Horological Meandering

POTM - February - Luis6

 

Dear friends
Time for second POTM interview
This time in age of Aquarius and month of Aquarius we
have our dear member that is also Aquarius ...Luis6...a propos or what

Moving to another continent to meet another member

Sit back relax and enjoy
Yours
D

1.      Please introduce yourself!

The idea behind my username “Luis6” is a simple one. “Luis” is the name given by my Spanish teacher. I learned the language for two years, but still cannot do a proper conversation.

6 is just kind of a lucky number.

I’m an Aquarius born in Taiwan in the early 1970s, which makes me about the same age as our moderator Baron Darko “Ares501”. I also happen to have the same occupation as his. No, not a PuristSPro moderator, not a binge drinker, but someone who tortures you during your college days with incomprehensible syllabi, endless reading lists, demanding assignments and unsolvable exam questions, but still kind enough to give you an A+.

My beautiful wife has been kind enough to understand my passion for watches. She actually knows quite a bit about watches, as I found out in the past couple of years. Sometimes I wonder if she’s been a lurker on our forum.

My two boys have also been gradually developing interests in watches. “Start them young; raise them right,” as I was told.

The 16-year-old currently owns two solars, one quartz and two automatics. Yes, he is a Real Madrid fan.

And the 14-year-old is happy to have this G-shock as a daily beater.

My boys have also learned to appreciate the craftsmanship involved in more refined pieces. Here the 16-year-old is experiencing the joy of winding the H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Small Seconds.

And the 14-year-old has clearly expressed his affection for this A. Lange & Söhne 1815.

Watch related topics bring regular fun to our family life. A business magazine that I subscribe to normally has a full page of watch ad on the back cover. We always try to guess what brand is featured on each weekly issue before unsealing.

2. How did you discovered WatchProSite and what it means for you to be one of PuristS?

It was back in August 2013. I bought a Montblanc Star World Time GMT and wanted to share my joy with other watch lovers.

After browsing through several watch forums on the internet, I found what I described as “the biggest Montblanc loving crowd on any watch forum” here on WatchProSite. That was my very first post, as a response to an existing thread. Of course I did not know at that time that this would start my journey as a Purist. I vividly remember how I was warmly received by Melvyn “MTF”, Robin “jrwong23”, Mike “mkt33”, “jporos” and other PuristS.

Being one of PuristS means a lot to me. The knowledgeable and experienced members have been my inspirations, and the friendly and welcoming atmosphere really makes me home. I learn, have fun, exchange ideas and make friends here. It’s now an inseparable part of my daily life. I believe all members will agree that it’s the people who truly make this place wonderful. Our tastes for watches may differ (which is a good thing), but our love for watches is the same.

3.      What watch are you wearing today and how you choose watch “of the day”?

As I am typing now, I’m wearing a JLC Reverso GT.

I like to give my watches relatively equal amount of wrist time, so I rotate among them frequently. I change watches almost daily, and the same watch normally won’t stay on my wrist for more than three consecutive days. For casual outings, any watch will probably do. For vacations, I prefer to wear watches with 50m water resistance or above in case of any unplanned encounter with water. I don’t like water sports, but at least I can swim . Most of my watches will not look out of place with a suit and tie, except for the apparently sporty looking ones. I don’t have a proper watch for tuxedos or tailcoats, but will definitely get one if I am to be awarded the Nobel Prize.

4.      What is your favorite watch/brand/complication?

I think each brand has something that deserves to be looked into. But when it comes to my favorite brands, I will say A. Lange & Söhne and H. Moser & Cie.

Is it a coincidence that I like “xxx & xxx”, such as Tom & Jerry, Thomas & Friends, Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote, The Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries and so on? Oh, I don’t like Sex and the City.

Which one do you like?

Now, back to my favorite watch brands.

A. Lange & Söhne needs no introduction here. I will probably agree with whatever praises you give to the brand, from the German aesthetics to the craftsmanship.

For, H. Moser & Cie, I like the entrepreneurship that runs within this independent family-run manufacturer. As their product line suggests, H. Moser & Cie is an “Endeavour” who strives to preserve traditional Swiss watchmaking, a “Venturer” who is not afraid to speak out and take a stand, and a “Pioneer” who continues to explore and experiment while consolidating the foundation built by the predecessors. Besides, my personal experience can also confirm that the way H. Moser & Cie connects with customers is superb.

My favorite watches, if I have to choose from my collection, are the platinum Richard Lange and the H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Centre Seconds Concept Cosmic Green.

This platinum Richard Lange is the only watch with a grail status in my mind that I actually own, so far. I don’t think I can design a better manual winding time only three hander timepiece with hour markers than this.

And this H. Moser & Cie Cosmic Green is the only watch I’ve ever ordered without actually seeing it in person. That says how much I like it. I don’t think I can design a better manual winding time only three hander timepiece without hour markers than this.

There are also other brands that I like a lot, such as Jaeger Lecoultre, Girard-Perregaux, IWC and Blancpain.

For JLC and GP, the Vladdy Moderators (I say it Very Moderately) “amanico” and “blomman” are the ones to be blamed, I mean thanked, for getting me interested in this two brands. Other active members (including the first POTM of 2017) on these brands’ forums are also responsible, but I’m not going to name you all so you can feel less guilty. Although my WW.TC has been sacrificed for a good cause, as someone who considers himself a member of the GP gang (which consists of not just GP watch owners but also lovers, I believe), there is always a guaranteed place reserved for a GP watch (preferably a blue dial one) in my box.

As for IWC, although we don’t have a forum for the brand on WatchProSite, we still have a fair amount of photos and discussions, thanks to “nilomis”, “cazalea”, “HSTE” and other friends. In July 2016 I got myself an IWC Mark XVIII Top Gun Miramar in Lucerne as a souvenir of my family vacation. It was the first one sold by the then newly opened IWC Lucerne boutique, as the staff told me.

(Photo taken at the IWC Lucerne boutique)

The 41mm lightweight ceramic case is scratch resistant and has a low-key profile. The watch has an anti-magnetic inner case and is water resistant to 6 bar (suitable for swimming, according to IWC). All these features make it a perfect tool/travel watch for me.

And last, but not least, Blancpain. Thanks to a certain forum member’s enabling power, I’m now a happy owner of this modern classic.

My favorite complication?

I would say the decimal minute repeater. It’s a straightforward and intuitive way of telling the time audibly and mechanically. Simply marvelous. This obviously makes the A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Minute Repeater my dream watch.

(Photo from the official website of A. Lange & Söhne)

5.      When and how you discovered horology?

Now this is interesting. I used to be a guy who saw watches merely as a tool of telling time, and never understood why someone could be so passionate about it. On a Sunday afternoon in October 2012, I decided to figure out this watch obsession thing, simply out of curiosity. I began to browse through several major watch forums, both domestically and internationally. A few weeks later, I finally found the answer, and it was also then I suddenly realized that I too have been bitten by the watch bug!

“Curiosity killed the cat,” some warned.

“But satisfaction brought it back,” others replied.

As far as my watch adventure goes, the full sentence seems to be right: “Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.

6.      What element of the watch is for you make it or break it factor?

I can’t really decide what will make it for me, as I’m pretty open to any design languages and ideas. Anything that grabs my attention will be considered. If there is anything that will break it for me, it might not be the watch itself, but a badly managed or dishonest brand, if there is any.

Oh yes, there is one thing actually. For a watch with small seconds, I don’t like to see the sub-dial being cut out by a date window or hour marker, and I don’t like a date window inside the sub-dial either. Here is an example (a randomly selected photo from the internet).

I prefer to see the sub-dial in its full shape, with nothing else but the seconds hand only. I have skipped many beautiful watches due to this single factor. But of course this is just an inexplicable personal preference of this immature watch nerd.

7.      If you could design your own watch what would it be and what it would look like?

Maybe a decimal minute repeater with big date and analog display of time. 39mm platinum case with grainy silver/greyish dial. But I’m not sure whether it will look good or not. Lack of imagination. And I don’t know if it is technically achievable. Lack of knowledge.

At the same time, I’m still dreaming of a Girard-Perregaux Chronograph with the following features: 38mm (not only a balanced size, but also to accommodate a transparent case back for a properly proportioned movement display.), stainless steel case, blue sunburst dial, pulsometer, manual winding movement, and a sensible price tag. This one should be much more achievable in the foreseeable future. OK, I can accept 40mm so that GP can make a watch to delight both me and Mr. “Crown Comfort”, and I’m sure that CC and I are not the only ones who would love to own such a watch. www.watchprosite.com

Come on, Girard Perregaux, you know you can do it!

8.      What is the watch that will last leave your collection and why?

If I can only keep one watch, it has to be my Dad’s Rolex 16233.

In 1990, Dad's best friend bought him this watch as a gift for Dad's 50th birthday, with the exact date stamped on the paper. That friend is a special person who has been and still is a true blessing to our family. In recent years Dad has only been wearing a quartz watch for convenience reason, so he gave this 16233 to me. Since he knows little (ok, basically nothing) about mechanical watches, he never had the watch serviced! So I took it to the local Rolex Service Centre two years ago for a full service, and it came back in beautiful and healthy conditions.

In fact, I don't wear this watch often, either. Yet it will never leave my collection because it now represents the "double blessings" from both my dad and his friend. It will definitely be the heirloom of my family.

By the way, this is the Citizen Eco-Drive that my Dad wears now. 10 bar WR. Lightweight titanium. Perfect daily wearer.

9.      What do you love and hate about watch industry today?

I like the wide variety of ideas and designs. I don’t have a very creative and imaginative brain, and that’s why I like to see other people’s work with an open mind. At the same time, I am really upset by the recent (Nov. and Dec. 2016) news of Breitling and Vulcain considering a sale. I know this might be an inevitable result under the current market conditions, but I also hope we can see more romantic stories like how Mr. Charles Vermot saved Zenith.

Another thing that I don’t like is brand snobbery. Although it’s not something about the watch industry itself, it’s definitely not uncommon among people who are interested in watches, especially for someone like me who owns a watch like this:

I love baseball, and was a decent player during my college days. This watch was introduced in 2015 to celebrate the inaugural World Baseball Premier 12, an event in which the best twelve baseball nations competed for the top glory. My country, along with Japan, were selected to be the two host nations. So I bought this watch for what it means to me. Our national team manger received one, and the MVPs of the two semi-final and the final games were also awarded one respectively. I’m a proud owner of one of the 100 pieces.

As mentioned previously, I think every brand has something that deserves to be looked into, be it horological significance, historical importance, functional improvement, technical advancement, technological innovation, aesthetics, philosophy, and even marketing ideas. Since our tastes vary and our reasons for each acquisition differ, I always respect other people’s choices, and see if I can learn to appreciate things from different perspectives.

10.      What was the evolution of your collection and how do you see it in next decade?

As a summary of the evolution of my collection, I’ll copy my own words from another post, with some revision.

My journey into the watch world began in December 2012 with a reputable brand and a solid piece: a two tone Rolex GMT Master II. To make it a pair, my wife also took a Rolex Datejust with mother-of-pearl dial. We thought: that’s it! Only to find out later that this was just the beginning.

As my interest in watches grew, I started to explore a wider range of brands, and consequently owned some of the popular and iconic ones such as Panerai PAM111, Rolex “Hulk”, Rolex SS Daytona, Zenith El Primero, IWC Aquatimer, etc., just to name a few. After having these watches for some time, I thought it might be a good idea to “upgrade” (which could be the wrong word in some aspects). So I got an AP RO DualTime and later a PP Aquanaut.

Some of the aforementioned watches, being popular/iconic brand/models, often brought me compliments and attentions from other people. To be honest, I quite enjoyed this spotlight feeling initially. As time went by, however, I began to feel a little tired of and even uneasy with it. I asked myself: “What do I want from my watches? What do I expect my watches to bring me? “

In the early stage of my watch journey, I thought I would only buy watches that I like and would never consider selling any of them. As time proceeded, however, watches came and went. Don’t get me wrong. All the watches that I’ve ever owned are fantastic. I’ve never regretted owning any of them, and I am grateful to them for their company. Neither have I regretted trading any of them because they all contributed to other incomings.

Some people might see me as a flipper. It’s absolutely fine. But flipping is not necessary a bad thing. On one hand, each watch has been a milestone, celebrating and marking the phases that I’ve gone through. On the other hand, each watch has also been a stepping stone that helped me move onto the next stage. Looking back, it was a process in which I’ve challenged, battled with, and eventually returned to my inner self. I’ve learned to go with my heart and wear whatever makes me smile, regardless how other people think. I must thank all PuristS friends and all the watches I’ve had for accompanying me through this journey of self-reflection and understanding.

I also can’t thank my wife enough for her support. Her suggestion that I should get a Cartier Santos 100 to pair up with hers resulted in me having my first time only watch.

This Santos 100 actually helped overcome my psychological barrier of insisting on having date indicators on my watches. It gave me a taste of what a simple time only watch can bring: a peace of mind.

My wife currently has a small collection of four watches.

There are no patterns here, but I found some interesting facts:

*Two automatics, two quartz.

*Two on bracelets, two on straps.

*Two with lumed (although weak) hands, two without lume.

*Three time only, one with date.

*Three with roman numerals, one without hour markers.

*Three with diamonds on the bezel, one with screws. (She doesn’t like smooth bezel?)

Another important finding is: All her watches are apparently feminine in looks and sizes. None of them suit me. But a few of my watches are quite neutral and fit her nicely. So hers will remain hers, but some of mine could also be considered hers.

How do I see my collection in next decade?

Well, I don’t have a clear idea at the moment. As long as all the brands and watchmakers continue to innovate and be creative, there will always be watches that catch my imagination. I’m open to any possibilities. Perhaps one day I will like a watch with an “incomplete” small seconds sub-dial. Never say never.

11.      What other hobbies do you have?

I like watching all kinds of sports, especially football (soccer), rugby, cricket and baseball. The first three sports are not popular in Taiwan, but I got really interested in them during my five years of study in the U.K.. Any fellow alumni of The University of Nottingham here on WatchProSite?

The first ever football match I went to was at Meadow Lane, the home ground of Notts County F.C., the oldest professional football club in the world.

Baseball is the biggest sport in Taiwan, along with basketball. But for some reason that I don’t know, I’m not into basketball. During my college days, I played baseball (as a catcher) and softball (as a third baseman) a lot. I hit a homerun with this rather ugly batting form in an intercollegiate softball competition, if you choose to believe me. J

Now I play golf once a week with my dad and friends. I do everything righthandedly, except swinging a baseball bat or golf club.

Even heavy fog like this could not stop me from playing. After all, I’m not bothered by weather conditions like this because my ball often ends up in the bushes, waters, bunkers or on the wrong fairways.

Do you see it says ”MP” on my cap? No, I’m neither a Member of Parliament nor a Military Police. But I do like Monty Python, especially one of its members: Michael Palin. I bought a complete set of Michael Palin’s travel documentary produced by the BBC, and thoroughly enjoyed every episode.

Of course I also enjoy travelling around the world in person to see the beautiful sceneries, experience different cultures, and meet fellow PuristS.

Saturday 11^th July 2015. Zagreb, Croatia.

Baron Darko recommended “grappa” to me. I thought it was honey in the glasses, as the man looked like a beekeeper with those black and yellow colors. This photo was taken by a bartender who insisted on taking only Croatian Kuna, but no Taiwanese dollars. Thanks to his stubbornness, I had no choice but be Dr. D’s guest. By the way, I honestly think that I look younger than him.

If you plan to visit Taiwan, give me a shout. We can have GTG and whisky test tasting at the same time. The Kavalan distillery is located in my hometown, only a five-minute drive from our family’s old village cottage.

Or if you come during Christmas holidays, we can go to this restaurant within walking distance of my father-in-law’s house.

12.      Your life motto and life philosophy is…

“Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

But I’m not very successful in putting these words into action, I must confess. Life is a never-ending learning process. I need to be purified, and that’s why I became a Purist to learn from you pros, PuristSPro.

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