Mido 90th Anniversary

Mido introduced this commemorative timepiece, called the Baroncelli Chronometer Jubilee, earlier this year at the Basel Fair. We were allocated limited quantities and our ONLY piece on is now available at All Watches, Lucky Plaza .

The actual celebration on the occasion of the brand's 90th anniversary was held at Lotte Hotel in Jeju , Korea . Here's a picture of Mr Franz Linder (President, Mido S.A.) with his key personnel and celebrities including 金善雅, 余文乐, 吕颂贤, 杨恭如 and 孟广美 addressing the audience.

And here’s one with Mr Linder, Miss Laurence Wolfrath (Communication & Merchandising Manager, Mido S.A.) and my wife for the album.

Mr Linder took the opportunity to further reiterate Mido’s long standing philosophy to produce watches with timeless design and of exemplary value. And among the new releases planned for 2009 is the Baroncelli Tonneau collection.

All guests were each presented a set of unique First Day Covers. For stamp collectors, detailed pictures and story of the stamps can be viewed at http://yeomanseiko.spaces.live.com - entry posted on 28th Nov 2008. These stamps were nicely slotted inside this Mido commemorative folder.

It is interesting to note that Mido was founded on the very same day that World War One officially ended.
Battles and conflicts aside, science and technology created an ever changing and often unpredictable environment. Thus, isn’t it heartening to note that every Mido was painstakingly crafted with the same philosophy for the past 90 years? And this tradition will be proudly guarded beyond the next 90 years. Best of all, it promises to remain an affordable luxury.

Me and My Scooby

My current car is a black Subaru Outback 2.5. It was registered in Sept 05 and has clocked more than 90,000 km. The car is due for major service and replacement of several components including timing belt, water pump, engine mountings and shock absorbers. Prior to sending the car to Andy (Espace Service Centre) for the routine maintenance job, I thought why not stretch the dollar a little further? Hence, I decided to revisit Endau Rompin National Park, Johore – a relatively undisturbed tropical rainforest ideal for off road safari, jungle survival and team building activities. My 79 year-old father, Carmen (my younger daughter), Rosalind (my sister from San Diego) and her friend, Gregory were the brave-hearted people who accompanied me for the trip.


Like any other day during the year end season, it was raining and the water level of the flowing rivers was unusually high.


Is this a picture of another river? No, it was one of the many flooded sections of our route!


At times, the flooding water rose as high as 1 meter. The Outback was definitely no amphibian, but its self-leveling suspension helped to keep us adequately high and dry. We even managed to overtake some slower-moving vehicles, including this truck. For obvious reasons, lane discipline is secondary under such trying conditions.


Here’s a picture that provides further proof that the route was not passable to ordinary vehicles. The Outback’s All-Wheel-Drive system was put to good use at many treacherous and muddy sections including this inclination and narrow crossing.


Amid our family-packaged adventure, we found time for a kit-kat break and enjoyed the occasional sight of the migratory birds.


Outside the primary forest area, the route was mostly lined with palm trees.


Due to the constant rain, we spent most of our time in the car. Still, it was an educational trip, especially for Carmen who also enjoyed bringing you these pictures with this Cyber-shot camera.


Given the mileage and stock-condition of my Outback, its overall performance in the jungle with full load was remarkable. For those with similar type of cars or suitable off roaders, you may be pleased to know that you could attempt such an expedition with a group in an organised outing. For more information, please contact Chris Ng at chrisng@footworksmedia.com.sg

Mido in Singapore

Background
The brand was positioned as an affordable luxury watch right from early days. For the more mature folks in Singapore , Malaysia and Indonesia , Mido was the preferred choice when a Titoni was considered too generic; Oris was then making cheap watches while the Tag brand was little known. In Thailand , Mido was the 'official' watch for those working in high government offices as Rolex or Omega were considered too ostentatious. By default, the brand enjoyed the 'high-end but unpretentious' status. Thus, it's small wonder that Thailand is constantly in the top 3 market for Mido till this very day.
Swatch Group
The domineering era of Japanese quartz watches resulted in many Swiss brands to either close shop or undergo restructuring. In the case of Mido, it was acquired by the Swatch Group during the mid 90's. Shortly, for reasons unknown, Thong Sia Group relinquished their distributorship for Singapore , Malaysia and Thailand . It was estimated that the inventory carried by Thong Sia at that time far exceeded 30,000 pieces. Many bargain hunters had the opportunity to buy this signature model (ref: LC8269) at clearing prices during the late 90's through early 2000's.

Leslie Chang Pte Ltd
Seo Choon Watch was appointed the official importer of Mido watches in Singapore in May 2001. Both the company and the brand were no stranger to the local watch community. However, the re-entry into the market was initially difficult due to the comparatively high prices of the new Mido collection amid the abundance availability of the signature model dumped by the previous distributor. Fortunately, long term strategy, faith and perseverance prevail. Seo Choon Watch now enjoys a steady 20% annual growth rate with the brand. Recently, the company was renamed Leslie Chang Pte Ltd and its main showroom shown here is located along Sims Avenue .
Mission
Mido strives "to produce watches with the characteristics of a good friend. You feel good when you see it; it is very reliable and always there when you need it; it has a character of its own and you will pass your life together". Here's Robi, the friendly mascot from Mido.
Achievement
Mido is proud to join the Top 10* Chronometer producers of the world.
The table shows that Mido is the only affordable luxury brand among the industry's big names.
This achievement further reiterates Mido's exceptionally characteristics and timeless image.

COSC figures 2006 :-
1. Rolex 710,752
2. Omega 257,187
3. Breitling 182,223
4. Panerai 46,454
5. Chopard 22,880
6. Ulysse Nardin 10,111
7. Corum 8,189
8. Tag Heuer 7,450
9. Chanel 6,980
10. Mido 5,722

*Source: The COSC (Controle Officiel Suisse des Chronometres – Official Swiss Chronometer Control) yearly report published in 2006

Promise
Mido's philosophy is to combine timeless design with functionality rather than following fashion trends. True design outlives all fashion trends. The objective is to create timepieces made of high quality materials, endowed with precise movements and offering outstanding water-resistance in order to last a long time. This philosophy remains unchanged since 1918.


Celebration
This year, Mido celebrates its 90th Anniversary with a series of grand events throughout the world.. The Asian leg will be held at lovely Jeju island of South Korea which be attended by more than 200 participants including the media and celebrities from mainland China and Korea .

I am looking forward to attend the event as it is likely to showcase the latest collection and future marketing plan. And, I shall share my experience with all of you upon my return to Singapore later this week. Meanwhile, Mido fans can view www.mido.ch for more information.

P.S. The main feature of this article first appeared on Yeoman's weblog

Act 48

The turnout for this year’s Arts Festival was lower than expected.

High ticket prices, bad timing of the festival and competition from other arts events were cited as the main reasons for the failure. Sadly, this year’s festival does not truly reflect the arts scene in Singapore. On the contrary, there is vast improvement in the participation of arts activities. Shortly after the successful launch Singapore Biennale, National Arts Council initiated Arts for All - Community Engagement Plan. Meanwhile, at the film-making scene, these young people will each be receiving $250,000 from Singapore Film Commission so that …….
….. they will someday become prize fighters like these.
Not all with artistic talents are being funded or will enjoy grants handed by the relevant bodies. Many have to rely on personal savings or family resources to sustain their interest. This writer was fortunate enough to get support from friends and well wishes in order to publish her books.
And here’s a write up in Shin Min Daily about the launch of her books and the list of donors.
Among the donors' list, I stumbled upon one Dr Tan Poh Heng, a close family friend of ours. My family and I were pleasantly surprised by his kind contributions. We have never met the author. But the support she gets from individuals like Poh Heng speaks well of the graciousness and cohesiveness found within our society.
We would like to take this opportunity to extend our warmest wishes to Poh Heng as he celebrates his 48th birthday today.

Champagne in my Phaeton

Once upon a time, someone may have forwarded an enquiry to the Singapore office of Volkswagen. The company proudly chose to publish its reply with this full-page advertisement in Business Times.

On closer examination, the reply was addressed to Mr. Leslie Chang.

Well, the person is not me. We just happened to share the same name. :)
And here's a picture of the Volkswagen Phaeton that I currently own.

Where Numbers become Reality

Local watch blogger Thomas (aka Yeoman) has been regularly posting interesting stories on our line of products. Not surprisingly, his recent entry on this Marcus Gronholm Limited Edition watch by Orient has generated a few enquiries from potential customers.

In this era of mass production, limited edition models are useful marketing tool for watch manufacturers to showcase their flagship models. Last year, Seiko released its range-topping Kinetic Chronograph in collaboration with F1 Honda Bar Racing Team……

…..while Mido commemorated its historic achievements with this Mutifort CenterChrono.

The most expensive watch that we are retailing at this moment must be the Edox Minute Repeater Limited Edition. Here’s a feature from Carma magazine on this complicated timepiece written by motoring journalist, Tony Tan.

For most purists, the typical first question would be "What is the serial number?” And, I must admit, the number does have a bearing on the final price of the watch. While one may term such phenomenon as strange consumer behaviour, here’s another case in point. Last week, Mark Kwok from VinCar (one of Singapore ’s leading parallel importers for luxury cars) gave me this box of moon cakes proudly made by Raffles Hotel.

Like those limited edition watches, I was pleasantly surprised that my box of the moon cakes came with serial number too! Instantly, it became the talking point during the Mid Autumn weekend. 1772 must be the running numbers while 1887 is year that Raffles Hotel was founded.

I would like to thank Mark for dropping by. And a word to Vincent and Melissa, owners of VinCar – “make lots of Dreams that become Reality”.

Singaporeans at MME

Today, some of our top racers are currently fighting with the best drivers from the region for top honours in the Merdeka Millennium Endurance Race at Sepang F1 circuit. Among them is Kevin Kwee – a well known businessman who was featured in Life on 23^rd Aug 2008.

This is THE best known endurance race in South East Asia, easily attracting more than 100 entries each year. Under the regulations and for safety reason, only the top 77 cars (comprising the fastest qualifiers in respective categories) will start the race. Hence, Kevin seemed rather pleased yesterday when he called to inform me that his car has qualified mid-field and 5^th fastest in class. And, he has good reasons to feel excited too. After all, his team has spent months (and monies) preparing for the race and unconsciously, their expectations have naturally inched upwards. I had the same feelings when I took part in 2003 and, in particular 2005 when my team and I ran an unforgettable race. We were then the founding members of the newly launched Team Singapore, Motorsports. Here’s an extract from my e-mail dated 30^th Aug 2005 which I sent to close friends and families after that event:

“Our team, Team Stamford Continental was one of Singaporean teams at last weekend’s 12-hour endurance race held at Sepang.

Qualifying 11^th out of 77 cars on the grid, we progressively worked our way to the front of the charging pack. We built on our strengths, using a combination of cautious driving antics and professionally executed pit-stop maneuvers.

By early afternoon, we had already secured 4^th position on the field and our car was performing flawlessly. On the 9^th hour, we looked set to be on our way to a promising podium finish.

To our dismay and disbelieve, our machine suddenly came to an abrupt halt at 8:22pm after having completed a total of 187 laps. While it lasted, we withstood the onslaught of extremely powerful big-budget race teams and their specially prepared race machines like Porsche GT3s and Lotus works cars. Everyone in the team can lay claim that we did a great job!

This cannot be said for the other Singaporean teams.

During the course of the race, a dispute had broken out at the paddock between teams involving other Singaporeans. The resulting brawl and ungentlemanly behaviour were brought to the attention of track officials who immediately called the police.

The incident was reported on the front page of TODAY

…….and SHIN MING DAILY.

It may have led to some of you worrying about my safety. The truth is - we had a great race!”

Among this year’s notable entries from Singapore is Jansen Tan, our undisputed drift king.

Like Kevin, he is participating in such event for the first time. (Read Kevin’s progress at http://www.choonsracing.blogspot.com/)

Those gunning for top places include fast-charging Melvin Choo, Desmond Soh and, of course, Denis Lian. Yesterday’s front runner, Mok and his gang, is ably supported by Andy Tan from Espace Service Centre – one of the best race car tuners from the Republic. Here’s a note to all countrymen flying our flag in Sepang this weekend: “Stand up for Singapore, do the best you can AND have a safe race!”

Orient Delights

The Orient brand name has been left without an agent in Singapore since the early 90’s. Unknown to many, the company was established since 1950 and is now part of the Seiko Epson family.

According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orient_Watch, “as of 2006, Orient Watch has the largest Japanese mechanical movement production exceeding Seiko's and Citizen’s combined production figures.” Thus, it was no surprise that I have been receiving enquiries for these watches recently. I have also learned that some watch enthusiasts have purchased latest Orients from Thailand (where the brand enjoys a good presence), via internet or local grey imports. This phenomenon had prompted me to make direct contact with the manufacturer. I am glad that the good people at Orient have responded positively. So here’s the good news for all Japanese mechanical watch lovers. The latest collection from Orient watches is now officially available at Big Time.

Price ranges from $143 to $2,233. The watches are truly well finished and clearly great value for money. This is totally in line with our quest of bringing you quality watches at affordable price. And, best of all, we provide manufacturer's warranty and original individual gift box.

Please click http://www.orient-watch.jp/ for more information.

Classic Rolls, Vintage Bentley

It's always good to see great cars from yesteryears and they don't get greater than Bentley and Rolls-Royce.

The green Bentley (SP1234) is the 4250cc All Weather Tourer while the black Rolls-Royce (SV5000B) is a Corniche Convertible. The duo were first introduced in 1937 and 1971 respectively.

Both cars have earlier taken part in a charity event organised by Automobile Association of Singapore. They are proudly owned by Larry Lim, a semi-retired successful businessman. Beside such cars, local ‘green’ fans may have also heard or read about Larry’s ardent passion for eco-friendliness. Well, that may be a topic for another day. As for now, I would like to thank Larry and William for dropping by.

Heaven Can Wait

It has been exactly 3 years since my friends (William Lyou, James Ling and Terence Tan) and I survived a near-fatal accident on Friday, 19^th August 2005. The incident occurred at the 36.1km marker along the North-South Highway at 3:25pm.

James was driving his Subaru Forester at a speed no less than 140 km/h. We were on our way to Sepang for our Merdeka Millennium Endurance race-car test/practice session. All of a sudden, he rammed his Scooby onto the rear of a slow-moving vehicle.

The impact forced the vehicle into a spin, causing it to collide with the road divider and eventually coming to a halt at the centre of the highway.
To make matters worse, the car’s engine compartment caught fire. Thankfully, a passing motorist handed us a fire extinguisher to quench an otherwise potentially explosive situation. The impact of the collision and the continuous spinning had forced all our luggage, belongings and vehicle parts to scatter up to 75 meters radius around the accident site. The sight was akin to the aftermath of a mini-tsunami.

The unfortunate slow-moving vehicle hit by James was a large box-van. Despite its substantial weight and size, I was struck in awe when I realized that the vehicle had flipped on its side due to the intensity of the impact.
Apart from some small cuts, bumps and bruises, all of us were very relieved to escape relatively unscathed. But here are some interesting facts to note.

1. The registration number (3866) of the box-van eerily mirrored the birthday of our driver - James i.e. 3^rd August 1966; and
2. The incident took place on the 15^th day of Lunar 7^th month i.e. the most significant day of the Ghost Month Festival with roaming spirits (aka hungry ghosts) out in full force. According to believers, the ‘official’ hell-gate open house is held annually on this day.

Lastly, in case you ask, the reshaped Forester was written off by the insurer as Total Loss. And, as for the four of us, heaven can wait…..