Servicing One's Watches -Featuring an Omega Speedmaster Day-Date

There comes a stage in owning an automatic watch that most never seem to take into account – Servicing the darn thing. The Omega Speedmaster Automatic Day-Date which you see in the photo above belonged to my late father. He bought it sometime in the mid-1990s and has gone through at least two rounds of servicing before it was handed to me.

It wasn't in good nick when I first got hold of it. The pusher button at 11 o'clock could work, and the 24 hour sub-dial wasn't in synch. I somehow believe that the movement in this Omega Speedmaster Day-Date is a little sensitive and fragile as it seemed to get out of whack quite easily. So I decided to send it for a full service at the local Swatch Group service center recently. For those that aren't in the know, the Swatch Group basically owns the Omega brand together with brands like Tissot, Longines, Blancpain etc.

Anyway, all the hands were changed as were some other bits and bobs which I do not really care as long as the thing works properly. The thing is that servicing the Speedmaster isn't exactly cheap (if you choose the official service center and not an independent party). In Kuala Lumpur, you will get charged somewhere in the region of RM1,900.00.

The irony is that when my father bought the watch, it only cost RM3,000 after discount. The watch is still on sale and is now listed at around RM10,000 or thereabouts (but is now chronometer rated). No wonder servicing costs so much.

It also goes to show that once you purchase your Swiss horological device, you should treasure it as inflation will kill you if you want to buy a new one. That is IF servicing the darn thing wouldn't do that do you in the first place. 

On a similar note, the Omega Seamaster 300 in an earlier post is also in for a service, but that one is going to Switzerland as the service center does not have the expertise to do it locally. Sigh. It seems Omega automatics will run for about nearly a decade or so before it gets gummed up.

Oh yeah, you do get a nice Omega leatherette travel case with the full service.  

Some Colour to Brighten Up Work Attire

A friend took this photo of the lower part of my ensemble recently. He was slightly taken aback by the many colours I had on me. My dress shirt was a mid-blue shade, grey slacks, green socks, and chocolate brown shoes with blue shoelaces.

The shoes are branded Andrea Cammelli, Firenze. These are 6 year old pair of cheap Italian shoes - thin glove-like leather which the Italians seem to like putting on their cheaper shoes (but extremely comfortable from the start as you don't need to 'run them in', slightly shoddy stitching, stuck on sole that I've added thin Vibram rubber soles and a Vibram re-heel. These were  bought from CK Tangs during its first sale (when it first re-opened in Malaysia some years ago) for an incredible RM150.00. Tangs are one of those stores that stock Italian shoes, usually from those smaller shoe makers that Italy has thousands of. Sometimes, gems could be found even if they are not the usual brands most of us hear of.

The choice of green socks made me seem a little Irish (whereas I am as Asian as most of the people in this parts of Kuala Lumpur) as I reminded him of a Leprechaun. Don't mind actually as Leprechauns have a pot of gold lying somewhere around. Actually the only thing Irish around my office would be Guinness Stout sold in nearby shops.

Anyway, I suppose it IS a little distracting if you work in a total business environment and everything is all protocol and what-not. But I work in the suburbs of Kuala Lumpur where things are a little less formal and I dress to please myself. So expect purple, orange, red, maroon, green, blue coloured socks and a lot of patina in my shoes. And shoelaces of various colours too!

A Post After A Long Hiatus - Santoni FAMs Double Monk Strap Shoes

It has been a long time since I posted anything in here. I have been a little occupied with lots of things and blogging  wasn't one of them. Anyway, I do believe that some shoe pornography is in order to start things off again.

But before the pictures start flowing in again I have to say that most Malaysian men are oblivious when it comes to having a proper pair of shoes on their feet. I see most of them with ten thousand Rnggit watches (or more) but the cheapest looking three hundred ringgit loafers that actually do not go well with their fancy double cuff dress shirts and silk ties. Once I was at a cafe at the Suria KLCC and out of the hundreds of men that passed by, only one chap had a decent (and it was not even great) pair of shoes.

Let me say that your ten thousand Ringgit watch MUST be complemented by a great pair of shoes in order for you to be a complete package. Aristotle Onassis once said that " If you want to know the measure of a man look at the shoes he wears".

One has a choice of using either Italian made or English made shoes for the best. I prefer Italian as they are lighter, daintier and cut a slimmer profile most of the time. The shoes are more cutting edge, or fashion forward but sometimes when cut in the normal styles, utterly sublime - like this pair of Santoni FAM (Fatte A Mano) double monkstraps pictured below. It may not be bespoke or a custom made pair, but as Ready to Wear goes, the finishing/ antiquing is stunning.

- Don't you just love the fit to size (mine's a size 9 - in Santoni sizing) and exact shape of the shoe, shoe tree?

Note: Santoni shoes can be found at the Parkson departmental stores at Suria KLCC and at the Pavillion Shopping Center in Kuala Lumpur. They used to be sold at Isetan KLCC but after a hiatus, the brand is back, together with Church's shoes (both have the same importer here in Malaysia). And I am glad they're back.