FREE SPIRIT

After a couple of twists in her watch-collecting journey, a yogi rediscovers her love for independent watchmaking.

After a couple of twists in her watchcollecting journey, a yogi rediscovers her love for independent watchmaking.

SETTING THE BAR HIGH

“I’ve always been into watches, but I got my first serious watch in 2005. I was working as a lawyer and had a bit more disposable income. I remember seeing ads for A. Lange & Sohne and F.P. Journe. Their watches stood out to me because they were different. I bought the F.P. Journe Octa Reserve de Marche in platinum during a ski trip to Zurich. At that time, I thought it would be my only watch because it was very expensive for me.”

GO WITH THE FLOW

“I sold that first F.P. Journe and several other watches around 2015, after going through a certain yoga phase; I started practising yoga in 2003. In 2008, I was heading the legal department of an MNC, but a restructuring resulted in the elimination of the positions of all the regional heads, including myself. I was really into practising yoga at that time and what happened gave me the time to do my teacher training, which takes 200 hours. Watches took a backseat, partly because I felt that they didn’t conform to my lifestyle of nonattachment. I’ve matured since [laughs].”

A PASSION REIGNITED

“While searching for places to sell my watches, I came across many new and interesting models, and it made me realise how much watches had evolved. I also found that, with the proliferation of websites, there was a lot more information available online as well as enthusiasts sharing photographs of their watches.”

INDIE SCENE

“I’m very much into independent watchmakers. I like their stories and creativity, and how passionate they are about their work. Last year, I got the H. Moser x MB&F Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon (pictured) – its amazing cylindrical tourbillon made me fall in love with tourbillons, which I had never been into previously. The crown of this watch is on the left because of the way the movement is oriented but, sometimes, I wear it the other way round just so I can have a better view of the tourbillon.”

MING DYNASTY

“I’m a huge fan of Ming, a brand started by Ming Thein, who’s Malaysian. I came across his first watch, the 17.01, on Hodinkee, and liked it so much that I bought it immediately. I’ve bought all his models since. I like his design language and what he envisages for his brand. One of my latest Ming watches is the 20.01 Mosaic Chronograph (pictured), which features a movement by (Genevan movement maker) Agenhor and a sapphire mosaic dial. I ordered the watch based on early renderings – not even actual photos. That’s how much I trust him to do his very best.”