Discover what makes Paulina Böhm and Thomas Welte tick, as we spend a day with the watch collecting duo on the sets of Jewels & Time’s cover story.
Left, Thomas catches up on some work; right, the couple enchants the camera with their sizzling chemistry
They might look and sound German, but Paulina Böhm and Thomas Welte are as Asian as it gets—they lament the taxi situation in Singapore, have a heated discussion about the best nasi lemak in town, and know exactly how they want their kopi-o.
Harry Winston blue sapphires… check. Pink Roger Viviers… check
They’re chatty, fun and passionate; Paulina latches herself onto a pair of metallic pink Roger Viviers loaned for this shoot, wearing them throughout the day. She gets excited when she finds out that the Harry Winston necklace she’s wearing for this shoot (which comes with its own two bodyguards, no less) is worth S$8.9m, and saunters off to Thomas, asking him jokingly if he wants to buy it for her.
The watches and jewellery by Cartier
The couple lights up when we chat about their passion for tickers, whipping out their newest horological acquisition: the Nixie watch by Cathode Corner. They switch it on, adjust it slightly at a 45-degree angle, and the two nixie tubes display the time. They tell us it’s a scientist in the US who makes these watches, “when he’s not too busy saving the world”, jokes Thomas. It’s geeky, it’s unique, and completely in line with their irreverent and bold sense of style, honed by years and years of watch collecting.
Paulina and Thomas inherited a pocket watch from International Watch Company (IWC)
Their diverse collection shows their breadth and depth as collectors, as they boast contemporary pieces by modern watchmakers like MB&F, as well as vintage pocket watches from the likes of Breguet and International Watch Company.
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