Tempus – The Temple of Time is the world’s largest gathering of luxury watch brands outside of Switzerland. It is being held in Singapore once every 3 years and it allows Singapore to be a gateway for horological culture, with the most mature and sophisticated watch collectors and admirers attending.

This year the exhibition was held from 5th - 9th September at the Raffles Convention Center. I deliberately reminded myself to visit the event, having seen its advertisement from the papers, and was treated to some $150 million dollars worth of watches by 54 world-renowned names like Richard Mille, Tag Heuer and Philip Stein.

To share with you some of the watches which I saw on display:-

MB & F – Horological Machine:

Special Feature: 

• The Hour and minute dial is separated by an elevated central tourbillion which is raised above the dial, suspending it from the single arm clock. The back of watch is made of clear material, enabling you to admire the complex mechanism of the entire watch as well as its
• 376 parts and 81 functional jewels

Comments:  Unlike most watches which are usually referred to as time machines, Horological Machines are all about the luxurious expression of time. They are like the Lamborghini and Zonda of watches. I especially like the elevated tourbillion concept because it allows you to see right into the beating heart of the movement. Truely a work of sculpturing and art. 

Hublot - Big Bang:

Special Feature: 

• A tourbillion chronograph with exposed column wheel and red ceramic monopusher button. The casing is constructed from materials like Kevlar, ceramic, rubber and carbon fiber. Hublot has also recently launched the new Mag Bang, which is created using magnesium and Grade 6 titanium (the 1st in the watch industry), resulting in one of the lightest mechanical watches ever.

Comments:  Because of its signature black dial, decorated with 6 screws on the top and grooves on the side, the Hublot Big Bang is to me a very manly watch! In fact, I would go as far as to say that if you were wearing this watch, it is very difficult to not come across as an imposing authority figure. Defiantly a watch which combines the aesthetics of today and tomorrow with the tradition of Swiss watch making.

Richard Mille - Richard Mille:

Special Feature: 

• The watch is named after the watchmaker himself. In every Richard Mille watch, there is a wide use of advanced technique but at the same time, most of the watch parts are hand finished and polished.The watch case is a signature modified tonneau shape, designed using AutoCAD, with comfort to the wrist in mind. The clear front and back mean that the watch's gears and workings are all on display.

Comments:  It used to be that a brand name defined status but in this case, status is defined by the quality of the product. Richard Mille watches are recognized by its perfect embodiment of impeccable craftsmanship and provocative design.  Oh and did I forget to mention that Richard Mille himself has a passion for F1. So every watch is designed with same precision, passion and reliability as the F1 sport and cars.

Philip Stein - Philip Stein:

Special Feature: 

• TESLAR technology was invented in 1986 to emit a unique earth signal associated with calm, tranquility and creativity to enhance deeper reflection and increase physical performance. Scientific studies have also shown that TESLAR technology may help the human body to resist the negative pollutive effects of daily stress. In 2003, Philip Stein opted to embed TESLAR technology into their watches 

Comments:  There were so many male watches featured at the exhibition, focusing on attracting the alpha-male , so it was a refreshing change to find a watch which focused not just on aesthetics but on one’s well-being as well.  To add to the star status of this watch, it was listed as one of Oprah Winfrey's favourite thing to have. I have also been very intrigued by the hype about TESLAR technology since I first read about it. The watch not only looks good but feels good as well !

To satisfy my curiosity, I decide to find out the price of the watch, so that I would at least have a goal to work towards, expecting it to be at least a 5-digit sum.

Imagine my surprise when I flip over the price tag of the watch, and saw that the basic Philip Stein watch with its signature oblong casing and dual dial, only cost around SGD$1400! I probed further, then I realised that the price different is because this is a quartz-powered watch, unlike most of the other high-end watches in the event, which are mechanical watches. Still, this is one stylish Swiss watch and like a friend once told me, there is nothing like a Swiss on your wrist!

All in All, the exhibition had been a huge eye-opener for a novice watch enthusiast like me. Once you have seen some of exotic watches featured and attended the talks like I did on the techniques of watch making, you would emerge from the event thinking that a watch is not just a gadget to tell time, but it can be a work of art and intricate mechanical design, which happens to give you the time of day. 

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