• Master
    9 Feb 2012, 9:53 a.m.

    clearly I did eventually (with some help from Michael)- but here's why I couldn't initially.

    Hanging out with three great guys in Zurich: Nelson, Larry & Andrew
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH%20Part%20Three%20-%20Zurich%202nd%20part%20and%20Singapore/IMG-20120121-00091.jpg
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH%20Part%20One/MeNelsonLarry.jpg
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH%20Part%20One/L1040589-1.jpgi1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH%20Part%20One/L1040588-1.jpg

    having a great time at that "little suburb" ...and while very excitedly marching towards IWC from the train station ...
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH-My%20Day%20in%20Schaffhausen/SIHH-MyDayinSchaffhausen17Jan12bbpics4.jpg
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH-My%20Day%20in%20Schaffhausen/MyDayinSchaffhausen17Jan122.jpg
    ... I was quite surprised to become rather emotional on reaching this place that I had to check myself a few times
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH-My%20Day%20in%20Schaffhausen/SIHH-MyDayinSchaffhausen17Jan12bbpics7.jpg

    doing the tour with new friends Roman and Benedikt and a great great host Jutta, who conducted the IWC tour:
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH%20Misc%20Pics/L1040717.jpg
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH-My%20Day%20in%20Schaffhausen/MyDayinSchaffhausen17Jan1237.jpg
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH-My%20Day%20in%20Schaffhausen/MyDayinSchaffhausen17Jan1236.jpg
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH-My%20Day%20in%20Schaffhausen/MyDayinSchaffhausen17Jan1235.jpg
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH-My%20Day%20in%20Schaffhausen/MyDayinSchaffhausen17Jan1231.jpg
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH-My%20Day%20in%20Schaffhausen/MyDayinSchaffhausen17Jan1228.jpg.
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH-My%20Day%20in%20Schaffhausen/MyDayinSchaffhausen17Jan1226.jpg

    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH-My%20Day%20in%20Schaffhausen/MyDayinSchaffhausen17Jan1217.jpg
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH-My%20Day%20in%20Schaffhausen/MyDayinSchaffhausen17Jan1222.jpg
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH-My%20Day%20in%20Schaffhausen/SIHH-MyDayinSchaffhausen17Jan12bbpics11.jpg
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH-My%20Day%20in%20Schaffhausen/IWClunchRhinefalls.jpg

    but not without first meeting Sinclair, our forummer, in Schaffhausen with Roman -- we forgot to take a pic and must do so next time. It was great meeting you Tom !

    and not first without seeing some wonderful pieces at the Museum:
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH-IWC%20Museum%2017Jan12/IWCMuseumdisplaypieces60.jpg
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH-IWC%20Museum%2017Jan12/IWCMuseumdisplaypieces10.jpg
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH-IWC%20Museum%2017Jan12/IWCMuseumdisplaypieces33.jpg
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH-IWC%20Museum%2017Jan12/IWCMuseumdisplaypieces26.jpg
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH-IWC%20Museum%2017Jan12/IWCMuseumdisplaypieces11.jpg
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH-IWC%20Museum%2017Jan12/IWCMuseumdisplaypieces1.jpg
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH-IWC%20Museum%2017Jan12/IWCMuseumdisplaypieces4.jpg

    And then there was meeting great people @ SIHH over the next two days -- a few others have recounted their sensational journey, so it leaves me only to put up some pics I think are as yet unpublished:
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH%20Part%20Two/L1040962-1.jpg
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH%20Part%20Two/L1040958-1.jpg
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH%20Part%20Two/L1040950-1.jpg
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH%20Part%20Two/L1040908-1.jpg
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH%20Part%20Two/L1040906-1.jpg
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH%20Part%20Two/L1040894-1.jpg
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH%20Part%20Two/L1040892-1.jpg
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH%20Part%20Two/L1040893-1.jpg
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH%20Part%20Two/L1040883-1.jpg
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH%20Part%20Two/L1040969-1.jpg
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH%20Part%20Two/L1040862-1.jpg
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH%20Part%20Two/KS-Me-Mark.jpg

    ending off the Collectors' Day with the Collectors' Dinner
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH%20Part%20Two/L1040976.jpg
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH%20Part%20Two/L1040984-1.jpg
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH%20Part%20Two/L1040982-1.jpg
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH%20Part%20Two/L1040994.jpg

    and after that off to the classic hotel housing myself and a bunch of other forummers - late drinks with Mark and Andrew, and going about Geneva with Kevin and Alan the next day.

    And on Saturday … for the first time ever --- I missed my flight ! Having misread the flight times, I awoke too late and too casually packed all my gear -- and on the realization I had missed my flight to Zurich to catch my connection to Singapore, rushed to the airport in a huff and a puff, only to be told I could only depart the next day.
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH%20Part%20Two/L1050002-1.jpg

    So – stay in Geneva or first to Zurich ? I decided on the latter to prevent any repeat whatsoever of the same mishap … and looked who I bumped into

    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH%20Part%20Two/L1050003-1.jpg

    – Michael ! Michael kindly bumped me up the queue to sort out my ticketing issues, and we were able to catch up a bit in the lounge and while waiting to board the same flight.
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH%20Part%20Two/L1050005-1.jpg

    So Zurich it was for my last day. Clearly I had to pay my dues to the watch-making haven of the universe, before it allowed me to return home.
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH%20Part%20Three%20-%20Zurich%202nd%20part%20and%20Singapore/L1050016.jpg
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH%20Part%20Three%20-%20Zurich%202nd%20part%20and%20Singapore/L1050012.jpg

    So no surprise I ended up in this situation:
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH%20Part%20One/SIHH-ZurichDayOneTwo9.jpg
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH%20Part%20One/SIHH-ZurichDayOneTwo10.jpg
    Where something caught my eye:
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH%20Part%20One/SIHH-ZurichDayOneTwo8.jpg
    And I left with one more watch than I came with
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH%20Part%20Three%20-%20Zurich%202nd%20part%20and%20Singapore/L1050010.jpg

    So yes – a special grey piece to commemorate my first SIHH:
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/Patrouille%20Suisse%20371714/PatrouilleSuisse3717142Feb126.jpg
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/Patrouille%20Suisse%20371714/371714PatrouilleSuisse42x147mmsandblastedsteel105g8.jpg

    And with that – I manage to get to Singapore for the Lunar New Year festivities ….phew !

    The entire trip was capped off with this get-together with two forummers you will know, who are always a pleasure to catch up with:
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH%20Part%20Three%20-%20Zurich%202nd%20part%20and%20Singapore/L1050039.jpg
    i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l497/vanhalen812/SIHH%20Part%20Three%20-%20Zurich%202nd%20part%20and%20Singapore/L1050035.jpg

    It was a real treat --- made possible only by Michael, many of you great guys here, IWC staff in particularly Oliver. I look forward to meeting many of you guys again, wherever, whenever, and meeting more of you folks for the first time wherever, whenever !

  • Master
    9 Feb 2012, 10:41 a.m.

    Great story and photos Shing. Always nice to catch up with you and KS (Kee Siew).

  • Master
    9 Feb 2012, 11:43 a.m.

    Excellent pictures and story Shing, thanks for sharing. It was a true pleasure meeting you and Roman here in Schaffhausen. Hope to see you soon again.
    Have a great day!

  • Master
    9 Feb 2012, 11:56 a.m.

    very funny and interesting travelogue, well done Shing!

  • Master
    9 Feb 2012, 12:15 p.m.

    Shing, it was my pleasure to hang out with you, and also to see your travelogue here. It's really expensive to miss those flights, with that painful 'penalty' of having to buy a fantastic new IWC on your extra day! Congratulations.

    Nelson

  • Master
    9 Feb 2012, 1:03 p.m.

    Shing, great travelog. Really enjoyed our time together in Geneva discussing our favorite topic, IWC watches. Good luck w your new acquisition I' m still working on that BPP Blue dial, LOL.
    Hope to see you in NYC soon.
    Regards,
    Kevin

  • Master
    9 Feb 2012, 1:06 p.m.

    Shing, looks like you had loads of fun, not to mention your new trophy!

    how nice! what a lovely watch! I truly envy you. Good choice!

  • Master
    9 Feb 2012, 2:13 p.m.

    Interesting ans well said, happy your first SIHH was so great Shing.

  • Master
    9 Feb 2012, 2:23 p.m.

    Shing,
    Great to finally meet you. Kevin and I think you missed that flight on purpose. The sandblasted Swiss chrono was waiting for you.

  • Master
    9 Feb 2012, 3:43 p.m.

    Shing, sorry to hear that you missed your flight but what a great story and even better: what a GREAT watch you added to your collection!

    Regards,

    Bob

  • Graduate
    9 Feb 2012, 3:50 p.m.

    Hi Shing, Very nice detail post and photos of your visit to SIHH and travel.
    Apologies and Regret that I unable to meet up with you, KS Low and KS due to family committments.
    Hope to meet up during your next visit.

  • Master
    9 Feb 2012, 4:20 p.m.

    Great post SHING - two photo's in particular stand out.

    1) 4 of you in Zurich = 11 watches in one shot !
    2) a local GTG in Singapore - and a nice example of some special IWC watches, including a Deep One and a Pallweber!

    Great post.

    Best regards
    Mark

  • Master
    9 Feb 2012, 6:31 p.m.

    I think missing your flight was a ploy to go shopping, how much trouble did you get into for that or was your wife glad it was only the one extra you came back with?!!

  • Master
    9 Feb 2012, 6:51 p.m.

    shing, i really appreciate and love these picture posts - oh, to see all the lovely watches! what a great trip you had with such fond memories. best wishes, vinhthang

  • Connoisseur
    9 Feb 2012, 11:29 p.m.

    Excellent report Shing, thank you for sharing. Regards Farhad

  • Graduate
    10 Feb 2012, 1:36 a.m.

    Really nice pictures! Keep up the passion!!

  • Master
    10 Feb 2012, 2:30 a.m.

    That was an enjoyable travelogue, Shing! I think the new IWC might have been worth missing the flight! It is a real beauty!

  • Master
    10 Feb 2012, 1:31 p.m.

    Shing -

    Great travelogue!

    Missing your flight and picking up a new watch at the IWC Boutique in Zurich will be something you'll remember for a long time.

    Let's meet up in Waikiki when you fly over to New York soon.

    • Tracy