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Clinical Kinnear Claims Quaich Friday 24 September saw the latest running of the Mackie Quaich, affectionately known as "Jock's Pot". The annual stableford competition is arranged by the Hong Kong St Andrew's Society and the silver quaich, a traditional Scottish drinking cup, donated by past Chieftain J.D. "Jock" Mackie is awarded to the winner. The event, held at Shek O Country Club, seemed climatically cursed having been postponed twice due to bad weather, but all was well as a field of over 20 hopefuls teed it up in glorious sunshine. Reigning champion Stewart Saunders finished fourth in a stout defence of his title, behind 2008 champion Paul Curran in second place and Charles McLaughlin in third. However, the winner's honours went to Roy Kinnear, pictured, who credited a "Seve-like" short game for his stunning 40-point haul. Roy was presented with his trophy by Jock Mackie himself, who also presented top nonScottish finisher Paul Brown with a bottle of champagne. — Faye Glasgow
Away from the Fairways The Cartier ID One Concept Watch
Amateur Course Design Competition Unveiled If you've ever played an uninspiring course and thought you could have made a better job of the design then now's your chance. Mission Hills has announced the launch of the Fantasy Golf Hole Contest and invites amateur golf course architects to submit bold and daring conceptual plans for a par-3, 4 or 5. The winning submissions will be brought to life on the soon-to-be-constructed Icon Course at the club's Hainan complex. Outside-the-box concepts are highly encouraged; designs must also accommodate playability, construction-feasibility and other criteria. Brian Curley, lead designer of all 10 courses at Mission Hills Hainan, will lead the judging. The winner will be awarded lifetime passes to play unlimited free golf at the Icon Course he or she designed. Further details available at www.missionhillschina.com/contest/fantasygolfhole
NUMBERS GAME
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Ian Poulter's handicap when he turned pro in 1994 at the age of 18. This is in stark contrast to Sergio Garcia, who turned pro five years later at the age of 19. At the time the Spaniard was playing off plus-5. Tiger Woods is rumoured to have got down to plus-6 before joining the paid ranks. The Official World Golf Ranking of Edoardo Molinari. Only two years ago, the likeable Italian was ranked 653rd, but three European Tour wins and a notable triumph in Japan last year has seen him shoot up the standings in dramatic fashion. The first-round score of Fazel Ali Ahmad, a competitor from Afghanistan, at the Asian Games in Guangzhou last month. Fazel, one of only two Afghan golfers in the field, recorded a four-day total of 467 (179-over-par) to finish the tournament in 75th (and last) place.
TEE TIME
“ All because I was carrying the US Open trophy that I brought to Shanghai, Singapore and on to Hong Kong, so that people could admire it.” - An unhappy Graeme McDowell after incurring an excess luggage charge by Cathay Pacific Airways. McDowell was checking in at Singapore's Changi Airport on his way to the UBS Hong Kong Open. The airline adjudged the luggage to be over his allowance and demanded an excess fee of US$300. According to McDowell, Shane Lowry, who was checking in at the same time, had a similar amount of luggage, with the exception of the US Open trophy, and paid no excess.
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Salon Sightings
Evan Rast reports on what made him tick at this year’s SalonQP CONTINUED OVERLEAF HKGOLFER.COM
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The Co-Axial Anniversary Edition was modelled after a tourbillon chronograph pocket watch that Daniels created in 1994, with a 40mm gold case and a solid silver dial guillochéd by hand and embellished with 18k gold, and featuring the watchmaker’s signature hands. Smith remarked that the watch is a “classic Daniels; and represents the seamless connection to the work George did in his prime.” The manual-winding calibre displays the hours, minutes, seconds, date and power reserve. Smith plans to produce the models in his workshop on the Isle of Man. Another true-blue British watchmaker present at the show was Arnold & Son, a company known for its marine chronometers and highly artistic complications. This year, the brand presented its Hornet History ‘James Cook’ collection, which commemorates the discoveries of the famous English explorer. The collection comes in a set of three timepieces, with hand-painted dials that represent a scene from Cook’s three most famous voyages: Landing at Botany Bay in Australia; The Discovery of Antarctica; and The Death in Hawaii. The watches are all beautifully rendered and feature different special functions, including a second time zone, mean solar time, a double disc date, and rotating GMT indicator.
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hile it might be de rigueur for a watch enthusiast to show up at the major watch shows of the year – aka SIHH and BaselWorld – I have it on good authority that it is now much more hip to be around during less known, but equally worthy horological events. Exclusivity is the watchword of the industry, pun intended. So anyway, one of these shows was held in London on the second week of November. The SalonQP, organized by the publishers of Quantieme Perpetual magazine, was, for the second year, held at One Marylebone, a deconsecrated Church in northern London. The show featured 35 exhibitors, a mix of industry heavyweights, independent watchmakers and a good number of up-and-coming British names. A lot of new timepieces were displayed, and guests had a good time discovering their many functions. There was also a round of lectures and forums, and impressive attendance, which, in all, made for a successful three days of horological bonding.
Nautical themes: This unique-looking marine clock from Bremont (top) earned plaudits in London, as did Arnold & Son’s Hornet History ‘James Cook’ collection (right).
A BRITISH INVASION
The show’s London setting may have been the main factor for the good number of British participants, but we can’t ignore the fact that there has been a resurgence of watchmaking tradition in the United Kingdom these past few years. As Giles English, co-founder of Bremont, explained to me at their recent brand launch in Hong Kong, a lot of people don’t realize that many of the watchmaking greats that Swiss manufactures revere come from the UK, like Thomas Tompion, George Graham, John Harrison, and of course the living legend, George Daniels, who created Omega’s famous co-axial escapement. It was actually a collaboration with Daniels, and Isle of Man watchmaker Roger Smith, that was the domestic highlight of this year’s Salon. Guests were treated to the world premiere of the Co-Axial Anniversary Edition, a watch that features a proper English-style movement, jointly designed by Daniels and Smith, and finished to the 84-year-old watchmaker’s rigorous standards. 20
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Remarkable Richemont (clockwise from below): The Zeitwerk from A. Lange & Sohne; JaegerLeCoultre’s Master Compressor Extreme Lab; the Patrimony Calibre 2755 from Vacheron Constantin; Panerai’s PAM 339.
The sea seems to be quite an inspiration for many of the brands this year, since aviation-centred watchmaker Bremont also revealed a uniquelooking marine clock inspired by John Harrison’s original design of a ship chronometer. The brothers English have decided to pay tribute to the British inventor by creating a clock with three time zones, a 40-day power reserve, date display, 90-day chronograph, and water-resistant case. When asked about the reason for this ambitious project, Giles replied, “We wanted to display technically what we could do as a brand. We don’t do complicated watches, so I thought we could demonstrate what we could do with a ship’s clock.” And in support of the British clock and watchmaking industry, the brothers have opted to have all the components and parts of the B1 Marine Clock custom-made in the UK. And it’s not a one-off. The company plans to produce between 10 and 12 pieces per year, and each one can be made to the yachtowner’s specifications.
RICHEMONT BRANDS AT THEIR BEST
And what would a watch show be without the presence of our favourite brands from Richemont? At A. Lange & Sohne’s busy booth, pieces from what was largely its SIHH 2010 collection were presented, which included the 1815 Moonphase and the Lange 1 Tourbillon of the F.A. Lange Homage. The company's presence at the show was a confirmation of the Saxonian manufacture's popularity in the UK. In fact, a lot of the attendees were seen wearing Lange watches. The timepiece that created the biggest attraction however was the Zeitwerk, the mechanical watch with a digital-like display that uses a ground breaking in-house jumping hour mechanism that effectively earned it the L Aguille d' Or prize at last year's Grand Prix Horlogerie d' Geneve. The Cartier booth was buzzing too, mainly because it was the first time for a good number of attendees to see the Cartier concept watch, the ID One, in the flesh; or make that Niobium22
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Titanium shell. A remarkable piece set in a 46mm Ballon Bleu case and tech-mesh strap, it’s quite an eye catcher. And don’t forget the reason why this is a concept watch: the movement does not require regulation or adjustment. Ever. A feat achieved by a Zerodur hairspring; carbon crystal balance wheel, escape wheel and lever; and a shock-resistant escapement cage. The Calibre collection, Cartier’s tribute to the modern gentleman, was also available for viewing. The watch comes in an all-new case shape, perfectly sized at 42mm, and fitted with the manufacture’s first in-house automatic calibre, the MC1904. At Jaeger-LeCoultre, the star would have to be the Master Eighty Days Squellette, a perpetual calendar with eight-day power reserve, and entirely skeletonised movement. According to the brand, each component was designed to be part of the artwork that is the dial. One super complication that deserves mention is Vacheron Constantin’s Patrimony Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Chronograph or Calibre 2755. HKGOLFER.COM
Following in the footsteps of the brand’s 250th anniversary masterpiece, the Tour de L’Ile, this watch features three sophisticated complications: a tourbiilon, the perpetual calendar and minute repeater. The watch took three years to develop, and currently holds the “Most Complicated” title in VC’s collection. The Calibre 2755 has more than 602 parts, fitted into a teeny 33.3mm diameter base. The watch also offers a lengthy 55-hour power reserve. Another hot watch from the show has to be the PAM 339 from Panerai. Released at this year's SIHH, the Radiomir Marina Militare comes in a very vintage-looking case, which is made from a unique 'Composite' material that gives it its chocolate brown shade. The special combination of ceramic and aluminum used for the case makes it harder than steel and titanium, but lighter. A great feature of the watch, aside from its edgy design, is its very lengthy power reserve of eight days (that's 192 hours!) made possible by a three-barrel movement, the inhouse P.2002/7 handwound calibre. HK GOLFER・DEC 2010/JAN 2011
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London calling: Innovation is the name of the game at Maurice Lacroix (Regulateur Roue Carree) and Montblanc (Metamorphosis).
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WATCHMAKING INNOVATORS
And while some brands are focusing on strictly traditional forms of watchmaking, others are exploring quite interesting and modern techniques. Maurice Lacroix for instance, presented its latest addition to its Masterpiece collection, the Regulateur Roue Carree. According to brand CEO Martin Bachmann, they weren’t trying to reinvent the wheel, just redesign it. And he did mean that literally. It’s a watch with a central minutes hand and small seconds, as well as a power reserve indicator on the dial. But what is more attention grabbing is the hour display that comes in the form of a square wheel. It turns by means of unique-shaped teeth, engaged by a clover-shaped regulator that allows for it to turn, thereby showing the hour. The movement was built in-house and designed by engineer and watchmaker Michel Vermot. A week before the Salon, Montblanc had an
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elaborate shindig in Beijing celebrating the grand launch of its latest creation, the Metamorphosis. Part of the Timewalker collection, the watch is another amazing piece of innovation. Designed by Johnny Girardin and Frank Orny, who were inspired by the workings of automatons, the watch features a regulator hour hand and retrograde minute hand that transforms into a chronograph at a touch of a button. Basically, the hour regulator at 12 o’clock splits open to reveal a chronograph display, and the date wheel at 6 o’clock gives way to a minute counter. This one had me seriously dumbstruck for at least a minute, and for those who want to know more, it might be worth watching its demo video on YouTube. A N D T H ER E G OE S my hop e f u l ly captivating rundown of the notable watches from the SalonQP. Cheers London, until our next fashionable encounter.
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