A watch makes a perfect present for all kinds of celebration

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WHAT better token to show your loved ones appreciation and affection than by presenting them with a watch? In fact when celebrating any event, be it a birthday, marriage, graduation, promotion, retirement and even a romance, a watch makes a perfect gift.

Now you may scoff at that notion; considering the ubiquity of cellphones, one would think that watches are passé and no longer fashionable.

But this is not true, at least to the discerning man and woman who see watches as more than just a device to tell time; to them the little accessory on the wrist is a sign of prestige, it portrays confidence, evokes a glamorous feeling and above all it inspires one to dream.

Watches are no longer just meant as time- keeping devices and has evolved into something more.

Intrigued: Visitors at the Red Dot Museum in Singapore admiring the watches on display.

To some, it has become a statement of fashion; just look at the number of designer watches that have flooded the market today. They reiterate the point that watches are timeless and here to stay.

My own perception of this elegant accessory has changed over the years; to me a timepiece is also a reflection of one’s character.

Some watches even have a story behind them. I remember interviewing the president of one well-known luxury watch brand 10 years ago. I recalled being fascinated by the stories he told me on how symbolic figures like the Jaquemarts in Venice, and a historical sea battle near Porto Belo in 1708 were used as inspiration to design a watch.

And I was equally fascinated when listening to Isabelle Maujean, CEO of Glam Rock talk about her passion for watchmaking and how the Miami Beach way of life inspired her and her partner Enrico Margaritelli to create the stylish and complicated watches of Glam Rock in 2005.

Raw energy: Nixon timepieces exude male magnetism.

Some watches are not just fashion gadgets but are pieces of art, such as the collection under the Issey Miyake label.

The Issey Miyake watch project sees collaboration between some of the world’s brilliant industrial designers and architect who are experts in their respective fields.

“Wearing Issey Miyake timepiece is like wearing a piece of art; it is everlasting and timeless,’’ said Kazuhiro Nakayashiki of Seiko Instruments Inc.

Kazuhiro, who is the regional supervisor (watch sales and marketing) in the watch division, said Alessi watches were also masterpieces in their own right.

Indeed, watches have come a long way since the time Giorgio Armani licensed his name to Fossil Inc for a new line of watches under the Emporio Armani Orologi label in 1997. Since then, every fashion brand wanted to jump on the bandwagon to put their name on a watch.

And things haven’t changed that much either.

The recent trade show Arista World held at the Red Dot Museum in Singapore organised by Arista Singapore showed that both designer watches and classic watches were still very much in demand; the market for it especially in Asia is continuing to grow and the trend may continue for a long time.

Arista Malaysia specialises in marketing and distributing renowned watch and jewellery brands and is the sole distributor for brands such as Aigner Timepieces, Badgley Mischka Timepieces, French Connection, Moschino Time, Nixon Watches and Glam Rock Watches.

Each brand under the company has a story to tell and is inspired by an event or theme.

For instance, the Tsovet brand of watches are inspired by vintage industrial gauges and avionic instruments.

The makers have drawn ideas from finely knurled dial knobs, the subtly distinct indicator arms, the incrementally exact alphabetical and numerical representations, the balanced fasteners and jewelled levers.

For the urban and confident man, Police’s latest timepieces stay true to the characteristics that define both the brand and its fans.

For a touch of elegance and refinement look no further than timepieces like Ted Baker, Aigner and Badgley Mischka who have made their mark over the years as among the most sought after and wearable designer watches renowned for their sophistication and quirky sense of fashion styling.