Man of many timepieces

The Star, December 7, 2011

By JAYAGANDI JAYARAJ

AVID watch collector Tan Sri Francis Yeoh is clearly smitten with a luxury watch label for women.

Yeoh, who is the YTL Corporation Bhd managing director, has been collecting pieces from Bedat & Co for their beauty.

“Most watches are generally made for men. In the beginning, it was all about sports and engineering-related activities where watches were used by men.

“Female emancipation came much later in the century, so as a result the design of most watches are for men. A man with a Rolex will get his wife a sized-down version to match his. That is in the past.

“Now, with companies like Bedat & Co, it is the other way around. The brand specialises in watches for women and makes matching pieces for men.

“The brand caters to the delicate curves of the female wrist so it fits perfectly. Every component is made in Switzerland.

“If you have a good boyfriend, ask him to buy you one,” he said, during an interview held days before the fifth A Journey Through Time exhibition which runs till Dec 10 at the Starhill Gallery, Kuala Lumpur.

Touted as Asia’s largest luxury watch retail event, A Journey Through Time V showcases a wide variety of luxury brands of both timepieces and jewellery.

With names such as Bedat & Co, Boucheron, Van Cleef & Arpels, Jaeger Le-Coultre, Carrera Y Carrera, Franck Muller, Richard Mille, Omega, Hublot and Maurice Lacroix participating this year, the event features an extensive guest list that includes the royal family and members of the Forbes Asia billionaire list.

The subsequent days leading up to the closing ceremony will feature fashion shows, haute cuisine and performances by Malaysian artistes including Sheila Majid, Syafinaz and Jaclyn Victor.

To mark the end of the event, Starhill Gallery’s Watch of the Year Awards will take place during the gala dinner.

Dubbed the ‘Oscars’ of the world of horology, nominated watchmakers will have a chance to be crowned the best of 2011 under seven categories including the coveted “Tourism Malaysia Most Revered Watch of the Year” award.

Yeoh, who is expecting a huge turnout said the event is endorsed by Tourism Malaysia was also to attract high-yield tourists.

“It is comparable to business and first-class of the air travel industry where they contribute 50% to the total revenue and profit, although the number of customers for the categories could just be 10%,” he said, adding that a watch was one’s personal symbol.

Highlighting that Starhill Gallery was the largest global fine watch retailer in the world, Yeoh said it was possible as rent in Malaysia was cheap and watches were duty free.

“It is not so much the buyers because the buying power is high elsewhere too. It has much to do with rent and duty-free.

“When I ventured into the luxury watch industry about 10 years ago, I studied why Hong Kong was so successful. It is because of its duty-free status. Many South-East Asian countries have high duty tax.

“With what we have started, we must keep the momentum going. Kuala Lumpur as a city is a viable watch centre for the world,” he said.

The most precious thing about a watch for Yeoh is the concept of time as it reminds him of the short time that he has in life.

“You have to use time well and a timepiece is also a reminder of the limited time you have to do the right thing in life, and when you do that, you have eternal time with God,” he said.

He also described wasting time as being worse than wasting food.

His appreciation for watches was not just philosophical as Yeoh also valued the physical beauty and work that went into each piece.

“Watches are very interesting because the craftsman has a limited space to work his magic and make it beautiful. It is comparable to top-class car engines but even a car has to stop. However, a watch’s engine never stops and best of all, it doesn’t cause pollution,” continued Yeoh.

Over the years, Yeoh has invested in some pieces including Patek Philippe watches which are now priceless, but he described his gold Rolex from his father as the most precious.

“I was 21 at that time. It is precious not because it was a gold Rolex but that it was a gift from my father,” he said.