Vacheron Constantin Malte

I was in Singapore recently and we all know Singapore is a city of high fashion and materialism at its best. One thing I like about Singapore is watch-spotting and I spotted a lady that caught my eye - it was a passing moment but her watch caught my eye. What caught my eye was her chicness in fashion sense and also her watch not just a watch but a sleek tonneau-shaped watch, which upon 'investigation' turned out to be a Vacheron Constantin - Malte watch - Simply elegant, understated, this will most definitely to be my next watch.

Swedish Fashion

Having just returned from a vacation in Sweden, I am so inspired and impressed with Swedish fashion. They ooze casual and chic, nothing I have seen before, except for maybe Japan.

Here's a quick video from Derek Blasberg.

Tom Ford in Cartier Tank Gold

Photo from Business of Fashion Tom Ford wearing Cartier Gold Tank. Enough said.

John Mayer watch collection

Jaegar-LeCoultre

One of any sophisticated gentlemen must-have watches is no other than the Reverso. I like how the model name - Reverso, brand is strong enough to be mentioned on its own and immediately associated with the historic Jaegar-LeCoultre brand among the well-educated watch lovers. 

I have been craving for the Reverso Ultra Thin - Tribute to 1931 edition. The watch is divine, oozes sophistication while being minimalistic and sleek. I have not seen the watch in person but from photos, it has caught my attention and I can only imagine seeing it in person will make me succumb and hand over my credit card immediately, something I'm not yet ready to do....for financial reasons. 

With the Tribute 1931, JLC also released a "Rouge" version, which after researching, was how the original Reverso was presented, in red enamel. Photos are from Hodinkee, my favourite watch blog. Now out of a sudden, I have a strong liking to the Rogue version, but I need to see the watch in person to make a decision, Currently I am very much in love with the US Edition, limited edition with vintage hands. 

3 Shoes to bring to Vacations for men

Let's be honest, we put so little thought into what shoes to bring during vacation and it's no surprise fact that shoes make an outfit. So, do put some thoughts into what to pack into your precious space in your Rimowa suitcase. You may not care much about fashion but please be considerate and respectful to the well-heeled residents of the cities you visit who will be traumatised with your choice of attire or crocs.

1. Let's be realistic here, I'm not going to be pretentious and say you should bring a pair of proper dress shoes. You are on vacation and the last thing on your mind is put on a pair of uncomfortable shoes and more importantly, you do not want to damage the sole of your precious Church's shoes in a day with the amount of walking you do when you walk around your city of choice. Also, have you ever worn a dress shoes on a long flight? The size of your feet expands to the size of an elephant feet and your pair of shoes can no longer fit. Have you ever woken up to head to the breakfast buffet and have nothing to wear apart from your dress shoes and the last thing you want to do is dress up? Yep. which is why, your first shoes to bring is:

LanVIN SUEDE AND PATENT-LEATHER SNEAKERS

a comfortable pair of sneakers, but still makes an impact to show you care about fashion in a subtle way.You'll feel confident when you are shopping at Ginza and no one will think that you are too poor to be shopping here/does not belong. You can wear this pair during travel and you are guaranteed not to be mistaken for a drug dealer by customs and be given better service by the air crew. 

2. 

Oliver Spencer Loafers

For hanging at the cafe with trousers rolled up with bare ankles and this shoe is versatile enough to be worn with shirt and blazers for dressy/classy restaurants for the Michelin star restaurants you always wanted to visit. After dinner, you can always have a night cap and head to a classy bar and still look trendy and stylish.

3. 

A sports sneaker, a pair of shoes that can withstand squats you do at the morning workouts during your vacation. You're on vacation but still want to feel fit and guilt free while you eat all the delicious food the city have to offer. On alternate workout days, you can go on a run through city of Paris (if you are visiting Paris) and be amazed by the serenity of the city at 6am. 

Cartier Tank Solo

Classic timeless pieces always does things to me. I always liked navy, grey, blazers, whites, monochromatic tones and ALWAYS wanted a square watch. In my opinion, there are no brands who do timeless square watches better than Jaegar LeCouture - Reverso & Cartier Tank Solo. For some reasons, I never understood the steep price for the Reverso, it looked like the price does not resonate its aesthetics.

I am keen/ready to add to my collection of watches and looking into a stainless steel everyday watch but somehow a proper dress watch had overtaken its priority and I'm just craving for a Cartier Tank Solo watch. My philosophy is that if you liked an item for several years, then you should definitely get it, same with my Panerai watch which I still love to-date.

I was a bit concerned of it being a Quartz - but again after much deliberation and education, I came in peace that Quartz is OK for a dress watch, in fact it is expected in a dress watch where in its form, should be elegant, discreet and oh so classy which a mechanical watch would not be able to do.

It was an impulse buy so I just clicked on Order yesterday when I was bored.

Here are some of the most iconic Tank Solo on the most iconic people in our times:

Jackie O & Warren Beatty

Andy Warhol

Yves Saint Laurent - 1983

the Gold version is equally as stunning. 

Givenchy Full-Grain Leather Backpack

Available on Mr. Porter 

Green Tod's

Taipei

I was in whirlwind tour to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Taipei. I have been to Taipei 3 times this year but never got a chance to go out have a look. It was always meeting rooms - airports, but this time I arrived early and went to the once-tallest-building-in-the-world Taipei 101 to look around. I was pleasantly surprised with how fashionable some Taiwanese are - their shops are big, carries a big variety of men's collection (a sin many shops do for ONLY carrying Women's). I was particularly impressed with their Bottega store where the men's collection were stocked nicely and more impressed with the range of cool men's accessories they carry. 

bought myself a Bottega bracelet and a pair of Tod's boat shoes. 

Marc Aculert

Marc Aculert's home in Paris is minimalistic, chic and balanced. Paris is a city where the energy is enough to make most things magical and stunning with minimal effort. According to NY Times, Mr Marc is a jewellery designer where he combines museum-worthy pieces and reinvent the into eccentric jewellery. I am more interested in his interior, with happy pop of orange, rustic cart wheel from Thailand to de-sterilized, otherwise bland and sterile environment.  

Photos from NY Times

Saint Laurent flagship in SoHo New York

Photo from NY Times

I followed Hedi Slimane's career when he injected androgynous into Dior homme and turned the fashion house around - he's about to do the same with YSL, with his bold move to change the brand which has a long history. I think he took the bulls by the horn and relive the respectable fashion house and make it contemporary again. 

Creative retail space is another factor that is just as important as the collection fashion designer designs every season - Hedi designs this flagship store with monochromatic natural marble, chrome and punctuated with antiques.

Mackintosh Storm System Cotton Bomber Jacket

Mr Porter  is offering free express shipping world wide again and I am itching to get this amazing bomber jacket from Scottish brand - Mackintosh. It's a rare find nowadays to find anything that is not Made in China.

As usual, I have a weak spot with stripes and Navy - I have been eyeing on this jacket for the longest time. As 'winter' ascends upon us in the southern hemisphere, I need to get a jacket that is not too warm and flexible enough for me to last into spring. Winter in Australia is just not cold enough for me to wear wool coats. I find myself extremely agitated and sweating when I wear jackets that are too warm and when you step heated indoors it's just torture.

Bang & Olufsen

Wanting this so bad!

Men's Accessories

I have never been an 'accessories' type of person so to speak - never been interested in rings, bracelets and the only accessory I would invest in is a handsome watch.

Well, never say never, it's starting to grow on me and I think accessories like bracelets adds a lot of personality and live to individuals. I love Miansai, I think their accessories are masculine and fantastic.
I've seen their collection in Bangkok, Melbourne and Seoul but it's disappointing that the collections are so limited in each. They offer online shopping but the shipping cost is just too much.

my Navy Miansai with 2 other bracelets I got from Bangkok

Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok - a city like no other. It's crazy, hustle bustle, dirty, unbearably hot and humid, insane traffic and hookers. That aside, it's famous for its tuk tuks, food, massages - although I'm trying to remember the last time I went for a Thai massage in Bangkok without being asked if I wanted a happy ending despite my efforts of only looking for establishments with clear signage of "no extra service" which has clearly proved to be a waste of time. 

 My colleagues and I went to their cooking school to learn how to cook their signature Tom Yum dish. I was surprised to learn that it's actually quite easy - well, provided you have the right ingredients.

 I  prepped this. 

 

End result - restaurant quality, right?

View from our restaurant of the temple. 

Head Porter

I have been looking around for a backpack for the longest time - my Bill Amberg Hunter Ruck Sack, unfortunately was a huge disappointment and the strap broke off after 4 months of usage. After a few angry emails to Bill Amberg to their Mayfair store, I managed to get a refund. The bag was too small to fit a laptop and just a nuisance. The compartment had no closure so things can easily fall out when you stuff your bag in our overhead compartment in a plane.


Anyway, I've always loved anything Japanese-made and when I came across this backpack from Porter, I'm immediately sold and the colour - blue is my favourite! Thank God for their international shipping and I've placed my order - YEN34,000. You know when you see something at first sight and something you gotta have - this bag did that to me.

The strap looks hardwearing and comfy for travels too, which is a big plus. 

Photos from Head Porter

Rolex Black Limited Edition

Photos from: Ssense

Wow!!! I've been longing for a metal watch to compliment my leather Panerai watch and this watch is just perfection. Rolex is commercial but the limited edition of 50, black PVD adds character and edginess. USD$20,000.. 

India

I have to admit India was never in my bucket list of places to visit - but don't you love it when you get to visit a place you never thought of visiting? The spontaneousity brings all the excitement in life.

I get to stay at The Leela Kempinski - Gurgaon in Delhi and I have to say it is the best hotel I've stayed in. The staff were meticulously groomed and interior handsome and chic. The Leela has hosted numerous notable guests such as Julia Roberts, David Cameron to Dalai Lama.

Love the geometric marble floor

The shower is quite spectacular - the rain shower is indeed a proper rain shower - it pours like a storm. 

The Hotel is home for one of the best Italian restaurant in Delhi, heck I live in Melbourne where Italian culture is plentiful but India is the place where I had my best Italian meal. 

 Entrance to the Taj

 Seeing Taj Mahal in person is quite a surreal experience, even though you have seen this image a thousand times in brochures, TV or magazine, nothing can prepare you as you see the building in person. It's true architectural genius work - a splendid piece of art, and a well-deserved title as the wonder of the world. It's attention to detail and perfect symmetric and its white marble against the serene sky line just makes the whole thing - perfection.   What makes it more amazing was in the midst of poverty and chaos in Agra - lies this majestic mausoleum.

India in its nature is very design centric and to imagine the entire thing was built and carved out of white marble is just amazing.

 Agra Fort is a landmark not to missed as well - It's pretty spectacular and is just 20+km from the Taj. I have not seen anything quite like it.