https://www.scmp.com/rss/236732/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com When Matthias Breschan was appointed CEO of Swiss luxury watchmaker Longines in the summer of 2020, the company, the industry and the world at large was in the midst of a lockdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Austrian-born executive remembers his first day on the job all too well: “My very first working day at Longines was July 1, 2020 – maybe one of the worst days, because almost all our stores in the whole world and points of sales were closed. It was really horrible.” The upbeat... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/watches/article/3255761/style-edit-how-longines-ceo-levelled-watch-brand-eyeing-gen-zs-love-genderless-style-increasing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/watches/article/3255761/style-edit-how-longines-ceo-levelled-watch-brand-eyeing-gen-zs-love-genderless-style-increasing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Mar 2024 02:00:11 +0000 Once dismissed by the biggest names in watchmaking and left to boutique retailers and private dealers, the pre-owned luxury watch market has exploded in recent years and is now the industry’s fastest-growing category, with sales predicted to reach up to US$32 billion by 2025, according to a June report published by McKinsey and trade publication The Business of Fashion. Hong Kong, long a global centre of watch retail, has always had a robust market for pre-owned watches, dominated by distinctly... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3152147/pre-owned-luxury-watch-retailer-wristcheck-hong-kong-looks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3152147/pre-owned-luxury-watch-retailer-wristcheck-hong-kong-looks?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Oct 2021 00:15:19 +0000 The 2003 National Basketball Association (NBA) draft is widely considered to have had the most talented collection of college and high-school players ever to enter the world’s top professional basketball league. Four future hall-of-fame players were selected in the top five picks that night: Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and the No 1 pick, LeBron James, the 18-year-old phenomenon from Akron, Ohio. At the end of the evening, as the NBA does with every draft class, a group photo was... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3149679/lebron-james-2003-nba-draft-night-david-beckham-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3149679/lebron-james-2003-nba-draft-night-david-beckham-and?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Sep 2021 21:15:22 +0000 Delayed, disrupted and debt-riddled as it was, the Tokyo Olympics may never be seen as a success in the host country. Still, there was one unqualified source of joy for Japan at the Games – the first ever skateboarding events, where Japan-born skaters won six of the 12 medals on offer. The image of 19-year-old Sakura Yosozumi, Kokona Hiraki (now 13, but 12 when she won) and the Miyazaki-born, 13-year-old British skater Sky Brown on the medal podium for the women’s park skateboarding event... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3146834/skate-style-tokyo-olympics-fashion-runway-why-louis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3146834/skate-style-tokyo-olympics-fashion-runway-why-louis?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Aug 2021 11:45:18 +0000 It wasn’t quite on the same level as Elvis Presley meeting then-US president Richard Nixon at the White House in 1970 but, in June 2021, pop star Justin Bieber and his wife, model Hailey Bieber, met French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, at the Élysée Palace in Paris. Pictures of the unusual get-together, reportedly held at the request of Bieber, who was passing through the French capital, were posted to Macron’s Instagram account as well as the singer’s own, which has... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3144103/justin-bieber-wore-sneakers-suit-meet-president-macron?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3144103/justin-bieber-wore-sneakers-suit-meet-president-macron?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Aug 2021 20:15:09 +0000 As a leading member of the British royal family, Prince William is one of the most famous men in the world. By dint of his male pattern baldness, he’s one of the most famous bald men, too. In March, the prince was crowned, so to speak, the “world’s sexiest bald man” after a study published in a British newspaper found that he was most often linked to the word “sexy” on Google search trends compared to other famous baldies. Unsurprisingly, the study, and Prince William beating the likes of Dwayne... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3139833/vin-diesel-dwayne-johnson-prince-william-why-bald-new-sexy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3139833/vin-diesel-dwayne-johnson-prince-william-why-bald-new-sexy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jul 2021 20:15:08 +0000 In May, Machine Gun Kelly and Megan Fox caused quite a stir at the Billboard Music Awards in Los Angeles for their outré appearances and public displays of affection. The looks served by the musician-actor, who had dyed his tongue black, and Fox (in a barely-there Mugler dress) were so distracting that you would be forgiven for not noticing that Kelly was also sporting immaculate nail art. A few days later, his talons were unmissable at the iHeartRadio Music Awards. Machine Gun Kelly is one of a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3136100/stars-harry-styles-are-making-mens-nail-art-and-polish?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3136100/stars-harry-styles-are-making-mens-nail-art-and-polish?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Jun 2021 23:15:16 +0000 This Is Us star Milo Ventimiglia wouldn’t ordinarily be classed as a fashion trendsetter, but a viral photo of the 43-year-old actor leaving the gym in a pair of short shorts last month shook the internet and focused mainstream attention on the hottest and skimpiest trend in menswear. Until very recently, shorts with an inside leg that was shorter than seven and nine inches (18cm and 23cm) were considered the preserve of the shameless and the socially unaware, a style neatly embodied by Steve... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3133785/what-do-rock-harry-styles-and-milo-ventimiglia-have-common?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3133785/what-do-rock-harry-styles-and-milo-ventimiglia-have-common?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 May 2021 20:15:12 +0000 I’m going to tell you a story, but I won’t name names as I quite fancy working in the future and I’m not here to dunk on them more than I have to. Years ago, I was given the opportunity to interview a famous, incredibly talented hip-hop producer and rapper. I was elated, having fallen in love with his music in college and followed his career closely, happily forking out hundreds of dollars to see him live a few times. The interview was scheduled for a hot July afternoon at an art... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3088346/tone-deaf-posts-virgil-abloh-and-jk-rowling-show?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3088346/tone-deaf-posts-virgil-abloh-and-jk-rowling-show?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Jun 2020 13:00:06 +0000 With the easing of lockdowns, a return to normality cannot come fast enough. But we are not there yet and the pandemic is still on my mind, in particular who is having a good one and who is having a bad one. I don’t mean this in a glib way, but rather I was thinking about who, through their actions or lack thereof, has seen their stock rise and who has seen it plummet. There are painfully obvious examples in politics, with Donald Trump, Boris Johnson and Jair Bolsonaro at one end of the... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3085265/elon-musk-nicolas-cage-and-pangzai-nominating?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3085265/elon-musk-nicolas-cage-and-pangzai-nominating?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 May 2020 07:00:12 +0000 Lockdown 2020 continues and it’s proving hard to write this column as, let’s be honest, most of these are a recap of how I beclowned myself in public most recently. Thankfully for all of us, columnists are not considered essential workers so I haven’t been able to venture outside all that much, and beclowning oneself on Zoom, Skype or Houseparty isn’t really as funny and memorable. Although, the woman who took her laptop into the bathroom while on a videoconference call deserves a medal, or... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3081167/cynicism-aside-fashion-brands-making-personal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3081167/cynicism-aside-fashion-brands-making-personal?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2020 20:00:15 +0000 There’s no point pretending, the cascade of pandemic news is starting to get to me and, I’m sure, everyone else. Anxiety is up, optimism is down and the economy is flat­lining. Given the state of things, it can be hard to see any upside at the moment, and too easy to see levity as downplaying the situation or being glib and uncaring. All of which makes writing columns like this pretty tricky. But we can’t let the virus win. So this week’s column is all about good vibes, focusing on positive... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3078714/tiger-king-netflix-and-other-things-enjoy-under?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3078714/tiger-king-netflix-and-other-things-enjoy-under?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2020 14:00:07 +0000 Rather belatedly, the West is quarantining itself to “flatten the curve” of the corona­virus spread, so for the next month or so billions of people will be looking for things to do at home. Binge-watching television is the easiest way to fill the hours, of course. Lockdown will also lead, one assumes, to more can­oodling and some predict a baby boom nine months from now. Before we all get clucky, I should say that recent empirical evidence out of China, which has experienced the worst of the... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3076755/why-steve-jobs-anti-fashion-philosophy-hard-pull?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3076755/why-steve-jobs-anti-fashion-philosophy-hard-pull?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2020 22:00:15 +0000 Well, it finally happened: the Oscar for best film went to the actual best film. After some head-scratchingly awful 21st century winners – Crash (!), The King’s Speech (come on!) and the Driving Miss Daisy reverse retread Green Book (yes, it really did beat Roma and The Favourite), to name some of the most egregious examples – we finally got a best picture recipient in Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite that had voters, critics and the audience all nodding happily in agreement. Despite the frankly shameful... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3052425/praise-bong-hive-rare-force-good-amid-toxic-fan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3052425/praise-bong-hive-rare-force-good-amid-toxic-fan?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2020 12:30:15 +0000 What is the one thing that links Johnny Depp, Ivanka Trump and The Simpsons ’ Apu Nahasapeemapetilon ? No, it’s not that one plays cartoon-like characters, one comes across as a cartoon villain and the other is a literal cartoon. Rather, at some point in their existence, all three have been cancelled. You may have heard the term “cancel culture”; barely a day goes by without some prominent person falling victim to it. It has become something of a cottage industry, particularly when it comes to... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3050187/cancel-culture-how-social-media-has-stopped-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3050187/cancel-culture-how-social-media-has-stopped-us?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Feb 2020 03:30:13 +0000 We are living in a tortured moment in history. What with the oceans boiling, inequality rising, threats of world war looming and Arsenal lagging behind Tottenham, it is tempting to consider every year that passes as the “worst year ever”. But, let’s be honest, 2020, only a month in, is already shaping up to be a doozy. So far this year, Australia has been on fire, the Wuhan coronavirusis fraying all our nerves and Britain is tearing itself apart over Boris Johnson’s attempts to get Brits to... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3048075/elizabeth-holmes-anna-sorokin-grifters-taking-con-artistry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3048075/elizabeth-holmes-anna-sorokin-grifters-taking-con-artistry?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Feb 2020 02:30:06 +0000 If you were expecting the usual ramshackle scribblings from me about nothing in particular before a jarring pivot to hot watch chat, well, I’ve got news for you. It seems the market for watches in Hong Kong, and thus for hot watch chat, has – how do I put this charitably? – well, it’s gone a bit pear-shaped. Over the past six months, Hong Kong has lost its crown as the world’s No 1 market for Swiss watch exports to the United States of all places, and you don’t need me to rehash the reasons... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3046195/what-do-kanye-trump-and-prince-andrew-have-common?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3046195/what-do-kanye-trump-and-prince-andrew-have-common?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Jan 2020 05:30:10 +0000 Being glib is all too easy when writing about mechanical watches, as for the most part the industry is absolutely ridiculous. Think about it: the whole business is based on contraptions invented in the 17th century that are a million times less accur­ate than your phone. Still, I can’t quit these little metal monsters and, with Christmas around the corner, I’ve stopped watching the Prince “Can’t Sweat, Won’t Sweat” Andrew car crash interview and had a proper think about what would make the best... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3039560/watches-dufa-junghans-and-omega-best-horological?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3039560/watches-dufa-junghans-and-omega-best-horological?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Nov 2019 12:30:09 +0000 This column has never been big on technology. The idea of robot butlers, drone deliveries and smart fridges fills us with dread as there’s no doubt in our mind that the machines will turn on us when they become sentient. I, for one, do not look forward to welcoming our robot overlords. That said, I have come to love the activity trackers that now come as standard on smartwatches now. Of course, I love them not for their intended use, which is to track your exercise progress, but rather they are... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3035530/michael-kors-emporio-armani-or-fossil-womens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3035530/michael-kors-emporio-armani-or-fossil-womens?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Nov 2019 11:30:06 +0000 Martin Scorsese is in the news again, and not just for his new film, The Irishman – which is a masterpiece even if your bladder will not forgive you for the 3.5-hour runtime. No, ol’ Marty has decided to take on the nerds in Hollywood by decrying the spate of superhero films that have clogged up multiplexes in recent years, describing them as “not cinema”. Scorsese’s long-time friend Francis Ford Coppola has also weighed in, calling Marvel films “despicable”. These two old-timers might have a... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3034194/weiss-iwc-and-bell-ross-three-aviation-watches-high?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3034194/weiss-iwc-and-bell-ross-three-aviation-watches-high?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Oct 2019 01:30:14 +0000 It’s been a few weeks since the last column and I am happy to report that I have not shamed myself, lost anything valuable or sustained any injuries. By the same token, nothing particularly interesting has happened to me either, so perhaps I should leave the house more. However, one thing did pique my interest, actually that’s a lie, I am totally obsessed with the beef between British football wives Colleen “Wagatha Christie” Rooney and Rebekah Vardy. If you have no idea what I’m prattling on... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3033813/chopard-h-moser-cie-and-vacheron-constantin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3033813/chopard-h-moser-cie-and-vacheron-constantin?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Oct 2019 12:30:06 +0000 Sneaker collecting was once the niche pursuit of obsessives known as sneakerheads, but in recent years it has been firmly embraced by the mainstream. Having conquered high-end fashion, the influence of sneaker collecting and the rise of the culture that surrounds it have also permeated the worlds of art and commodities, as evidenced by an upcoming exhibition and auction in Hong Kong. The “Tongue + Chic” sneaker exhibition, which opens on October 9 at auction house Phillips’ gallery in Central... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3031845/are-sneakers-art-kaws-takashi-murakami-damien-hirst-think?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3031845/are-sneakers-art-kaws-takashi-murakami-damien-hirst-think?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Oct 2019 07:00:11 +0000 It’s time we had a chat about celebrity endorsements. I’m not against them; some make a lot of sense. But there are those that leave you thinking, “What the fudge?” Case in point, Bremont and Michael Wong Man-tak, which – and I’m sorry for sounding like a teenager – is just soooo lame. I like Bremont, I do, it makes decent watches. But its collaborations with Wong, with a new addition this month, I cannot fathom. I might be wrong, but Wong is at best a C-list movie star. Beyond that, he endorses... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3030145/watches-celebrity-endorsements-why-some-work-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3030145/watches-celebrity-endorsements-why-some-work-and?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Sep 2019 12:00:14 +0000 Ah, Mid-Autumn is upon us! Now, given the occasion the orthodox move here would have been a lunar-themed watch column, you know, moon-phase timepieces, that sort of thing. But, being a maverick I’m consistently inconsistent, shooting from the hip and zagging where others expect me to zig … Actually, the truth is I totally forgot the holiday was coming and I played my moon-watch card a few weeks back like a rank amateur. This week, just to underline the lack of planning, there’s no real theme... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3027389/three-timeless-new-watches-bell-ross-oris-and-nomos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3027389/three-timeless-new-watches-bell-ross-oris-and-nomos?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Sep 2019 11:00:15 +0000 If the average person spends well over 200,000 hours of their life sleeping, how many hours do you think we spend aimlessly browsing Wikipedia? The answer to that question isn’t on Wikipedia, by the way. I was left pondering it after one of my regular deep dives the other day, on this occasion to read about billionaire mad scientist Elon Musk. I’ve got to admit, I find Musk fascina­ting, even though he comes across as an odd­ball, and really he’s obsessing too much about colonising other planets... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3025967/three-watches-people-who-think-differently-say-elon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3025967/three-watches-people-who-think-differently-say-elon?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Sep 2019 09:00:06 +0000 While we won’t dwell on politics, it is suffice to say it’s been a dismal summer for Swiss watchmakers, with Hong Kong sales falling off a cliff. Here’s hoping things get better, but it won’t be this week as I’m going to ignore the Swiss entirely and look at some watches from the big fashion brands. Entschuldigung, Schweiz. We’re going to start with Emporio Armani, which has just added a whole load of watches to its current collection. Now some Emporio Armani watches are absolutely awful and I... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3024551/three-fashion-watches-big-brands-distract-swiss?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3024551/three-fashion-watches-big-brands-distract-swiss?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Aug 2019 12:30:13 +0000 After the drone calamity and go-karting debacle of last month, the past week or so I’ve been gaffe-free, primarily because I’ve been too depressed to leave the house after watching Years and Years. Set in the not-too-distant future, the show – a joint production by the BBC and HBO – is an all-too-realistic and bleak look at how we’ve screwed ourselves, with the added bonus of Emma Thompson as a Mancunian Trump-type figure. Despite all that, I cannot recommend this six-part series enough. So... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/3023674/three-futuristic-smartwatches-golfers-sportspeople-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/3023674/three-futuristic-smartwatches-golfers-sportspeople-and?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Aug 2019 12:00:08 +0000 My terrible summer continues and, at the rate I’m going, 2019 might just be my annus horribilis. After losing my drone over the Indian Ocean, I had what can only be described as my own Suez Crisis at Kowloon City’s Speedway Diner a few weekends ago. No, scratch that, it was the humiliation of Suez plus the debacle of Brexit, with the added calamity of Black Monday. Long-time readers will know I can’t drive, so, unsurprisingly, I was pretty wretched at go-karting, finishing dead last against the... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3020751/three-racing-inspired-watches-ideal-motorheads-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3020751/three-racing-inspired-watches-ideal-motorheads-and?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Jul 2019 14:00:14 +0000 This week, I was going to provide another update on my aquatic travails, but I’ve been land-bound since I lost my drone in the Indian Ocean. I can’t lie, I’ve lost my zest for this swimming lark. Just the thought brings up all these awful memories. Perhaps things will change; time, after all, is a great healer. Or perhaps I should just buy another drone. We’ll see, dear reader, we’ll see. Damn it, I’ll just get another drone. Let’s look at moon-phase watches as I haven’t for a while, which is... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3019928/three-best-moon-phase-watches-girard-perregaux?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3019928/three-best-moon-phase-watches-girard-perregaux?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Jul 2019 11:30:05 +0000 Look, I know you come here for the watches, but I feel some of you stay for the swimming chat, so here’s an update – and it’s a sad one at that. I recently took my new-found swimming skills to the Maldives and endeavoured to capture my triumphant splashing in the Indian Ocean using my drone camera. A drone camera I’ve had since November and never used or even opened. A drone camera I took to Australia and Southern Africa but was too scared to peel the plastic cover off. But here, in the usually... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3018912/dive-watches-are-not-just-men-three-models-add?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3018912/dive-watches-are-not-just-men-three-models-add?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Jul 2019 13:00:10 +0000 We’re into week three of my attempts to become Aquaman, and so far, if I say so myself, I think I’m nailing it. This might be the overconfidence of a middle class, 30-something privileged man talking, but I haven’t drowned yet and I’ve been in the deep end twice! My swimming teacher (henceforth referred to as Coach Buttons, to protect her identity) is of the opinion that I’m almost as good as some of the junior school kids she teaches. And that can only be taken as encourage­ment, right? Kids... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3015030/three-precious-stone-watches-more-just-very-pretty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3015030/three-precious-stone-watches-more-just-very-pretty?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Jun 2019 12:00:14 +0000 It’s Father’s Day this Sunday! What do you mean you forgot? You’re a terrible child? I see. OK, there’s still time! Stop reading this and head to the shops ASAP! In all honesty, I totally forgot it was Father’s Day, and it was a professional (ha!) dereliction of duty on my part not to make the previous column about gift ideas, but lately my mind has been distracted by self-improvement. Long-time readers will know that I can’t swim (or drive, or ride a bike properly) and I’ve grown tired of being... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3014170/three-watches-belated-fathers-day-gift?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3014170/three-watches-belated-fathers-day-gift?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Jun 2019 14:00:07 +0000 Hey, remember when Ugg boots were a thing? Von Dutch trucker caps? Civilised political discourse? All hopeless fads, and in the case of Uggs and Von Dutch hats, a monstrous distraction. It happens all the time and we don’t seem to learn our lesson. And now it’s dad sneakers! Seriously, what is wrong with people? There are also boomerang fads that make unexpected comebacks, such as bum bags and the musical stylings of Roxette (although their star never dimmed in my eyes). In the watch world, that... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3013197/forget-dad-sneakers-three-tourbillon-watches-remind?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3013197/forget-dad-sneakers-three-tourbillon-watches-remind?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Jun 2019 12:30:06 +0000 This week we’re going to look at pilot’s watches. No, I’m not going to launch into a flimsy segue to tie the intro to the timepieces. Nope, not this time. I’m too broken by the mess that is the final season of Game of Thrones . Yes, the naysayers can say it’s just fantasy, a show about dragons, swords and a worrying amount of incest. But come on, you had eight years to close this out in a semi-decent manner! I needed closure! The first watch under the microscope, the Breitling Aviator 8... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3011287/three-best-pilots-watches-military-history-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3011287/three-best-pilots-watches-military-history-and?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 May 2019 12:00:19 +0000 “No disassemble, Stephanie!” Those words have haunted me since childhood. They come from the 1986 action extravaganza Short Circuit, starring Steve Guttenberg and Ally Sheedy at the height of their powers and Fisher Stevens in brown face (we’ll move past that horror for the moment). The story is about a robot, Johnny 5, who comes alive, essentially. The film came to mind while I was watching YouTube videos of Boston Dynamic robots. Whereas before I wanted a future filled with friendly robots... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3009226/smartwatches-love-them-or-hate-them-they-are-here?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3009226/smartwatches-love-them-or-hate-them-they-are-here?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 May 2019 12:30:41 +0000 Known for its smiley face slip-ons and “NY” varsity letter shoes, Joshua Sanders is known by people in and outside fashion as the cult American footwear brand worn by the likes of G-Dragon, Emily Ratajkowski and Kylie Jenner. Most of its fans, anecdotally at least, think the man himself is an affable New Yorker with his finger on the pulse of millennial fashion. The truth, however, couldn’t be more different. That’s not to say that the brand isn’t a favourite with the fashion-forward set, or... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3008253/kylie-jenner-emily-ratajkowski-and-g-dragon-are-fans-meet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3008253/kylie-jenner-emily-ratajkowski-and-g-dragon-are-fans-meet?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 May 2019 13:30:09 +0000 All right stop, collaborate and listen. I’m back with some brand new inventions. Watches that have grabbed a hold of me tightly. Let me flow that harpoon daily and nightly. Will it ever stop? Yo, I don’t know. Turn off the lights and see these watches glow. To the extreme, I rock a keyboard like a vandal. Light up a stage and wax a chump like a candle. Or something. The intro to this week’s watch column is as tenu­ous as ever but the key­word is “collaborate” as I’m going to run through some... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3008373/out-world-watch-collaboration-and-two-other?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3008373/out-world-watch-collaboration-and-two-other?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 May 2019 12:30:06 +0000 Mother’s Day is almost upon us – unless, of course, you’re British, in which case it has come and gone and you totally forgot about it – and no, you can’t pretend you thought it was later like the rest of the world, not for the second year running. Trust me, I know from experience, you suck as a son. Anyway, we’re still two weekends away, so that means two full weeks to think of a lovely gift. And is there anything lovelier than a lovely watch for your lovely mum?* Well, you’ve come to the right... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3007448/mothers-day-gift-ideas-three-watches-shell-actually?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3007448/mothers-day-gift-ideas-three-watches-shell-actually?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Apr 2019 15:00:04 +0000 Stone Island is having a moment. The Italian fashion label with the very English name and following was founded in 1982, but it is only in the past five years that the brand has broken out of niche fandom and into the mainstream. Once unfairly associated with soccer hooligans, the brand has become a streetwear darling, winning over style icons such as the rapper Drake, who regularly posts pictures of his sizeable personal collection, including a US$100,000 gold and diamond Stone Island chain, to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3006837/how-supreme-nikelab-collaborations-made-streetwear-darling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3006837/how-supreme-nikelab-collaborations-made-streetwear-darling?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Apr 2019 07:15:04 +0000 Baselworld, the world’s biggest watch fair, closed two weeks ago and I’ve diligently looked through most of the big releases from the brands that still exhibit at the now diminished event. I feel confident enough to opine on “what’s hot” and “what’s not”, but I won’t dwell on the latter because, being a lad of a generally sunny disposition, I don’t go into the terrible in this column, and who wants to read about things that are awful, anyway? Wait, you do? Well, tough, there’s enough negativity... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3004411/whats-hot-much-diminished-baselworld-three-stand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3004411/whats-hot-much-diminished-baselworld-three-stand?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Apr 2019 12:30:11 +0000 By the time this goes to print, Baselworld 2019 will have closed its doors on another edition. I have been trying to sift through the hundreds of new releases to separate the horo­logical wheat from the chaff. Of course, the onus is on me to pick the best watches and write about them, and I take this gig seriously (stop sniggering!). To wit, I give you the good, the great and the wacky that came out on day one of Baselworld. Tag Heuer’s Autavia Isograph is firmly in the first bracket as it looks... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3003442/good-great-and-wacky-three-baselworld-2019s-best?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3003442/good-great-and-wacky-three-baselworld-2019s-best?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Mar 2019 12:30:09 +0000 Still more than a week to go until Baselworld, the world’s biggest watch fair, and my excitement levels are somewhere between mild indifference and tepid antici­pation. In my previous column, I outlined why enthusiasm is down for Baselworld, so I won’t rehash things here, but I’m trying to rouse myself so, this week, I’m dipping my toe back into the world of fashion watches, a place that is all about style, even if the pieces are often lacking in substance. Fashion watches, that is, watches made... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/2188703/three-fashion-watches-horological-distinction-just?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/2188703/three-fashion-watches-horological-distinction-just?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Mar 2019 15:00:30 +0000 We are deep into February, and usually this would be a busy time for watch columnists as we are in the “pre-Basel” period, that is, the weeks leading up to the world’s biggest annual watch fair, which takes place in Switzerland in March. Ordinarily around this time, brands would be inundating my inbox, teasing new releases and trying to grab my attention with subject lines such as “CLICK FOR SEXY SWISS WATCHES BIG BOY” and “NAUGHTY MOVEMENTS RIGHT HERE”. Alas, if you didn’t already know, it’s... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/2186927/swatch-groups-exit-baselworld-darkens-mood-these?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/2186927/swatch-groups-exit-baselworld-darkens-mood-these?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Feb 2019 12:33:44 +0000 Black Friday 2015 is a date that still haunts Eddy Lu. The post-Thanksgiving shopping event, the biggest date on the American retail calendar, almost broke Lu’s fledgling company, online sneaker marketplace Goat. Goat, an acronym of “Greatest of all time”, launched in July 2015. The days leading up to that Black Friday had seen poor and even non-existent sales on the website. Coffee table book for sneakerheads charts the history of trainers in 650 stunning pages So Goat’s Los Angeles-based... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/2185647/how-goat-sneaker-marketplace-founders-went-roommates-global?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/2185647/how-goat-sneaker-marketplace-founders-went-roommates-global?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Feb 2019 23:45:15 +0000 Lunar New Year is almost here! Huzzah! Who doesn’t love painfully packed airports and train stations, getting rinsed on the lai see and the awkward small talk with family members you barely know/dislike intensely? No? No one? Oh. Anyhow, getting on with business, Lunar New Year-themed watches, or, more accurately, Chinese zodiac watches, have become lucrative for luxury brands, even though Christmas/Easter/Eid/Hanukkah watches haven’t really taken off. Ever. Luxury watchmakers lure Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/2183247/three-year-pig-watches-chopard-jaquet-droz-vacheron?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/2183247/three-year-pig-watches-chopard-jaquet-droz-vacheron?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Jan 2019 12:16:45 +0000 Last week we put the spotlight on the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie Genève, or SIHH if you’re into that whole brevity thing, the first big watch fair of the year. Among the deluge of new pieces there are plenty of gems, but SIHH, it must be said, is very much a luxe affair with the starting price for many of the new pieces likely to cost a month’s wages. And let’s be frank, outside of friendless nerds like me, most folk couldn’t give two hoots about a tourbillon. So, for the sake of... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/2182265/three-wallet-friendly-watches-us350-or-less-look?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/2182265/three-wallet-friendly-watches-us350-or-less-look?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Jan 2019 12:33:09 +0000 Perhaps no one noticed, but the watch column took an extended break over the holiday season. I would love to say that I used the time off to reflect on the year in horology but, in all honesty, I spent most of it rewatching Game of Thrones. All I can say is that there’s way more casual killings, incest and dragon play than I remember. Also, the key takeaway is: walls don’t work. Take the hint, Donald. I’ve also spent the early part of January failing to keep my resolutions and struggling... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/2181182/three-winning-watches-heading-sihh-2019-girard?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/2181182/three-winning-watches-heading-sihh-2019-girard?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Jan 2019 12:30:56 +0000 The clock is ticking down to Christmas and the full nightmare of festive shopping is about to begin. Thinking of what to buy people is always stressful – and let’s be honest you’ll never please everybody – but a watch, in our humble opinion, is one of those things that is sure to be received warmly. Here is our guide to buying watch gifts to suit different budgets and people. Three jewellery watches fit for royal wrists 1. The his & hers option Couples matching what they are wearing is,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/2178116/christmas-gift-ideas-eight-watches-suit-different-people?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/2178116/christmas-gift-ideas-eight-watches-suit-different-people?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Dec 2018 04:15:30 +0000 Hell’s bells! If you didn’t already know it, we’re fully into movie awards season. Actually, the “for your consideration” campaigning started months ago – Lady Gaga has been gunning hard for that best actress Oscar since the cloying, mawkish A Star is Born came out. Now I’ve got nothing against Gaga – indeed, I quite liked Poker Face when I was a young lad – but if there’s any justice in the world (and we all know there isn’t) then Olivia Colman should win the top actress prize. Not only is... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/2177448/three-best-jewellery-watches-get-your-rocks-these?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/2177448/three-best-jewellery-watches-get-your-rocks-these?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Dec 2018 11:47:52 +0000 It’s been a while since we discussed fashion watches in this column, that is watches by the big fashion brands, and that’s partly because the vast majority of them are absolutely awful. I love fashion brands like Burberry but I would rather eat my own hands than wear one of its watches. And the reason is that these companies see them as a side hustle and so devote little time or effort to the design or mechanics of the timepieces. That’s not true for every fashion brand, and I’ll concede that... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/2175248/watches-gucci-armani-exchange-and-fragment-design?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/2175248/watches-gucci-armani-exchange-and-fragment-design?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Nov 2018 12:32:01 +0000