World Tour Recap: Tim Mosso reports from Singapore and Hong Kong
The 1916 Company opened its 2023 “World Tour” in grand style with an exclusive luxury watch experience for collectors in Singapore and Hong Kong.
Having commenced with Zürich and Geneva in late 2022, the first-of-its-kind 20-year retrospective exhibition of top independent watch manufacturers rolled into East Asia. The 1916 Company client lounges in these historic hotbeds of horology dazzled collectors with dozens of landmark watch models from De Bethune and F.P. Journe. In addition to the collections on hand, a The 1916 Company team at each store facilitated with historical background, discussion panels, and cocktail events.
Since opening its first physical store in Hong Kong in 2017, The 1916 Company has sought to showcase the extent of its online collection in offline showings. The preowned retailer has built a reputation as the top source for independent watch brands often unavailable or waitlisted at authorized retailers. 2022 marked exactly 20 years since the founding of De Bethune and 23 years since the launch of François-Paul Journe’s eponymous brand. Over 40 milestone watches from the two marques were selected for a curated journey to The 1916 Company’s international locations in North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
The 1916 Company Singapore welcomed the traveling catalog and passionate local collectors daily from January 11-13. Highlights of the exhibition included early brass movement-era F.P. Journe timepieces such as a one-of-twenty “Souscription” Tourbillon Remontoire, a 38mm brass caliber Octa Chronographe, and all three original versions of the digital time “Vagabondage” tonneau watches.
Modern collection highlights such as the “blue-mauve” dial platinum-cased Chronographe Monopussoir Rattrapante and Elegante 48 Titalyt showcased both the Journe brand’s progression and The 1916 Company’s commitment to offering the full-scope of Journe’s watchmaking journey. Additional modern references such as the current Tourbillon Souverain “vertical” and the double-remontoire Résonance were exhibited for maximum contrast alongside their predecessors from two decades prior.
Notably, the travelling collection of Journe watches accomplished what even Journe’s factory stores cannot: fill a room with real F.P. Journe timepieces. Due to demand, most F.P. Journe boutiques rely heavily on plastic and metal mock-watches to demonstrate fit and appearance, but supply constraints dictate that only a small number of real watches are stocked locally. In contrast, the The 1916 Company World Tour ensures no fewer than 20 F.P. Journe watches grace each of its destinations.
De Bethune, which became The 1916 Company’s first wholly owned luxury manufacture in 2021, was on hand with a VIP detail of company leaders. CEO Pierre Jacques, Head of Sales Jörg Hysek Jr., and PR/Communication Manager Ouldouze Nadiri made the journey from L’Auberson, Switzerland to meet directly with Singapore’s famously engaged watch enthusiast community. The De Bethune team traveled with its own collection of company prototypes, literature, and SWAG for fans of the cult-favorite luxury outfit.
A selection of De Bethune watches highlighted the company’s formidable innovations – and its meteoric rise to prominence. While The 1916 Company supplied a vast array of historic De Bethune watches, many of the latest models from the current catalog were represented by the factory’s own pre-production prototypes; deliveries to clients take priority.
Hong Kong, the historic world leader in Swiss watch imports, hosted the second East Asian leg of the World Tour from January 18-20. The Duddell Street The 1916 Company store is the company’s oldest, and its deep relationships with local enthusiasts ensured a spectacular scope of client knowledge and turnout.
The 1916 Company team facilitated with extensive breakdowns of the historical highlights of the featured brands. De Bethune’s current and historical collection included a recently added DB1 chronograph with serial number “0.” This, the first production De Bethune watch, was acquired by the company in late 2022 in anticipation of building a physical archive of historic highlights. Additional vintage De Bethune watches included the first manufacture caliber (DB15), the first floating lug case design (DB26), and the first digital calendar display (DBD).
Current production De Bethune models included several 2022 novelties. The return of the DB25’s original 40mm case size arrived in the form of a first-ever 40mm titanium DB25 Perpetual Calendar. The second generation of De Bethune’s travel watch, the DB25 GMT Starry Varius, was on hand in the form of a pre-production prototype. And the sensational double-dial DB Kind of Two GMT made a rare appearance; De Bethune plans to build only ten examples of the model per year.
Both Singapore and Hong Kong exhibitions included activities, curation by leading voices in the watch community, and media coverage.
Cocktails in Singapore were accompanied by discussions led by Wei Koh, founder of The Rake and Revolution magazines. He was joined on a panel of experts by The 1916 Company Global Watch Specialist Tim Mosso in both cities; veteran watch journalist and author Suzanne Wong provided illuminating commentary as a featured speaker in Singapore. ISOCHRONO founder and ace watch photographer Adi Soon was on hand to capture the collection, and Azimuth Watch founder Chris Long made a cameo appearance with his signature “Mr. Roboto” and “Twin Turbo” models.
The Hong Kong event slate included a visit by HYPEBEAST and an interview with Mosso. After recording a video showcase of the watches on hand, the HYPEBEAST team challenged The 1916 Company’s video watch explainer to test his skill with an array of fast fashion items. Mosso’s misadventure with designer clogs, a desk clock, and a Louis Vuitton wallet can be found on HYPEBEAST’s sprawling network of social media.
Over 500 guests registered for appointments during the Hong Kong event. The 1916 Company company leaders and the sales team reciprocated with nightly catered hors d’oeuvres and a sit-down gourmet dinner for the closest supporters of the brand. To better connect with local friends of the company, collector conversations were recorded for later airing on the company’s YouTube platform, “The 1916 Company Studios.”
The final international leg of the The 1916 Company World Tour visits Dubai from February 15-17. The 1916 Company’s local Dubai office, the De Bethune executive team, and The 1916 Company Editorial Director Jack Forster will be on hand to illuminate the collection and host a series of events. In the interest of security, advance notice and an appointment are necessary. Please reach out to worldtour@the1916company.com to request information and reserve a slot for the exhibition.