My Singapore Weekend Trip & the IWC South East Asia Club GTG

I flew to my native Singapore for a long weekend of grand celebration with friends new and old - a high school class reunion, and the IWC South East Asia Club's first get-together.

Some quick pics of the my Top Gun jacket ...that I couldn't help myself from taking despite packing the night before flying off...

and some quick pics of the campus I spent my time between the ages 12-16, blissfully unaware of the horological universe I will find myself in twenty years after graduating...

and clearly the clock tower had some sort of influence ...

and this was the very classroom (middle, top row) I was in for the last two years..

and a grand reunion it was meeting teachers and classmates some of whom I had not seen for twenty years

Landing in Singapore, I was picked up very kindly by one of our forummers, who brought me immediately to a mini-GTG comprising five of us, including a delightful IWC executive - great meeting u Ms. Sidney P., adjourning to some whisky and cigars thereafter. A day earlier, IWC Singapore had invited all SEA club members to the Bourne Legacy film screening, so for some collectors it was IWC GTGs four nights in a row...with many having a double-IWC-event treat.

A few months earlier, I was kindly invited by our forummer KS Low, who founded the South East Asia Facebook Club, to the first IWC Club GTG. It was a dinner held at Pine Club @ Stevens Road on the 17th August.

I will let the pictures do the talking ...it was a great event with 22 attendees, and well, more watches than collectors...

the food...

the people...

the rose among the thorns, Dr Pauline W., whom as some of u would know is a forum moderator for a sister Richemont brand on a noted watch forum...

photography lessons being given ...you should see Massi's shot of my ref 5251 ! I couldn't recognize it at first instance :L

club founder and all-round nice guy...our very own forummer KS Low...

and of course the watches ...

we were fortunate enough to have two ref 5251s .... but wait a minute, is are they slightly different ?

and the tableshot decking out hardware gloriously...

finally, the group shot...

so cheers to the inaugural IWC SEA Club GTG - here's looking forward to the second one soon. thanks for reading ! :)

p.s. Dr Nelson H, having travelled 3144 plane miles, and four IWC get-togethers later, where is your reveal ????!!!!

shing,

looks like you had a great time back home...

thanks for sharing.

hope to be able to join one of these SEA GTG someday soon!

regards,
thang

Hey Shine, excellent report. Sounds like everyone had a good time visiting and epically eating. Good food!

Thanks for taking us along.
Regards,
Kevin

Shing, sorry for misspelling your name, can't seem to get the edit function to work this morning.

Check out the newest edition of the IWC magazine.

Kevin

Very interesting report Shing, thanks for sharing. So what is the story behind the Portofino display back and solid back?

Excellent report, always good to meet up fellow collectors, I had lots of fun!

rgds
Kee Siew

Great report Shing, thanks for sharing!

Hi David, the closed back 5251 was produced in the early 80's with small run of numbers and was replaced by the display back till 1998, closed back are rarer but many will prefer the display back for the beauty of the movement. Cheers

Rgds
Kee Siew

Hi David, the closed back 5251 was produced in the early 80's with small run of numbers and was replaced by the display back till 1998, closed back are rarer but many will prefer the display back for the beauty of the movement. Cheers

Rgds
Kee Siew[/QUOTE]

Thanks KS, very interesting and helps to build IWC knowledge.

Great report!
Thanks!

Waimar

Looks like a great time, Shing! You guys know how to do it right!

Thanks for taking time to post all the pictures.

I'll add one other little piece of information. At least one of the originally solid back watches (mine) was changed to a display back at a previous owner's request. This was done in 2005 and according to the original service receipt which I have, the cost was $1600 and the original solid back had to be retained by IWC.

I assume more than one watch may have had its back changed, but I do not know this for sure.

Shing ! I am sure it was a great reunion back home for you. Singapore, its people and food ( read that as East coast road :) ) are simply amazing. Its one of my favorite destinations.

Vishal.

Thanks for sharing, Shing... What a sensory overload it must have been!

Cheers!

Shing,
Looks like you had a great time. I assume one of those 5251 owners does not care about accurate moon phases.

LOL - yes Alan, u are right - and that owner would be me :) Hey, we gotta see the moon on at least one of those pieces, it is a first Portofino afterall ! :)

Hi Vishal - thanks, and looking forward to our mini-gtg later this week !