Category: Collectibles

Historic Horology: A look at Breguet’s storied past and modern triumphs

The latest edition of Breguet, Watchmakers since 1775 has just hit the shelves. Author and historian Emmanuel Breguet – a direct descendant of the company’s founder – announced the book release at an intimate event in Hong Kong last week.

The original tome was published in 1997 and gained such popularity among horology enthusiasts that it quickly sold out. Now watch lovers have a second chance to get their own copy.

The well-illustrated watch book allows readers an intimate peek at the life of founder Abraham-Louis Breguet. It also traces the French brand’s extraordinary rise from humble beginnings to royal watchmakers to its current international success. The latest edition also covers new acquisitions to the Breguet Museum and developments that have occurred since the last publication.

Mr Breguet also treated guests to a rare display of early 19th century antique timepieces. Each item boasted a rich provenance and was brought in from the Breguet Museum just for the occasion.

The new book – whose full title is Breguet. Watchmakers since 1775. The life and legacy of Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747-1823) – is now available at all Breguet boutiques worldwide.

Text: Tenzing Thondup

Class Act: Chopard’s new watch is a fine balance of form and function

Paying tribute to historical pocket watches created by Louis-Ulysse Chopard in 1860, Chopard has recently launched the L.U.C Heritage Grand Cru, the only tonneau-shaped watch wound by automatic movement.

Designed for the modern connoisseur, the watch draws analogy from Grand Cru wine, known for its craftsmanship and premier quality. Just like the Grand Cru wine, which follows rigourous certifications, the L.U.C Heritage Grand Cru too is attested by Poinçon de Genève, a top Swiss agency for certifying horological excellence.

Featuring an 18-carat rose gold strap and a white porcelain type dial with bold Roman numerals, the watch is as unpretentious as it gets. With nicely balanced proportions, the finishing of its case and movement, the micro-rotor winding feature, this is a must-have for the modern epicurean gentleman.

Priced at HK$174,000, the watch is now available at select Chopard boutiques at ifc Mall, Landmark Prince’s, Ocean Terminal, etc.

Make the write choice with Cross’s new pen collection

Cross has just launched an elegant addition to the Zodiac Series with the Year of the Dog pen collection. The Cross Year of the Dog pen is a stylish affair in black with deep-etched engravings on 23KT gold-plated inlays.

Cross has also added to its Sheaffer’s Calligraphy Collection this season. To mark the occasion, the maison invited two expert calligraphers to demonstrate the art of calligraphy on Sheaffer’s new calligraphy tools.

Ideal for beginners and experts alike, Sheaffer’s writing instruments add a touch of elegance on every piece of paper, from scrapbooks to formal invitation cards.

Coffee Culture: COVA celebrates its 200th anniversary

On the eve of its birthday bash, COVA’s CEO Paola Faccioli tells us how the brand successfully balances its 200-year Italian heritage with modern tastes and trends.

What makes COVA unique?

COVA is an experience. It’s not just a product store or a cup of coffee. Whether you’re stepping into our store in Milan, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Taipei, etc, you will be touched by all the tastes and atmosphere that are quintessentially Milanese. This adherence to tradition has helped us reach this 200 anniversary milestone today.

How do you tailor the COVA experience for local palates?

Our first expansion into Hong Kong over 25 years ago taught us a lot. You can’t just transplant our original café into a new destination and not make some changes. There’s a big back and forth, a cultural exchange local trends and our traditional roots that keeps us fresh in new markets.

A great example is our mango cake. It’s not something that we traditionally have in Italy, but it’s a huge favourite in Asia. So our Hong Kong chef created a mango cake to cater to local tastes first, and now it’s become one of our international favourites.

How has coffee culture evolved in Hong Kong?

When we first entered Hong Kong, nobody knew what coffee really was. It was not a common habit to drink coffee and very few had tried an authentic espresso or a cappuccino. We were pioneers.

With the advent of Starbucks and the globalisation of coffee, everything has changed. People are more aware of different types of beans and brewing methods. They have become more selective so they now recognise the high quality that COVA provides.

Do you have any special 200th anniversary products?

We’ve released a limited edition Capsule Collection which is a compilation of COVA’s best-selling products. There is also special 200th anniversary packaging for all our products from the world-famous panettone to delectable chocolates. We also launched some special menus for the big occasion.

What plans for the future?

We just opened a lovely and intimate café in Monte Carlo this September. It’s our first café other than our original Milan location in 200 years, so it was very exciting for us. We are also opening another store, a big one, in Dubai at the end of this year.

There are other major projects in the pipelines in the Middle East and even North America, so keep an eye out for those announcements, too!

Thank you.

Interview: Tenzing Thondup

Zao’s Wow Factor: Pretty pastels command high price

The majestic two-panel painting entitled 24.12.2002 – Diptyque II, by renowned Chinese artist Zao Wou-Ki, was expected to fetch an estimated HK$25 million at the time of print. The work went on the block at Christie’s recent autumn auctions in Shanghai. Diptyque II’s sale comes only months after 29.09.64 – another of the artist’s acclaimed oil paintings – sold in Hong Kong for a record-breaking HK$154.2 million.

Notable for his affiliation with abstract expressionists of the École de Paris, Zao was celebrated for his inimitable style of gestural painting which combined calligraphic brushwork with large-scale abstract compositions.

Although Zao’s works have always referenced the convergence of Chinese and European aesthetics, his creative output in the 2000s was characterised by a “bolder and freer” technique, peaking with the completion of Diptyque II in 2002. Grace Zhuang, a senior specialist of Asian art at Christie’s, says, “This diptych, sourced from a European collection, is certainly a masterpiece of his late period.”

The auction of Diptyque II echoes a sustained increase in demand for contemporary Chinese art. Christie’s spring sales in Hong Kong totalled $HK2.47 billion, so it would be no surprise if one of China’s most celebrated 20th-century painters exceeded market expectations.

Note: Diptique II set the record for most expensive artwork ever sold at Christie’s in Shanghai. The final hammer price was 33.6 million yuan. 

Charitable Hearts: Celebs open their closets for a good cause

If you’ve ever wondered what the rich and famous have in their closets, here’s a chance to take an intimate look.

Supermodel Toni Garrn has partnered with luxury fashion resale brand Vestiaire Collective for a charity sale that features items from her own collection, as well as personal belongings given by fashion icons and well-known celebrities.

Apart from Kate Moss’ denim jacket and Gisele Bundchen’s personalised Prada shoes, you’ll also find clothing and accessories from Hollywood A-listers like Naomi Campbell, Karlie Kloss and Poppy Delevigne.

Hong Kong celebs also rose to the occasion. Cara G, who donated a red MGM bag and Ted Baker clutch, was joined by Amanda Strang, Louise Wong, Angela Yuen and Jeannie Chan.

All proceeds raised from the sale will go directly to the Toni Garrn Foundation, which supports the education and empowerment of girls across Africa.

So now it’s your turn. Log on for the Vestiaire Collective X Toni Garrn global charity sale  for a chance to get your own celebrity keepsake and to support a worthy cause!

The charity sale begins November 2nd at: http://www.vestiairecollective.com/

Singleton’s Forgotten Drop Series promises to be a memorable experience

The Singleton of Glen Ord Forgotten Drop Series can easily be dubbed as the godfather of whiskies. Aged for 41 years, priced at around HK$22,000, limited to less than 50 bottles for Hong Kong, this whisky is by far more exclusive than the so-called ‘exclusive’ whiskies around.

Well, so what makes it so special? To start with, this whisky has been handcrafted by one of the industry’s most experienced Master of Malts, Maureen Robinson. She explains, “With The Singleton Forgotten Drop Series we set out to find more than just very old whiskies, we wanted to find exceptional whiskies with unique cask maturation. The influence of the refill American oak makes The Singleton of Glen Ord 41 Year Old so precious, as it’s so unusual for this distillery to have a whisky of this age in this type of wood.”

The result is an outstanding and memorable expression for whisky lovers. Evoking memories of old oak casks in dimly lit cellars, a sip into this drink can transport you to a bygone era of old-school luxury.

For those seeking this unforgettable experience, the Forgotten Drop Series is now available at select retailers across Hong Kong.

Racing Time: Cars star Paul Newman’s watch on the block

In many ways, the vintage collectible watch market owes its existence to the Paul Newman Rolex Daytona. Named after the late Hollywood icon who voiced the part of Doc Hudson in Cars, these now discontinued variations of the classic Cosmograph Daytona gained prominence in 1972 after Newman began sporting the watch while indulging his penchant for auto racing.

Although the majority of Newman’s Daytona collection resides with his immediate family, 2017 marks the first time any such pieces will be available to the public. Once gifted to James Cox – teenage boyfriend to Newman’s daughter, Nell Potts – the current Reference 6329 Daytona is slated to be sold at Phillip’s New York auction on 26 October.

The watch possesses historic provenance and rare features. Originally given to Newman by his wife of 50 years, Joanne Woodward, the caseback of this timepiece is engraved with a loving declaration urging the Cool Hand Luke star to “Drive Carefully, Me”. The cream dial, weathered by a gentle patina, has not been restored since the watch was originally manufactured.

Cox recalls Newman’s acerbic wit when the latter gifted the timepiece to him in 1984: “Here’s a watch. If you wind it, it tells pretty good time”. For contemporary collectors, it tells something more – a pretty remarkable story.

Going for Gold: Godiva’s latest collection gets creative

Godiva hosted a star-studded launch party to celebrate its new Gold Discovery Collection at the IFC Mall atrium. Guests were treated to an exhibition on the origin of chocolate, as well as live tastings of the latest flavours.

Gafencu sat with Belgium-based Godiva Master Chef Chocolatier Jean Apostolou and Shanghai-based Chef Chocolatier Philippe Daue to find out more about this latest collection.

What is the inspiration for this new collection?

Chef Jean: The collection is a revamp, a reinterpretation of classic Godiva flavours with a contemporary twist. The point of this collection is not to shock people, but to reintroduce them to the 2.0 version of old favourites while also introducing some new ingredients and textures.

What new flavours can we expect?

Chef Jean: The collection has 16 different flavours. We’ve included a greater variety of fruits and nuts and introduced caramels to the mix. We’ve also boosted the texture of each bite by experimenting with mousse fillings and ganaches for example. It’s a surprising collection because each piece is drastically different from the next.

Did you take inspiration from regional ingredients?

Chef Philippe: As an international brand, we are constantly exchanging ideas with our chefs across the world to stay on the cutting edge of flavour development.

For this collection there are some very Asian flavours such as lychee and passion fruit. Nuts are also an Asian favourite, so that’s something we’ve built upon. Pistachio, macadamia, pecan, etc. have been used as a response to current global tastes.

Why did you focus on Asian tastes?

Chef Philippe: Firstly, Asia is home to an immense variety of ingredients that are not traditionally found or paired with chocolate. As a chef, it’s very exciting and refreshing to experiment with these flavours and create something new.

Also, Asia is one of our largest growing markets. Asians are becoming more educated in chocolate culture now, and we want to capture that interest by including some familiar tastes.

Which is your favourite from the collection, and why?

Chef Jean: My favourite is the almond one. The sweetness of the chocolate with that hint of salt rounded off by the crunch of a whole almond is just fantastic.

Chef Philippe: I love the pistachio one. It’s a hard nut to work with and to balance out. Jean has found the perfect combination, and the result is delicious!

Thank you.

The new Gold Discovery Collection is now available in Hong Kong.
Godiva Gold Discovery Chocolate Gift Box 6pcs: HK$180
Godiva Gold Discovery Chocolate Gift Box 9pcs: HK$260
Godiva Gold Discovery Chocolate Gift Box15pcs: HK$415
Godiva Gold Discovery Chocolate Gift Box 20pcs: HK$525

Interview: Tenzing Thondup

Gaudy two-shoes: Loafers get million-dollar makeover

One can’t help but imagine that Nick Cannon’s philosophy when it comes to personal style is “more is more”. The 36-year-old American entertainer, known for hosting America’s Got Talent, has an appetite for extravagant displays of wealth. While flaunting his exhaustive sneaker collection to Complex Media in June, Cannon revealed that his most prized footwear, estimated to be worth HK$17.2 million, will go on sale at a charity auction later this year.

An avid fan of maximalist designers such as Giuseppe Zanotti and Christian Louboutin, Cannon debuted his now infamous diamond loafers in 2014. Originally made by American mega designer Tom Ford, these loafers were further customised with an eye-watering 14,000 white diamonds embedded in white gold. Each shoe possesses a weight of 340 carats, and the gems alone are valued at HK$7.8 million. The brainchild of Californian jeweller Jason Arasheben, the design was reportedly conceived in response to Cannon’s request for “the most expensive shoes in the world”.

It is not confirmed if Cannon has identified a beneficiary for the proceeds of his flashy footwear, but he is no stranger to philanthropic pursuits. The American entertainer has previously contributed to numerous causes, including education, women’s outreach and Alzheimer’s disease.