AlbertaTime in China, China visit #3, Post #2 - June 10th

More catching up, and June 10th was my 63rd birthday...

I'm back in Beijing now (it's just after 2AM, July 2nd here) for my last few days in China this trip, and it's been a whirlwind of activity since my last post...about 6 hours of sleep (maybe) most nights, and so much information that I'm kinda boggled by it all.

Time to make posts? I'm begging your understanding but it's been hard to find time to even sit down (I am so damn fortunate...truly blessed...)

So, today's post will cover June 10th,just one day. It might give you an idea of the pace of things on this trip for me ;-)

LiWei asked me to meet him at 9:00 AM outside the location of the old Beijing Watch Factory flagship store in Beijing's Sanlitun SOHO area because (1) he knew I could find it ;-) and (2) because both Longio and Koncise have stores very nearby.

The day started right on time with a re-visit to the Longio store...

I've spoken about Longio's impressive line before and visited their store last year, but the return was a friendly treat. I was introduced this time to the store Manager, Mr. LuiZheng (instead, meeting the owner later in Shenzhen) and I was again shown their line of very solid and modern tourbillon and non-tourbillon watches.

Longio *gets* that the western market demands something more than dress watches and they have built-like-tank divers, pilots and field watches in their line along with dressier pieces. As I've noted before, even some of their tourbillons are modern heavy-metal designs. They also understand the expectations of some higher-end customers and have chosen Swiss movements for a number of their higher-end (read: pricier) models.

Any prices shown are RMB with 1000 RMB equaling about $162 USD, so the pilots list at about $2000.00. These aren't at all cheap Chinese watches, and they're built to fairly compete with serious stuff from anywhere. (Note: so many watch and jewelry display cases are lit for glitter and not cameras, so please excuse crappy colour at times...)

Here's some of the photos taken at the Longio store...



















...(I'm pretty sure I have better photos taken during the Shenzhen days of the Longio auto tourbillon in the heavy-metal case, so I'll leave it till then.)

Also, seen in these photos, apart from other people named, is Boey Chern Yue (a very friendly WatchuSeek contributor from Singapore I was fortunate enough to meet face-to-face during this trip) and Mr. Wang Kaihao, the Xinhua news reporter who was along with us this day). It's not all about watches; the human side of these trips is always what |I find the most rewarding.

By the way, Boey, another store visitor, and I all tried on the very hefty curved case Longio models with the roman numerals to see how the curve fit differing wrists...and the result was we all found it fit well. Don't know how they did that, but...

Anyways, next stop was the Koncise (Beijing) International Watch Co., Ltd. flagship store.

Here's what I understood of the story of this company and its very impressive roots:

I was met at the store by the Koncise Watch Company Chairman, Mr. Kong Lingjun. His family traces its history back 67 generations to Confucious.

The Koncise Company's enamel dials are produced by some of the world's most prestigious masters and by people trained by them, and the Company's enamel is arguably the highest grade enamel available anywhere, made by anyone. The watch case design is made to resemble old scrolls and the idea is to produce a modern but historically respectful -- and very, very high quality -- watch for horological connoisseurs.

So, first, some photos from the shop...and then the first great surprise of the day that followed...



I tried a number of shots, but I couldn't even come close to capturing the subtle but startling beauty of this dial...



The classic Koncise case design is very inventive. All the watch dials and interior cases double as wrist or pocket watches, beng placed securely in either respective outer case...













Koncise is very proud that its watches have been honoured with the inclusion of an example at the Musee International D'Horlogerie in La Choux-de-Fonds...



Before leaving Boey and I were both asked to write something for the Koncise records, a task we were both happy to perform. I'll say this: Boey is an eloquent writer. Me, I think not so much.

(next shots courtesy LiWei)











And here's a shot of Company Chairman Kong Lingjun watching me try my best to do his watches at least some justice.



Here's what Koncise had to say about our visit.

Then followed the day's first surprise, a trip to the very small village outside Beijing where the dials are produced and where the Xiong family of craftsmen holds many of its incredible treasures.

I was taken to the village to:

1) gain an appreciation for history behind these treasures,
2) to gain a much deeper understanding of what makes good or great as opposed to merely pedestrian enamel,
3) to meet an enamel master whose family enamel and cloisonne production expertise directly dates back to family enamel masters resident at the Imperial Palace from 1644, the beginning of the Qing dynasty, to a short time after the turn of the last century, and
4) to enjoy a meal (mostly grown in the village) at the Xiong family table (and people sometimes still wonder why I consider my life spectacularly blessed???)

No shots of the village because...well, because I was too shell-shocked. I only thought about photos once I was inside.

Here, have a look: both older technique and new technique pieces (the newest technique developed by Master Xiong)...and I can tell the difference now



















A couple of examples of materials ground for colours/pigments...





At the table...



...and what you've maybe been waiting for...















...and being from Alberta (cowboy country) it was fun checking out this not-so-traditional belt buckle...



...and here I am proudly with the enamel vase I was given as a most generous birthday gift from mr. Xiong personally



Seriously, the day couldn't get better, but it was only early afternoon and it stayed just as good the rest of the day.

Next stop, the venerable Beijing Watch Factory (BJWAF)...so, next shot, courtesy LiWei, a photo of Boey and I outside the factory itself...



...and a couple by me, outside...





...and Boey showing off his Beijing watch inside (look close, mine's on my wrist, too)...



More photos of BJWAF...photos from the museum inside, after a first shot of a monster tourbillon in the entrance...













Incredibly rare...



Early movements...





Boey drooling...



...and more Beijing Watch Factory museum shots...

















Now some shots of the factory floors...





























Spotted on a worker's wrist...



What a birthday!! And, next...a delicious dinner starting at dusk at a huge man-made lakeside restaurant about a half-hour's drive from the factory, with the General Manager of Beijing Watch Factory, Mr. Miao Hong Bo.

One photo I took...



...One LiWei took...



...and a shot of me with Mr. Miao...



Well...all good days have to end and this birthday had been perfect, but LiWei mentioned we were going to go back for coffee at the Touch Woman Cafe, which turned out to be the last surprise of the day...

Mr. Kong (descendant of Confucious, remember?) and LiWei had very generously arranged a private birthday party for me with our crew, so this is how the day ended, complete with goofy birthday hat:









And that was just. one. day.

I know I can't can't say thanks enough for the kindnesses shown to me by everyone. I'm hope everyone reading understands, though, that I'll be very, very grateful every day of my life for the wonders I'm being shown and the opportunities I've been presented. Obviously, a huge thanks goes to my incredible friend, LiWei...but everyone mentioned has shown me invaluable friendship and courtesy.

More to come...