The artist-turned-watch collector’s interest in Apple Watches blossomed into a passion for vintage and luxury Swiss timepieces. He shares with us his journey into the world of fine watchmaking and the intricacies of horology that captivate him
Henry Chu’s office reflects his inventive spirit. On some days, he lounges by the swimming pool adjoining his workspace, seeking inspiration for his next AI creation. On others, he immerses himself in the art adorning his walls—paintings by Japanese, Hong Kong and other Asian artists that fuel his imagination—and an AI screen spanning the entire length of one wall of his studio, reflecting his passion for innovative technology.
But he is equally passionate about the mechanical marvels on his wrists: luxury Swiss watches. What began five years ago as an interest in Apple Watches has transformed into a deep dive into the mysteries of mechanical timepieces. “I was fascinated by the idea of a watch powered by my wrist movements alone,” he says. He recalls his first mechanical timepiece, a vintage Rolex Air King from the Fifties. “My Apple Watch had broken and I was thinking about elevating the experience of having a watch. When I started to look at the Rolex Air King, I started understanding the finishing; just by looking at it, I learnt a lot. And what was so amazing is that it was still running after almost seven decades. There were so many things inside this little package, and that fascinated me.” From there, his collection of vintage pieces began to grow, encompassing unusual independent brands as well classics from Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet.
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For Chu, watches are more than time-telling devices—they are miniature works of art and windows into the craft of horology. One of his Audemars Piguets, for example, is an AP Royal Oak 5402ST A-series, produced in 1973 and designed by Gérald Genta, the man behind some of history’s most famous watch case designs.
He also likes to find unusual vintage models with quartz movements that are often undervalued. “I have a theory that quartz watches are underappreciated,” he says. He owns three gold Audemars Piguets with quartz movements acquired for about HK$100,000 each—a fraction of a comparable mechanical model.
From brands like Daniel Roth and Roger Dubuis, he enjoys unique designs. He counts a monopusher from Daniel Roth among his favourites. “Daniel Roth, the master himself, sold his company to Hourglass around the year 2000. And then in approximately 2007, the company sold the brand to Bulgari, which is a part of the LVMH group. So this is one of Daniel’s early pieces, which he made before 2000. It is a monopusher, which is a very rare Daniel Roth creation. The movement is modified from a Lemania 2220, which was a manual winding movement popular in the 1930s,” he says.
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