3500. If you price that, that is a 40 yr investment with a 9% return. Truly amazing.

Maurice Lacroix 3 time zone GMT with alarm -

I remember going for a cortina sale and I saw a Baume & Mercier watch that had 3 time zones and an alarm. It had a grey face and was classic. It was 6k (from retail price 10k). I remember the guy telling me that it had a GP movement and that GP had stopped supplying the movement a few years back. I knew the watch had collectibility but i just could not pay the 6k. I wish i did coz that watch spoke to me. So awhile later, walking in BSC, i do my normal run thru at the watch shop there and that guy Leong shows me a Maurice Lacroix watch with a white face and its the exact face - 3 time zone GMT with alarm, except thats a white face. It was 10k. Every month for a year i went there and saw that watch. The next year i bought that watch. I wished there was a reason for the purchase but there was none. I just saved to get it as it spoke to me as well. Most of the websites list the sale price at USd4500, thats more than 40% what i paid.

Sinn U1 -

I bot this when we covered Ilyana's uni fees. I was targetting MYR450k (currently have upped this to SGD300k now) at that time for 3yrs uni fees in UK and with EPF and all, we succeeded. I was proud and needed to mark that success and i bot the Sinn. The best watch i have for the money i paid. This was the start of buying watches to mark points of financial success. I have seen listed prices from GBP1000 to USD1600. About 25% higher than what i paid.

Vulcain Diver Cricket Alarm -

This is my worst buy to date. I liked how the watch looked and the cricket alarm was interesting but now the face has a scratch and i hardly wear the watch and the time keeping was poor. I got this watch in Singapore when we knew that we had a buffer account up to 6mths our expenses in Singapore. In 2008, i moved this target to 1yr and in 2009 to 2yrs (am still working on that target).

Tag Monaco Gulf Ltd edition -

This is my favourite watch now for two reasons 1) i did not buy it (Yaso got it) and 2) it marks 15yrs of us being together and 10yrs of being married. Its a great watch and its fun to look at.

The new one -

i have narrowed down that the next watch i get is a Rolex DeepSea Dweller. I like the look and its slighlty more unique than a submariner. This one i am going to get only when we have covered Sahana's uni fees of at least SGD300k. We have been working hard for this and if you see me with this watch then you will know the reason.