L'Atelier by The Hour Glass

Have you gone to ION Orchard? The shining new kid on the (Orchard road) block, we estimate that about a quarter of the Singaporean population has already passed through its glass doors since it opened to public officially in end July.

Escape the crowds to the 3rd floor, let your eyes adjust back to normal after all that ritz and glitz of mammoth stores and shiny chrome, and you may just be caught a little surprised by a cosy little store that looks somewhat like a cross between an antique tools store and ...hold on, is that The Hour Glass??

L’Atelier, french for "workshop", is a brand new horological heritage boutique by The Hour Glass that celebrates horological genius - be it the true classics of A Lange and Sohne or Breguet, or the truly innovative, such as De Bethune and MB&F.

Designed to slow down the selling process, allowing our customers to truly relish in the luxury of time, L'Atelier's décor exudes an old world charm coupled with a warm ambience. Aside from the obvious creme de la creme of contemporary horological art on display, your attention will also be drawn to the smattering of 200 year old watch-making tools and little mechanical curios to tinker with, from 19th century music boxes to the rarest Patek Philippe electronic Nixie Time-Code generator from the 70's.

While you may not see the Sinn brand corner in L'Atelier, please feel free to enquire about Sinn watches - you will see the same familiar faces from The Hour Glass. At the same time, enjoy a visual feast in this elegant soothing abode on a selection of renowned brands such as Ulysse Nardin, Daniel Roth, Audemars Piguet, Hublot as well as progressive brands Urwerk, Gerald Genta etc. Also available is Roland Iten, the world's first mechanical handmade accessories for men, featuring moving belt buckles and card holders that flip open like a lighter.

L’Atelier is not about selling watches; it is a conducive environment for budding watch enthusiasts and avid collectors to meet together to freely exchange ideas, flip through rare books and discuss about exquisite timepieces.

Curious at the very least after all that talk above? Drop by L'Atelier for a visit and judge for yourself on what is probably the world's first luxury watch retailing and "horologic institute" rolled into one.

Image by courtesy of Dr Wong Ju Ming, also known as "Decksurgeon". To see his viewpoint (and more photos of L'Atelier), visit his postings at

http://home.watchprosite.com/show-forumpost/fi-17/pi-3267466/ti-535326/s-0/
http://horomundi.com/forums/main/read.php?2,6832,6832#msg-6832
(Thanks Doc!)

While you are already at ION, do visit The Hour Glass’ stand-alone Rolex boutique on level 1 (beside Prada). Built completely in accordance with Rolex's international guidelines, step into this unmistakably Rolex environment to view one of the most comprehensive collection of Rolex watches in South East Asia - a new mecca for Rolex lovers!