Photo Report: IAMWATCH 2024 – Singapore’s Double-Wristed, Resort Casual Dose Of Independent Watchmaking Madness (175+ Photos)
What’s the future of independent watchmaking? Well, if you were in Singapore this past weekend, you’d be hard-pressed to believe it’s anything but strong. Just look at the folks at the table pictured below. Raúl Pagès, Gaël Petermann and Florian Bédat, and Theo Auffret, all laughing, smiling, and just an hour later, all totally inundated with a mass of clients, collectors, and fans who were clamoring for a chance to look at their watches, let alone buy one.
From left, Raúl Pagès, Gaël Petermann, Florian Bédat, and Theo Auffret. If this is the next generation of watchmakers, we’re going to be just fine.
In a spacious ballroom in the lower levels of the Singapore Edition hotel, IAMWATCH – a new watch fair put on by Michael Tay and The Hour Glass – brought collectors and watchmakers face-to-face in a way that likely has never happened before in the world of independent watchmaking. The dress code? Resort casual and double-wristed. And a whole lot of independent watchmaking, if you happen to have it. If you don’t have the cabana shirt, don’t worry, IAMWATCH took care of that too. That’s why you’ll see so many of the same green and pink shirts in this report.
This once obscure subset of artisanal craft has been elevated to new heights by modern consumers, but also by Tay, his father, and The Hour Glass, who were early supporters of names like F.P. Journe and Philippe Dufour (and former owners of brands such as Gerald Genta and Daniel Roth). In fact, Asia has become one of the largest markets in the world not just for watches in general, but for these kinds of modern technical craftsmen.
Two of the eight Philippe Dufour Sonneries in one place is something I may never again experience in my lifetime.
As someone lucky enough to get to meet a lot of these watchmakers on a more frequent, casual basis, it took me a bit to fully process how special the experience here was. There’s really no way to describe how rare it is for people to be able to just walk into a room, then up to a table, sit down, and be face-to-face with not one but a dozen or more of the brightest minds in watchmaking today. The watch lovers around were both incredibly well-educated and humble enough to admit that even if they knew a lot about MB&F or Urwerk, they might know nothing about Kari Voutilainen’s work. But they were all willing to learn from the man himself.
There are a lot of large independent brands on the market today. By technical definition, Rolex, Audemars Piguet, and Patek Philippe all fit the mold, running their own companies outside of a larger conglomerate. But when we think of “Independents” with a capital “I,” you’re more likely to think of brands whose living watchmakers have their names on the dial. Each watchmaker has not only developed their own style but also their own direction for their brands. F.P. Journe, with the largest production numbers (around 1,000 mechanical watches per year), was heavily featured on the wrists in Singapore. The same could be said for MB&F and Urwerk, which have a passionate fanbase here. Smaller and younger brands, like Petermann Bédat or Theo Auffret, are just picking up steam (and even delivering watches during the show). Regardless of the brand, some of the rarest (and I mean truly rarest) models came out. Case in point: the first watch I photographed at the event was one of the rarest modern Pateks, the ref. 1938P made for Philippe Stern’s 85th birthday.
The Patek Philippe ref. 1938P minute repeating alarm wristwatch, featuring Philippe Stern on the dial. Only 30 pieces were made, retailing for about CHF 900,000.
Raúl Pagès meeting with guests and clients at IAMWATCH.
Judging by my camera roll, the next watch that I saw was the F.P. Journe “15/93,” François-Paul’s 15th-ever timepiece and the first wristwatch he ever made for sale to a client, finished in 1993. The watch was there courtesy of Phillips, who had a preview of all their fall auctions (New York, Hong Kong, Geneva, not in that order) split between IAMWATCH (focusing on independents) and the hotel across the street. I had previously missed seeing this watch – possibly the most important watch to come up for sale in the last 10 years or more – at its stops in Geneva and New York and I couldn’t miss it again.
F.P. Journe’s first wrist watch made for sale, timepiece number 15, from 1993.
Aurel Bacs, Tiffany To (left seated), and Alex Ghotbi at the Phillips table.
I also took part in a talk with designer Lee Yuen-Rapati, founder of Ressence Benoit Mintiens, and Trilobe founder Gautier Massonneau, on what it takes to make an icon. It was a pleasure to meet so many readers from Asia and the larger Pacific region and I really hope that IAMWATCH becomes a more frequent part of the watch fair landscape. But let’s be honest, if you’re here, you want to see all the watches I spotted while I was at the event. It certainly didn’t disappoint. While a few non-independents snuck in there, I tried to keep the spotting on theme. Sorry to those who didn’t get their wrist shots included this time, but hopefully you enjoy the photo report all the same.
Lee Yuen-Rapati working on drawing a few watches worn by folks at the event.
He later presented the book to Michael Tay and The Hour Glass.
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak RD#2 in titanium and platinum.
An Audemars Piguet ref. 25902 Royal Oak automatic tourbillon for the 25th Anniversary of the Royal Oak.
Kari Voutilainen showing his watches.
Kari Voutilainen’s personal watch, a Chronometre 27 with diamond indices.
The very Voutilainen GMR that was awarded the GPHG Men’s Watch Prize in 2015.
Tulloch T-01 from the short-lived brand Tulloch. The movement was brought to life by Kari Voutilainen’s team.
Grönefeld 1941 Remontoire with dial by Kari Voutilainen’s Comblemine.
The movement of the Grönefeld 1941 Remontoire.
MB&F HM9 “Flow.”
Urwerk and an MB&F HM11 “Architect.”
A Seiko railroad watch made for the Shinkansen “Bullet Train” drivers in Japan.
At the bottom on the back you can see the word Shinkansen in Japanese.
The reissue of the Gerald Genta-designed Credor Locomotive.
De Bethune Dream Watch 5 Tourbillon Season 1.
Three Centigraphes. Troiscentigraphe?
Vertical Tourbillon Souverain Haute Joaillerie with 22.50 carats of diamonds.
F.P.Journe lineSport Automatique Réserve Titane.
The private view for clients on Thursday night got packed.
The 2021 Edition of MB&F LM101 in vibrant purple.
A trio of purple watches from M.A.D.Editions, Urwerk, and De Bethune.
Okay, what about two De Bethune Dream Watch 5?
Or a De Bethune Dream Watch 5 in gold?
De Bethune Dream Watch 5 Tourbillon Season 1.
De Bethune Maxichrono.
During the weekend, IAMWATCH hosted several breakfasts for visitors to meet one-on-one with watchmakers in a more casual and group setting. These meet-ups were so well-attended that they had to be moved from a smaller lounge to the main ballroom so that folks could all line up for brief chats with folks like Felix Baumgartner, Max Büsser, Rexhep Rexhepi, and others. There were also several talks and presentations in a theatre inside the Singapore Edition, which drew packed rooms and long wait lists.
Rexhep Rexhepi.
Akrivia AK-06 and Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain.
Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain and F.P.Journe Chronomètre à Résonance Black Label.
Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain Diamant (one of 10) and a very rare Patek Philippe 5004P with diamond indices.
Another Akrivia AK-06.
Max Büsser, presenting at one of the talks held by industry leaders and journalists at IAMWATCH.
An Akrivia AK-06 gold version.
The new F.P. Journe Tokyo Anniversary Chronograph.
One of the 20 F.P. Journe Tokyo Edition Anniversary Tourbillon Souverain Ref. TT.
“In this house, we wear F.P. Journe.”
F.P. Journe vertical Tourbillon Souverain.
An F.P. Journe Vagabondage I and Vagabondage III.
The F.P.Journe Automatique on bracelet.
Only the second yellow gold Le Mans Daytona I’ve seen in person.
Rolex GMT-Master II in white gold with meteorite dial.
Rolex Rainbow Day-Date.
A diamond and emerald-set Rolex Yacht-Master.
Far rarer than the Le Mans Daytona, this is Dr. Tay’s personal white gold ruby-set Daytona released to the Rolex off-catalog collection last year.
The Patek Philippe Aquanaut Luce Chronograph ref. 7968.
Patek ref. 2523 in rose gold with Gobbi Milano signature. In 2019, this set the record for the most expensive watch ever sold in Asia at just shy of $9 million.
Patek Philippe ref. 5231G “Oceania and Southeast Asia” World Time.
Patek Philippe ref. 3940J and 5236G Annual Calendar Travel Time.
Just a day after launch, I spotted Aaron Wan wearing the new platinum Patek Philippe Cubitus ref. 5822P.
Then there was the green, steel variant of the Cubitus, ref. 5821A.
Patek Philippe 5740G and a rare Universal Genève Compax.
An early Universal Genève Tricompax.
Benôit Mintiens, founder of Ressence.
Jean-Claude Biver holding court.
A Louis Vuitton Tambour.
Felix Baumgartner of Urwerk.
Showing the new Urwerk UR-150.
Urwerk UR-150.
The prototype for the Urwerk AMC, one of the coolest clocks/watches ever made. The Atomic clock interfaces with the mechanical watch to micro-adjust the mechanical movement so that the watch can be as accurate as possible.
Theo Auffret wearing his mentor Jean-Baptiste Viot’s watch, made in eight pieces.
In fact, there were two of Jean-Baptiste Viot’s watches at the event.
Theo Auffret’s Tourbillon à Paris.
A SpaceOne Jump Hour with module designed by Theo Auffret.
Furlan Marri Salmon Sector.
Baltic Micro-rotor with oracle bone scripts dial made with Westwood.
Jean Arnault, Gaël Petermann, Rémy Cools, and Théo Auffret, on a panel moderated by Alex Ghotbi, Deputy Chairman, Watches, Head of Watches Europe and the Middle East at Phillips.
Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain and Urwerk co-founder Thomas Baumgartner’s personal prototype Urwerk, worn by Mike Tay.
MB&F LM FlyingT Onyx.
MB&F x H.Moser LM101 and MB&F LM Perpetual.
Max Büsser signing autographs.
MB&F HM3 Megawind.
MB&F HM2-RED SV.
Hublot Spirit of Big Bang “Titanium Dragon.”
Another special Hublot, this time for Singapore Watch Club.
The recently-released De Bethune DB28xs Aerolite and an MB&F LM101 in rose gold.
An F.P. Journe Chronomètre À Résonance and Petermann Bédat 1967 Deadbeat.
An H. Moser & Cie Streamliner Chronograph.
Ōtsuka Lōtec no. 7.
A 34mm Kurono Tokyo.
Urwerk UR-100V “Full Titanium Jacket.”
Urwerk UR-112.
Michael Tay, Managing Director of The Hour Glass, double-writing a unique Philippe Dufour Simplicity in white gold with champagne dial and a 38mm F.P.Journe Chronomètre à Résonance.
F.P. Journe 38mm Tourbillon Beijing Edition (the owner said one of two – only one has come to market).
Louis Vuitton Monterey I in yellow gold.
Rémy Cools Tourbillon Atelier.
Cartier Crash.
Berneron Mirage.
Cartier Crash.
A special order Hong Kong Cartier Cintrée…
… with the country code of Hong Kong lumed on the dial.
MB&F LM Sequential EVO.
On Saturday night there was an after party, a great chance for everyone to unwind after a long day.
Gaël Petermann, Florian Bédat, and Raúl Pagès grabbing a drink.
Back to the watches. MB&F HM4 “Thunderbolt” and Urwerk UR-102.
Another MB&F HM4.
All hands on deck with Mr. and Mrs. “Delugs” with the De Bethune, MB&F, M.A.D.Editions, and Ulysse Nardin.
Ulysse Nardin Freak One “Navy.”
A unique Audemars Piguet “Jules Audemars” minute repeater in titanium.
Audemars Piguet Cobra.
The rose gold and black ceramic openworked Audemars Piguet Royal Oak.
Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Starwheel
An openworked Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar.
A very rare rose gold Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Clover.”
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak RD#2 Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin “Luminary” ref. 26586BC.
The Audemars Piguet [RE]Master02 and Openworked Royal Oak Flying Tourbillon, both in sand gold.
Patrick Pruniaux, CEO of Girard-Perregaux and Ulysse Nardin, and Jean-Claude Biver laughing during a group photo.
Girard-Perregaux Three Bridges pocket watch.
Jean-Claude Biver, Max Büsser, Patrick Pruniaux, and Mike Tay speak on a panel about the business of watchmaking.
Greubel Forsey GMT.
One of the 22 Greubel Forsey Double Balancier Carbon Convex Green.
A Laurent Ferrier Grand Sport in rose gold.
MB&F Split Escapement EVO.
The team presenting the Daniel Roth and Gerald Genta pieces.
Daniel Roth Chronograph.
Daniel Roth Suscription Tourbillon.
Gerald Genta Scrooge McDuck Jump Hour and Golfing Donald Jump Hour belonging to Dr. Henry Tay.
A Gerald Genta Perpetual Calendar Minute Repeater and Perpetual Calendar, belonging to Dr. Henry Tay.
Here’s something that shouldn’t technically exist. A Rolex x Gerald Genta Perpetual Calendar. Dr. Henry Tay told me that since Rolex never did a calendar watch at the time, he asked Gerald Genta if he would modify a Day-Date with a perpetual calendar from the Genta Brand. This is the result.
The only sign it’s a Rolex.
Gerald Genta Sonnerie.
Gerald Genta Sonnerie.
Jean Arnault looking at Trilobe.
Jean Arnault’s Louis Vuitton Tambour in tantalum.
Trilobe L’Heure Exquise.
A long line to take photo with Max Büsser at breakfast.
Two LM Sequentials on the wrist.
MB&F HM06.
Trying on an MB&F LM Sequential.
Another LM Sequential, though accidentally worn upside down.
Would you like to check out the MB&F LMX?
MB&F HM10 “Bulldog.”
Anton Suhanov, meeting with folks at a breakfast.
Konstantin Chaykin Joker.
Remi Maillet of Krayon explaining the Anywhere.
Another Petermann Bédat 1967 Deadbeat Seconds.
Petermann Bédat’s rattrapante chronograph goes under the photographic microscope.
There was a full room for clockmakers.
Maison Alcée.
The leatherworker and master strapmaker Hughes Low.
Hughes Low’s tools.
Master knifemaker Emmanuel Esposito was also showing his work at the event.
Sylvain Pinaud presenting his watches to a tour group of visitors.
Charles Frodsham Double Impulse Escapement.
A Philippe Dufour Simplicity.
A unique Philippe Dufour Duality that’s coming up at auction at Phillips this fall.
Tiffany To of Phillips interviews Alex Ghotbi, Firmin Li, and Michael Tay about the rise of independent watchmakers.
The original, first ever Rolex Rainbow Daytona, with an estimate in excess of $3 million at Phillips this fall.
Ken Koshiyama from Chopard presenting a few fantastic watches.
Chopard L.U.C. Full Strike Blue Sapphire.
The F.P. Journe Chronomètre Optimum unique piece for the “Ball in Monaco” charity event, which sold for just over $1 million in 2022.
Wei Koh rocking De Bethune and Urwerk.
By the second official (third full) day of the event, the watchmakers all started to find a bit of downtime in their schedules to walk around and see the other watches being made. Everyone knows each other well in this space, but because of how uncommon these watches are, they don’t often get to see for themselves what’s being made by everyone else. Unlike most other watch fairs that required appointments, it was a first-come-first-served arrangement, so whether you were a community member or Kari Voutilainen, you could just walk up and sit down at a table to look at some watches.
Kari Voutilainen looking at the new Biver Automatique with Jean-Claude Biver.
A Unique Biver Carillon Tourbillon.
Raúl Pagès and Alcée Monfort looking at the Daniel Roth watches.
Raúl Pagès Régulateur à Détente RP1.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar in blue and white ceramic.
MB&F Split Escapement EVO.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Split Second Chronograph GMT ref. 26589IO in Titanium.
Speaking of splits, here’s a A. Lange & Söhne Double Split.
A very rare Goldpfeil “Seven Masters, Vianney Halter.” It features two apertures for jump hour and geometric moon phases, which automatically adjusted every six hours and is calculated to deviate one day every 139 years.
Vianney Halter Liberty.
Until next time, from IAMWATCH.
Hodinkee
