A Globetrotter with a Taste for World-Time Watches

Horology enthusiast Lanx Goh shares the favourites that keep him on top of time across cities.

GLOBAL CITIZEN

“I like watches that are unusual and stand out. My collection includes pieces such as watches with skull motifs, or unique time displays such as wandering hours and Franck Muller’s Crazy Hours. I’ve also begun collecting world-time watches, because I travel a lot for my own holidays. I’m an Amazing Race type of traveller and I visit multiple countries on each trip, as I want to see as many of the world’s countries as I can.”

PRECIOUS CARGO

“In 2016, my wife and I went on a one-month honeymoon. Just a few days into our trip, we were in Vienna when I saw the Hublot King Power Unico GMT World Time (pictured) and fell in love with its unusual world-time display. For the rest of our trip, I kept carrying the watch around with me in its box to keep it safe. It was stressful, but I felt a great sense of accomplishment when I got it home safe and sound.”

PIECE OF ART

“It just so happens that many of the watches I like tend to be models that have been discontinued. I bought the Patek Philippe World Time Moon Ref. 5575G-001 (pictured) last December when I was in London. It was made for the 175th anniversary of Patek Philippe, and is like a piece of art to me. I bought it from a pre-owned watch shop for double its original retail price. The ‘old-new’ watch was still in its sealed box.”

LOOKING FORWARD

“My Vacheron Constantin Overseas World Time (pictured) is another watch that I bought secondhand as it had been discontinued by the time I wanted to get it. I got it from a private seller from China who happened to be coming to Singapore on a business trip. I don’t mind paying more for pre-owned watches I like because I don’t like looking back. Also, I don’t buy watches to make money: Some of the watches in my collection have appreciated significantly in value, but I have no intention of selling them.”

TIME TO CELEBRATE

“I buy watches to reward myself. I bought my Bell & Ross BR-01 Airborne Skull Singapore Limited Edition and Franck Muller Cintree Curvex Crazy Hours to reward myself for getting my Master’s degrees from the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Oxford, respectively. Recently, I was appointed as the Honorary Consul of Bulgaria in Singapore. This was set in motion a few years ago, thanks to a Bulgarian privacy lawyer and friend who invited me to give a talk in her country in 2019. To celebrate, I bought two world-time watches by Bulgari and Omega, and a unique engraved piece by Alexander Shorokoff.”