Get serious about timepieces
October 26, 2012, Friday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
TELL us about your first encounter with jewelry and watches.
My mother has a great jewelry collection and I grew up inspired by her style. She has great personal style with statement pieces. She has this Vacheron Constantin square watch and it is the most beautiful watch. I tried to find the same one for a long time. When I was in my 20s, after I had worked for a few years, I found a dealer but they said they only made this type for one year. Finally one came up in the Sotheby's auction and my husband bought it for me. My mother has the woman size but I bought the man size.
When did you start collecting jewelry and watches?
My parents gave me a Cartier Tank watch when I graduated from college and I started to collect more watches after I got married. But I started collecting jewelry at a very early age from costume jewelry sourced from flea markets to real ones. But I don't prefer to purchase real jewelry by myself. I think it's more sentimental and I have a memory for all my jewelry.
Among your collection, what are your favorite pieces?
Besides the VC, another favorite watch is the 1920s Tiffany diamond watch my husband gave to me, which I wore for black tie functions. It is very delicate and easy to match with other jewelry pieces. I had given my husband a vintage Rolex watch from 1965 for his 40th birthday so for our 10-year anniversary he bought me the same watch in a new version. He thought it's symbolic for our time together and it's something we can give to our kids.
Which piece has the most sentimental value?
My engagement ring. Obviously it has a very strong sentimental value and it was made by a jeweler in New York. It is a cushion cut stone which doesn't have many facets that suits my personality. I wear it every day.
What are your favorite brands?
I really like Verdura and the founder, Fulco di Verdura, did a lot of nature-inspired jewelry and iconic pieces. He used to work for Coco Chanel and created her now iconic Maltese Cross Cuffs. My husband gave me some of his works. They measure your wrist and custom make the cuffs. I have some of the cuffs and one wood Maltese Cross cuff which has a unique combination of the materials.
Where do you shop for jewelry and watches?
I usually shop through my sister because I tell my sister what I like and she will tell my husband. Here in Hong Kong, I shop in Lane Crawford, and most of the brands have shops in New York. Sometimes I also purchase through auctions and dealers.
Fiona Kotur Marin
Fiona Kotur Marin is a New York-born, Hong Kong-based designer who creates evening clutches and bags. Growing up in a household where beauty and creativity were revered, her interest in jewelry and watches was sparked by her mother's reverential care for her accessories.
When did you start collecting watches?
My father is a watch collector, and under his influence, my love for watches started when I was young. I especially loved collecting plastic electronic watches, and I still have a bunch of them at home. However, my first luxury watch was a steel watch given to me by my father, and from that watch I learned the beauty of mechanical watches. I started collecting them after receiving my first paycheck from my first job.
What are your favorite brands? Why?
There are so many brands that I like and it is hard to name all of them. While the brand of a watch connotes certain stories about the watch's history, other elements such as style, origin and technical sophistication are also key for me when picking a watch. I take all of these elements into consideration and look at the watch as a whole when making my choice.
Can you name three of your favorite items?
Cartier Astroregulatur, Omega De Ville Central Tourbillon and Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Minute Repeater Tourbillon Chronograph.
Which piece has the most sentimental value? Why?
The most precious watch of mine has always been a stainless steel Tag Heuer watch. It was given to me by my father and was my first luxury watch. When I was young, I was a fan of big plastic watches that came with a whole range of cool functions and didn't like the steel watch my father gave me. However, as I grew older, I started to realize I couldn't match those plastic watches with all my outfits, especially for formal occasions. Therefore, I began to style my outfits with different kinds of watches and began to appreciate the beauty and function of the steel watch much more.
Define your personal style?
I personally favor watches that are functional and have a large dial. I strongly believe that uniqueness lies within each individual person - every person has a different style, personality and habits, and therefore should pick a watch based on their own style and preferences. It is this belief that inspired me to provide exclusive watch styling services in Unique Timepieces to help customers select the ideal luxury watch.
Which kind of men's jewelry or watches do you wear every day?
I wear a watch every day. It's a very important part of my life as it keeps me on time for important meetings and events. However, a watch is more than just a timepiece, it is also an important fashion accessory. I would pick my watch for the day according to my outfit, therefore there's no specific kind of watch that I wear. Apart from the watch, I also wear a ring every day that matches my outfit.
Karson Choi
Karson Choi is the chairman of Halewinner Watches Group and is passionate about providing great timepieces to watch enthusiasts and connoisseurs. He learned about the mechanics of watches from his father and has always been fascinated by the history and technical sophistication of timepieces.
My mother has a great jewelry collection and I grew up inspired by her style. She has great personal style with statement pieces. She has this Vacheron Constantin square watch and it is the most beautiful watch. I tried to find the same one for a long time. When I was in my 20s, after I had worked for a few years, I found a dealer but they said they only made this type for one year. Finally one came up in the Sotheby's auction and my husband bought it for me. My mother has the woman size but I bought the man size.
When did you start collecting jewelry and watches?
My parents gave me a Cartier Tank watch when I graduated from college and I started to collect more watches after I got married. But I started collecting jewelry at a very early age from costume jewelry sourced from flea markets to real ones. But I don't prefer to purchase real jewelry by myself. I think it's more sentimental and I have a memory for all my jewelry.
Among your collection, what are your favorite pieces?
Besides the VC, another favorite watch is the 1920s Tiffany diamond watch my husband gave to me, which I wore for black tie functions. It is very delicate and easy to match with other jewelry pieces. I had given my husband a vintage Rolex watch from 1965 for his 40th birthday so for our 10-year anniversary he bought me the same watch in a new version. He thought it's symbolic for our time together and it's something we can give to our kids.
Which piece has the most sentimental value?
My engagement ring. Obviously it has a very strong sentimental value and it was made by a jeweler in New York. It is a cushion cut stone which doesn't have many facets that suits my personality. I wear it every day.
What are your favorite brands?
I really like Verdura and the founder, Fulco di Verdura, did a lot of nature-inspired jewelry and iconic pieces. He used to work for Coco Chanel and created her now iconic Maltese Cross Cuffs. My husband gave me some of his works. They measure your wrist and custom make the cuffs. I have some of the cuffs and one wood Maltese Cross cuff which has a unique combination of the materials.
Where do you shop for jewelry and watches?
I usually shop through my sister because I tell my sister what I like and she will tell my husband. Here in Hong Kong, I shop in Lane Crawford, and most of the brands have shops in New York. Sometimes I also purchase through auctions and dealers.
Fiona Kotur Marin
Fiona Kotur Marin is a New York-born, Hong Kong-based designer who creates evening clutches and bags. Growing up in a household where beauty and creativity were revered, her interest in jewelry and watches was sparked by her mother's reverential care for her accessories.
When did you start collecting watches?
My father is a watch collector, and under his influence, my love for watches started when I was young. I especially loved collecting plastic electronic watches, and I still have a bunch of them at home. However, my first luxury watch was a steel watch given to me by my father, and from that watch I learned the beauty of mechanical watches. I started collecting them after receiving my first paycheck from my first job.
What are your favorite brands? Why?
There are so many brands that I like and it is hard to name all of them. While the brand of a watch connotes certain stories about the watch's history, other elements such as style, origin and technical sophistication are also key for me when picking a watch. I take all of these elements into consideration and look at the watch as a whole when making my choice.
Can you name three of your favorite items?
Cartier Astroregulatur, Omega De Ville Central Tourbillon and Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Minute Repeater Tourbillon Chronograph.
Which piece has the most sentimental value? Why?
The most precious watch of mine has always been a stainless steel Tag Heuer watch. It was given to me by my father and was my first luxury watch. When I was young, I was a fan of big plastic watches that came with a whole range of cool functions and didn't like the steel watch my father gave me. However, as I grew older, I started to realize I couldn't match those plastic watches with all my outfits, especially for formal occasions. Therefore, I began to style my outfits with different kinds of watches and began to appreciate the beauty and function of the steel watch much more.
Define your personal style?
I personally favor watches that are functional and have a large dial. I strongly believe that uniqueness lies within each individual person - every person has a different style, personality and habits, and therefore should pick a watch based on their own style and preferences. It is this belief that inspired me to provide exclusive watch styling services in Unique Timepieces to help customers select the ideal luxury watch.
Which kind of men's jewelry or watches do you wear every day?
I wear a watch every day. It's a very important part of my life as it keeps me on time for important meetings and events. However, a watch is more than just a timepiece, it is also an important fashion accessory. I would pick my watch for the day according to my outfit, therefore there's no specific kind of watch that I wear. Apart from the watch, I also wear a ring every day that matches my outfit.
Karson Choi
Karson Choi is the chairman of Halewinner Watches Group and is passionate about providing great timepieces to watch enthusiasts and connoisseurs. He learned about the mechanics of watches from his father and has always been fascinated by the history and technical sophistication of timepieces.
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