Panerai fanatic Fong Wing Ngai’s private timepiece collection is so big it needs a museum
For many, a stress- and routine-free retired life is the stuff of dreams. But for others, freedom means more time to take on new challenges. The latter could not be a better description of the retired life of Fong Wing Ngai, a watch enthusiast turned museum curator.
The curator of the Macau Timepiece Museum, which opened in 2019, Fong is a Panerai fanatic and all-round timepiece lover. He has amassed a collection numbering into the hundreds over the past two decades, curating a private collection that he describes as “undiscriminating, fun and unusual”.
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Fong’s private collection of timepieces, about half of which are now housed inside the museum, behind Macau’s Ruins of St. Paul’s, took two decades to amass but was four centuries in the making. “The oldest timepiece dates back to 400 years ago, I’ve many antique clocks and pocket watches,” he says, as he takes out from his shirt pocket a gold pocket watch with an elaborately engraved case on a gold chain. “This piece dates back to the 1800s,” he says.
Aside from wanting to create a space for his pieces, Fong wanted to share his love for watches and highlight Macau’s place in China’s horological history. “Macau was one of the first ports of entry for timepieces making their way into China,” he says, adding that as early as 1582, chiming clocks were already making their way into China via the city.
The two-storey museum is split into different zones, with a focus on contemporary, antique and a dedicated Panerai corner housing 63 pieces, about half of his growing collection, Fong reckons.
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The story of how he came to acquire a collection big enough to require its own museum goes back 20 years. It’s a tale that also led to one of Asia’s largest private Panerai collections.
While Fong has been collecting watches for over four decades, his collection was overhauled in 2000. “I used to buy even more indiscriminately,” he says. “I had many pieces, most of which had thin cases. But when I came across Panerai, I fell in love with the oversized dial. I decided to sell everything in my collection and start afresh. I started to collect Panerai; I bought pieces from other brands, too, but only those with large dials,” he adds.
Fong is not kidding when he says he loves all watches; with a passion for all things that tick, the museum houses everything from 1800s Patek Philippe pocket watches to a hydromechanical wristwatch from independent watchmaker HYT. “Most collectors like to create very specialised and specific collections, but I love everything. I’ll acquire anything that catches my eye: pieces with unusual and fun complications, beautifully hand painted antique pieces, or large clocks and automatons. I love everything.”
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Besides modern and antique wristwatches, visitors will also see timekeeping devices such the Ming dynasty dragon fire timer, which indicates time with burning incense sticks, as well as a Parisian pocket sundial also from the 1700s.
Fong Wing Ngai’ s preferred watches
“This is among my favourite watches at the museum. When I came to know Panerai, I fell in love with oversized watches.”
“I don’t consider any of the watches I display at the museum to be mine any more. They belong to the museum now.”
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The Macau Timepiece Museum houses everything from 1800s Patek Philippe pocket watches to a hydromechanical wristwatch from independent watchmaker HYT