Welcome to Middle Age

Today, I turned 45. Here’s a close moment with my young daughter and a time to count my blessings.

My heartfelt thanks all loved ones and close friends for the greetings and well-wishes.

Swiss versus Japanese watches

For a reasonable sum of money, the ETA 2824 offers a simple yet honest and reliable movement. It has powered countless Swiss watches since the 70’s such as these oldies.

Seiko led the Japanese foray into the world of horology. For a fraction of a Swiss watch asking price, Seiko offered the 5 basic functions of a mechanical watch i.e. self-winding, water resistance, shockproof, day display and date display. Thus, the watch was aptly named Seiko 5 (initially known as ACTUS in Japan) and is highly popular till this very day. Collectors would have noticed that Seiko has had various movements such as 6309 and 7009 through the past decades. Beside the regular Seiko 5, the current 7S36 movement can also be found in Sportsmatic, Diver’s and Rolex look-alike
Given today’s craze for automatic watches, the demand has resulted in numerous brands queuing for the same movement – the ETA 2824. The current lead time spans from 6 to 18 months. This trusty movement has 25 jewels. Even to the untrained eye, its looks very traditional and beautifully crafted.

In terms of appearance and complexity, Seiko’s 6R15 is a closer match against the legendary ETA 2824. Like the Swiss movement, it can be hacked, hand-wound and has an useful power reserve up to 50 hours. However, 6R15-powered watches are not widely distributed except in the Japanese domestic market. Its rarity has prompted me to direct import these watches from my source in Japan. In doing so, I’m pleased to witness a steadily growing flow of satisfied customers to my store.

I was earlier interviewed on the subject of Swiss versus Japanese watches by U-Weekly magazine.

Click here for video footage of the interview.

Lastly, for more insight on Seiko various 6R15-powered watches don’t miss Yeoman's Weblog

Hong Kong Reunification Day

Hong Kong has been given the honour to co-host the Olympic equestrian events. Thus, the Olympic count-down clock is placed in the middle of Hong Kong Airport Terminal to greet this visitor from Singapore :-)

Since 1997, Hong Kong celebrates its yearly Reunification Day (with mainland China) on 1^st July. Some people chose to spend their day off by taking their agendas to the streets. The turnout was so substantial that it hit South China Morning Post headlines.

My son and I were near the central district when we witnessed the march. Major road junctions were partially sealed and police deployed large numbers of officials (or marshals) to redirect traffic. The operation was so well organised that we had no idea that a protest was going on. It fact, the event reminded me of the now defunct New Nation Big Walk.
Among the protesters, we were surprised to see a small group waving the Taiwanese Kuomintang (KMT) flag.

We spent the following days visiting the Trade Fair organized by Hong Kong Trade Development Council. During the trip, father and son had quality bonding time and, best of all, every meal was so delicious.