A Farewell For A Friend

Our good friend and fellow watch enthusiast Professor Massi Landi is leaving our shores for a break in South Korea. So we thought it was a good idea to gather for a farewell dinner at the Peach Blossoms Restaurant at the Marina Mandarin Hotel.

And no, there was no color theme for pants this time around as many of use were coming from work - colorful pants a no-no for those working in the office. As usual, no short of spectacular timepieces on wrists. For starters, Massi's MIH.

For those who know not, the MIH is an Annual Calendar. Perhaps the most affordable Annual Calendar. But take a look at this MIH - can you tell me what is wrong with the display?

A similar MIH was also worn by Jim. Now you can compare the display on both MIH.

Then there is the Tudor Heritage Blue Chrono on a Nato strap.

Almost always, you will find an IWC. And this time, the Regulateur.

And of course the Jaeger LeCoultre. This example is a vintage full calendar.

Then there is the Parmigiani Hebdomadaire - the 8 days power reserve in blue dial.

Another P Brand watch - not one of my favorite brands. But I shall feature it here as it is worn by my friend Lionel.

Lionel came double wristed. Here is the Seiko Blue Monster - the 100th Anniversary piece. On his mesh bracelet.

Another vintage - The Rolex GMT Pepsi…

In a gathering like this, I am always certain I will find a watch I have not seen before. And in this case, a customized Mark II Pilot. A manual winding watch that looks like a regular Pilot.

A Patek Calendario ref 5135

And another friend came double wristed. First the Breguet.

Then the Lange 1 Tourbillon. I failed as a photographer - the photos I took that night of this watch did not turn out well. But the watch is so beautiful that I cannot not post it here. So I am using an archived picture from my previous shots.

Probably one of the most beautiful watches for the night. And now the table shot.

Notice how they all turned into a one-handed watch? Perfect timing. And now for the food. First Up was the Peking duck which was carved and presented. Then came the wasabe prawns.

Next up the pork neck asparagus - a stir fry dish with very tender pork collar.

The Kungpao chicken was excellent too. The chicken is lightly floured and then fried before the sauce coats the meat. Nicely crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside.

The spinach and shark's cartilage broth is another winner. The broth is slightly thicken by the shark cartilage and is silky smooth. The wolf berries add a nice sweet touch to the broth.

The clay pot seafood tofu was also braised to perfection.

The bitter gourd with spare ribs and also a few other dishes like the ostrich meat, eggplant with minced pork.

And finally the Ee Fu Noodles with duck meat.

And all too soon it was end of the night. We wish you safe journey Massi, Francesca and Ginevra. Enjoy Korea and we shall see you in one year's time. And who knows, we may come visit you there. Ciao!

Mr. Range - Story of The Singapore Lange Connoisseurs Lunch

The Singapore Lange Connoisseurs Lunch was hosted by Michelle and her dedicated team from Lange Singapore. And the lunch was hosted at Yakitori Enmaru at Ion.

Like they say, some things are lost in translation. For example the name… Mr. Lange became Mr. Range.

I thought it was cute so I took a wrist shot of my companions… venture a guess whose wrists/watches these are?

And then my Range 1 on a Lange stand...

Seated beside me is the owners of a Rose Gold Black Dial Datograph. My preferred combination for the Datograph. Some call it the Dufour Datograph or the Dufourgraph. I absolutely love this watch. Just waiting for the right time when it is available and at the right price. Although it is not a Limited Edition piece, the RGBD version is rather rare.

And perhaps the oldest Lange at the gathering that afternoon. A Lange pocket watch with an enamel dial. Serial number has it dated back to 1908.

And before I forget why we were there, here is the food! Peter ordered the Chirashi sushi.

Larry had the ginger pork.

Terence had the beef. Understand the beef is tender and well cooked.

Kee Siew and I had the yakitori. Good stuff since this is after all a Yakitori restaurant.

And the band of brothers! Chap kor anyone?

Brothers in arms. I love the 1815 - slim and elegant.

And before we knew it, lunch was over and we headed down to the Ion Boutique. Couldn't resist so I asked for all the brothers to lay down their watches…a million dollar tray. Well almost.

A different look at the watches on display.

A trio of Datograph - how often you see so many versions of the Datograph. For a moment, we had more variety than the boutique.

And the highlight of the tray must be the Lange 1 Tourbillon. One can only dream of owning such a rare beauty. So I admire only...

Many thanks again to the team from A. Lange & Sohne. Hope we can do another one real soon. In the meantime, I continue to dream about the Lange 1 Tourbillon and search for the RGBD Datograph.