My new Maurice Lacroix watch

Bought a new Maurice Lacroix watch for daily office wear. This one is from their Traditional range.

It has silver dial with indexed hourly markers. One interesting feature is the white tip for all the indexes and the hour and minute hands. I particularly like the applied Maurice Lacroix logo at 12 o'clock. This no doubt gave the watch a more luxury feel. I also like the big crown. Other than contributing to the look, will certainly make setting the date or winding the watch easier. Eventhough this watch is from their traditional range, the design of the hands are rather modern. I like the font they use for the date as well.

The sapphire crystal is slightly domed. The AR coating is not particularly strong so there is some reflections. However this does not bother me too much.

I got the leather strap only as this is what I prefer for office wear. I have worn bracelet diver and speedy to work before and I always think it is a bit clunky. The leather strap comes with tang clasp that is shaped with a hint of the Maurice Lacroix logo. To me, the best feature of the strap is the underside leather surface is the same as the top side. Some leather straps have matt underside and in my opinion does absorb more sweat and get dirty faster.

There is no see through watch back. The watch back does have nice inscriptions on it. I particularly like the font used for the Maurice Lacroix.

The movement is Sellita sw200 based, which in turn is a clone of ETA 2824 with little modification. I have worn the watch for 2 weeks and so far I'm happy with the accuracy and winding efficiency. I did not time the eatch to the second though. If it keeps time well I don't feel compelled to do it.

Overall I'm happy with this purchase and it really met my expectation of a understated watch that exudes quality.

Xfiles watches

I'm a big fan of X-files. I didn't catch many of the episodes when it was airing on the tv years ago. Now that I have the dvd box set with me I have started to watch again from season one.

One thing that fascinates me other than the intrigue in the story and the personal characters of the lead actors and actresses are the watches that were worn on the set. I guess that is pretty normal thing for a watch enthusiast to do!

Some of the watches worn by Mulder (the lead actor) are pretty nice. I started to search online and found a web site that actually did screen grabs of watches worn by Mulder on the show. Wow....

Anyway, here is the link to the site..
Http://foxmulderswristwatch.com

Hamilton Khaki Pioneer

A new watch that caught my eye recently is the Hamilton Khaki Pioneer. Hamilton is an American brand owned by the mighty Swatch group. The Khaki series is a 'field' watch. There are many models in this series.

The Khaki Pioneer comes in 40mm and 42mm diameter. In its heart is the ubiquitous workhorse 2824-2. It has sapphire crystal and a really vintage styled strap. The strap is really thick and has metal rivets that adds on to the hardy look. Functionality wise it has date and manual winding. It does not have a see through back.

I really like the styling of this swatch.  The way it is built exudes confidence in its durability. Besides, it is way value for money compared to other luxuries brands. Well done Hamilton!

Saving up for next watch purchase?

Here's how to speed things up a little. I have been searching for ways to earn some extra bucks online recently. Other than the trustworthy good old adsense, I have recently tried cashcrate.com. Of course we all know there is no free lunch in this world. They actually require you to complete some surveys, or sign up for some memberships. But at least, they do not require you to spend a dime to get started. You also get money by getting referrals. Honestly speaking, by clicking on the link above, you will get referred by me. When you sign up, you can start to refer your friends. Anyway, just another simple way to earn some extra bucks for that next purchase.

Citizen Skyhawk A-T

Looks like Citizen is upgrading its Skyhawk. The new watch features atomic clock accuracy and has a slide rule bezel plus a host of standard features from the previous versions. It sure looks like a sophisticated piece of equipment. Besides, it is accented with my favorite color - orange. I'm sure it will catch a lot of attention if you are wearing one.

Omega Speedmaster Professional

My most expensive purchase to date. I was having a hard time deciding between the Seamaster (Bond watch) and Aqua Terra. Both of these watches have mechanical and quartz versions. I was more inclined towards the quartz version because of the low maintenance and convenience. After much consideration, I decided to get the mechanical version because I wanted something I can pass down to somebody. A mechanical watch will be more suitable in that sense.

Between the Seamaster and Aqua Terra, I eventually made up my mind that the Seamaster is too high profile. It is too pretty and will caught people's attention. I prefer to maintain a lower profile. The simplicity and sublime character of the Aqua Terra is more suitable for me in that sense. I also like the sea serpent tail like hand a great deal. I was going to get the black dial version but the local dealers are running out of stock.

While I search high and low for the black dial Aqua Terra, I start to read more about the Speedmaster. I wasn't very interested in the look of this watch so I did not pay much attention to it at first. Besides, I am not too keen on a chronograph. I have played with a Swatch chronograph before and I find the chronograph is more for aesthetic rather than function. It is hard to read the chronograph.

However, as I start to read more about the Speedmaster, I get more interested. It has a hand-wind movement, much to my surprise. I always thought it is an automatic (there are automatic Speedmasters but I am talking about the moon watch) but it is not. This kind of fit my wish because I am not always wearing the same watch. Having a hand wind movement allows me to wind it when I am not wearing it. I also start to develop liking for the dial. This is perhaps one of the most easy to read chronograph. The long hands and the stark contrast between the white hands and black dial makes reading the time a breeze.

I finally made the plunge and purchase this watch. I bought it new. It is very expensive to me but I guess if I wear it long enough then it will be worth it. The Speedmaster has been known to be rugged. After owning it for a few months I think the movement is very accurate by my standard. I can only compare it to other cheaper automatics that I own. So, maybe this is the norm for a watch of its class. True enough, there are already some small scratches on the hesalite crystal. That is to be expected. The bracelet is very comfortable to wear. It does not pull hairs like my Citizen. The chronograph is also very clear and functional as compared to the quartz Swatch that I tried. The start/stop, and reset pusher have a very firm and confident click.

All in all, I think the Speedmaster deliver on what it promises.

Fossil bluetooh watch

In my previous post, I mentioned about the bluetooh watch that Sony Ericsson and Fossil colloborated on. It is available for sale now on the Fossil Web site.

At the time of writing, it is going for US$250. Judging from reading the specification on its Web site, the functions are the same as what I read before. Except that, there is no mention of MP3 playback control. The usual functions are caller ID display, vibration alert, mute the phone, reject a call, and sms alert.

The battery life is only 5-7 days. It comes with a USB and AC adapter to charge the watch. I'm not used to the idea of charging my watch yet.

What a nice twist!

What a nice twist! It was an idea that I thought about but never imaging I can see the real thing being made. How many times I have pondered how nice it would be if I can have a watch that looks mechanical, with the sweeping hand and mechanical parts and all, but powered by a battery. That way, I can leave it on the shelf for a couple of days when I wear my other watches, and come back to the same watch again when I feel like it without having to set the time and winding it.

Fossil has a new series called the 'twist'. These watches have the look of mechanical watches but are powered by batteries. Finally we can have the sophisticated look of mechanical watch and the accuracy and convenience of quartz. I don't like to wear the same watch the entire month and I don't wear watches when I am at home. I also do not own a watch winder. So, there is the trouble of setting and winding my mechanical watches whenever I want to wear them. I know some of us consider this part of the fun of owning mechanical watches. As for me, most of the time I just want to get up and go.

It is time to look at them more closely at the local shopping mall!

Emporio Armani (PRODUCT) RED capsule collection

Image above is of a different watch in their Red collection. It is not what I wrote about below.


My one year old mobile phone has lost its back. I think I lost it in the cinema while watching a movie. It was without a back for months until I finally got a new phone today.

It is the Motorola V3 Red. A very basic phone with a striking color - red. It was made in support of the (PRODUCT) red movement. Motorola will donate a certain amount for the fight against Aids with purchase of each phone. There are more brands and products joining the bandwagon. To learn more please go to www.joinred.com.

I have also seen a watch there. It is designed by Giorgio Armani in collaboration with an African artist. The pricing on their Website for this watch is USD225 at the moment. The striking red did attract me when I first look at it. It is a digital watch with basic functions like chronograph. The leather seems nice. However, I do think that the design has too much of that Fossil, Diesel feel.

What a French Rabbit Got To Do With Telling Time?

This is no ordinary toy rabbit. It’s a super-geek, high-tech, toy. It not only tells time, it can also read the latest news, stock quotes, blogs, and your email. Other people can also send your rabbit messages. When turned on, it communicates with your home wi-fi router. From there, it connects to the Internet. To set it up, simply go to nabaztag.com and sign up for an account.

The ears are very animated. There are also colored lights embedded in its body. People are dressing their rabbits up in various outfits.

Ultimate toy for a geek like me. :-x