Bernard Cheong was a watch collector even before watch collecting became fashionable, but a lesser known fact about him and his wife Dolly is that the couple is a collector of items diverse. The chair we’re sitting on is an antique, and in the balcony overlooking the swimming pool is a vintage pew that comes from an ancient church in the UK. “We acquire these pieces through sheer coincidence or on impulse. But we treasure them. We are not hoarders, and we never hesitate to give them away if they find a better home.”  

Scattered across the living room is their collection of Brittos, and one room is filled with teddy bears. But their pride and joy is their portfolio of timepieces: tangible value aside, it is a chronicle of their journey as watch aficionados and influencers, and an expression of the relationships they have built over the years with some of the most prominent watchmakers today, even before they were famous. For instance, Dolly shows us a birthday card sent to her by Richard Mille some 10-plus years ago, before his ascent to fame. Says Bernard, “Our taste was led by knowledge, insider looks, and intense training by the brand designers. We championed the almost-impossible move to make watch designing into an art that was to become a world economy in scale. In 2003, I argued that we could make watches that marry tech and sculpture—and people disagreed. But I maintain that I was proven to be correct. ” 

The society couple are supporters of independent watchmakers, and have proved to have a discerning eye for discovering talented individuals. “We were, and remain, early adopters. We began a movement (sic: horology) that never existed, and grew it into an industry that gave jobs, a way to save and spend, and a new meaningful direction for creativity. To us, we like that a good watch will last and outlive the human race.”

His piece of advice to collectors? “Never give up a platinum edition of any watch.”