Porsche 911 (2011) wristwatch , not Porsche Design.

I guess cars are so expensive, some cars do come with their own watches...and luggage.

My usual workaday car is either this or a 13 year RAV4 Toyota.

I find both equally enjoyable...well, especially the 911.

I lack the skills to use 10% of the 911's capability, so it was a C2 basic model for me, besides...the price is so darn expensive!!! In Singapore, a wristwatch, like a Richard Mille or De Bethune or a UN Diavolo costs 2X the price of a 911 in London.

Or rather the 911 costs 230,000 british pounds...without tax, insurance and etc.

My Panerai versus my Seiko, after 6 years of wear and tear.

I bought the Pam 243 in 2006...and during that time, I had already owned "many"...so I used this as an everyday "doctor's" watch....interestingly..I later bought the 2007 Seiko Honda Kinetic ltd edition F1 watch...and this had a new form of Kinetic.
I wear it as often as the Pam...

I wear about 6 watches a day, because I go home for lunch and dinner...and go out again.
Each time, I wear 2 watches.

The Japanese steel watch is VERY resistant to scratches.

But...I love BOTH of these watches, and the 243 is a watch I will give to my daughter.
The SEIKO...it is for me!

Sony Nex7 or Nex 7 bought and now being used

I bought a Sony Nex 7 with 2 lenses, the usual supplied zoom...and a surprising macro!
The macro is superb, and the results in bokeh and sharpness is comparable to my Canon 100 macro and MPE65 on a Canon 1D mark2.

No doubt that is a very old camera, but it has published more than 100 pics in magazines/papers globally in the years 2007 to 2009.

This set of Sony gear is SMALL.

But I would NOT advise for casual use...it is over loaded with features you will not need, at all!

I would..bec I am a photo junkie.

All the same..this blog will soon have quality pics.

I have a ridiculous desire to add the NISSAN JUKE in red turbo to my garage

Next to my current Estima 14 years old, RAV4 13 years, Porsche 911 just 18mths...I love the "Juke".

The damned trouble is that they seem not to bring in the 4 wheel drive...and I can't tahan the front wheel version.

But..if you have not seen the interior of this car, and how it looks and feels, even in low economy model form...you should.

It's sort of fun, and incredibly unassuming....I would drive this to any formal black tie event...it's me.
Again, so is the 911 Carerra 2. I am a split personality.

NEW web address

http://bernardcheong.com/

I had a VERY kind man who has NOT been paid at all.
Who saw my amateuer site, and set this up for me:
click on the above link.

I will slowly shift to that site.
Meanwhile all the posts should co exist on BOTH.

Meanwhile: my official "picture" of myself.
Taken by press at Basel world.

Bernard

That's my corporate picture
"Dr Bernard Cheong"

SEIKO GALANTE discovery of a new "NAMIKI" LEVEL assault?

I have been so impressed by the SEIKO Galante that I posted earlier, that despite the odds, I persisted in getting another.

This one, the sbla061 is even MORE rare.

I will not write, because the beauty of the watch is something.

I used to say, and I will stick to my word...that a relevant design breakthru has to have ONE powerful ingredient:
70% must like/love it and 30% must hate it...no one must find it "acceptable".

I am sure it is now easier to find the 30% who will hate it.
ALL market's good finds begin this way...or else, how can anyone buy low, sell high?

Note that BOTH have a flower on the dial.
One is in white with fine lines...the other is BLOOD RED, almost black, with the same fine etched lines. Only a better camera can convey.

The finish of the hands and the polish, is, at least to me...superior or on par with the best of the swiss.
This is trouble on the horizon...and with these reasonable prices, and rare numbers...30 to 50 a year...BIG trouble.

But exciting for collectors who are not seekers of status, but seek the very best.

Understanding spring drive will be the BIGGEST hurdle...I can accept it.
TOTALLY.

But enough speculation:

Cars I bought used sold kept 1981 to 2012

I will word this post out in 6 hours, but these are what I grew up with, and to a large extent, it influenced my life...cars influence men.

I don't know about women.

But often, one can tell a lot about the person when you see the car...especially the way it is kept..clean or filthy.

This MINI made by Leyland in the 1960s to 70s were my first 2 cars...one was a mark2, the other a cooper. I bought them 3rd hand, for $2,300 in 1981.

It was my choice, because I had very little cash, and to me, as a young man...it was a way to impress girls on a date...not many guys had cars when they were my age...and this car had that X factor, at least in Singapore...this was BEFORE cars became expensive.

This 1974 Datsun 160J really looked weird for its time, it had almost NO straight lines, and had a organic apperance...but it was my third car...used...and I bought a Japanese car because they were well known then for their reliability. The Mini always gave me repair bills. And I was never confident in rain, as the distributor was too low down.
I must have had bad taste at this point of life!

Another bad taste choice, Datsun 120Y after the 160J.
reliable...but not a chick magnet!!

My first "luxury" car..a 1978 Mercedes 200.
Bought used for $12,800.
It gave me tons of problems..and I kept it for many years, and even got married in it.
Sentimental.

After the Mercedes was sold, I got my Civic 1300 cc, it cost $89,000 !!!!
Cars were slowly getting expensive!!!!
I kept this car for 5 years.

In 1987 or so..I was the first Singaporean to own a T bar car...maybe there were a few other brands, but I doubt it...because I had to go to the dept of the transportation to get a permit.

I LOVED this car..and it was my first time that I got to learn what a GOOD car is.

I had to scrap it after 1997, because in Singapore, we only get to keep our cars for 10 yrs...and after that we may have to pay between $10,000 to $90,000 to keep it for another 10 years.

I bought this to celebrate the birth of my 2nd daughter Cheryl...I always believed that a doctor had to drive a Rover TC, but that car was out of production.

This car was sooo bad...I sold it after 8 months!

My first taste of grown up family life with 2 kids..and I always have an MPV in my garage after this!
Mitsubishi Spacewagon...10 years from brand new!

I bought this 600cc mini Pajero as a joke...bec no one has any off road to go in Singapore.
Bad joke...I sold it after 1 year.

I bought this 320 SL 24 to impress my friends and to show that I was doing well.
See...I am an insecure guy.
I lost over $100k on it after 4 years or so...BAD BAD choice.
It cost me $428,000 as a brand new car...and I got NO VIP treatment, bec I was seen as a young punk.
I looked like I was 23 years old.
I was already 33.

I got this for the funky looks, and I had about 5 cars in the garage...seen above.
I hardly used it.
STUPID time of showing off...never do that.

This remains my 3rd best buy.
I still drive it today...it is 13 years old. RAV4 , 2 door, 2,000 cc permanent 4 wheel.

This is my 2nd best buy, still using it.
2400cc of rear wheel drive.
Mid engined estima.

I loved my toyota mrs..but I crashed it so bad...it saved my life.

I bought this for the sheer parking pleasure, and the feel poor disguise.
It makes me feel normal. Toyota Vios. $78,000 !!! crazy!!!

Same as above..toyota Rush. $93,000!!!!

$300,000 of Porsche. I was in a shopping mood.

$450,000 of 911 pdk pleasure, and it is now 1.8 years old...I love it.
My best buy.
ALSO to show off.
Insecurity bites my ass.

So...my choices of cars will reveal that I may be a serial killer or a psycho.