He may have fallen in love with horology by accident, but his passion for watches is very much alive to this day

With an impressive number of followers on his Instagram page, it is clear that Derrick Yeo, 34, takes his passion for some wrist candy seriously. He tells us more about his love affair with watches that started over a decade ago.

Tatler Asia
Altiplano Automatic 40mm with meteorite dial by Piaget. Cotton shirt, cashmere sweater, cotton cap, and denim jacket, all by Giorgio Armani
Above Derrick wears Altiplano Automatic 40mm with meteorite dial by Piaget; and cotton shirt, cashmere sweater, cotton cap, and denim jacket, all by Giorgio Armani

Currently in love with his Richard Mille RM 055, the director at a manufacturing firm admits he fell in love with horology by accident. What started off as rewarding himself with a “decent automatic Swiss-made watch” at age 22 eventually grew into a full-blown obsession. “I love watches because they can last forever. While women have bags and jewellery, a watch is probably one of the most important accessories for men,” says Derrick. And being a millennial, he constantly documents his passion for watches on his Instagram account—his posts about his collection and potential acquisitions have garnered him some 100,000 followers.

Your first watch purchase… I remember it’s a Tag Heuer Grand Carrera, one of its most high-end models about a decade ago. Back then, I was a big fan of American actor Leonardo DiCaprio, who wore a Tag Heuer watch and was also a global ambassador for the brand.

Design, brand or savoir-faire?... All of the above, to be honest. Craftsmanship matters a lot because I’m quite particular about the manufacturing quality and finishing of the watches. There has to be a certain level of finishing and finesse. As for design and brand, different watchmakers specialise in different crafts and aspects, and boast different qualities. There is a watch for every occasion, so I will choose my watches—and hence the brands—based on the event and theme.

Tatler Asia
Oyster Perpetual Sea-Dweller 4000
Above Rolex Oyster Perpetual Sea-Dweller 4000

The item on my current wishlist... The new Rolex Oyster Perpetual Sea-Dweller in yellow Rolesor, which is a combination of Oystersteel and 18K yellow gold. This is the first time Rolex has introduced yellow gold to the Sea-Dweller range.


Read about two other millennials who tell us more about their watch and jewellery collections in our Jewels & Time 2019 special.

Carmen Ow | Sonia Ong

Credits

Photography  

Darren Gabriel Leow

Styling  

Joey Tan

Photographer's Assistant  

Eric Tan

Hair  

Chris Siow, using Revlon Professional

Make-Up  

Ernest Lim, using Giorgio Armani Beauty

Topics