For art critic Fan Weici, collection has never been a symbol of showing off, but a dialogue with design, history, aesthetics and emotion.

[Fan Weici, art critic/music scholar]

Professor Fan Weici, who is also a famous zither music player, composer and senior watch fan, is good at understanding the structural logic and beauty of craftsmanship contained in advanced watchmaking from an artist's perspective. From the childhood memories of collecting comics and coins to the in-depth appreciation of mechanical watches, for Professor Fan Weici, whether it was the thrill of searching for second-hand American comics in a Chinese shopping mall as a child, or going to watch exhibitions to communicate with brand executives for a limited edition watch as an adult, every choice is not just a consumption behavior, but the practice of values ​​and beliefs. Collection has never been a symbol of showing off, but a dialogue with design, history, aesthetics and emotion.

Fan Weici was amazed by American superhero comics when he was a child, and this became his earliest collecting memory.

A stunning introduction to American comics at a glance

When I was in elementary school, I was amazed when I saw the color comics of American superheroes brought by my classmates. "At that time, comics in Taiwan were mostly black and white. Suddenly seeing such bright and dynamic pictures really made my eyes light up." Professor Fan's words were full of energy. At that time, I even took the bus alone to rummage at the used bookstalls in the Chunghwa Mall, and spent all my pocket money to buy my favorite comics, which became my earliest collecting memories. Many years later, when he went to the United States to study, he accidentally encountered the comics he loved as a child in a local market. Although the prices were no longer comparable to those of the past, the excitement from his childhood was still there, so he began to systematically buy back those precious memories and officially entered the world of collecting.
Later, he also invested in coin collection, which lasted for thirty years until2014Around this time, he decided to bring his collection to an end, but during the gap period he felt lost and lacked the pull of "looking for something." At this time, he turned to mechanical watches and found that they were not only time tools, but also combined design, history and technology. The sensitivity to the times he has cultivated over the years has also given him a unique appreciation of watches. When I saw Breguet7137When talking about the moon phase watch, "I can say that this is not only the first high-end mechanical watch I bought, but also a stepping stone for me to officially enter the world of watch collecting." Not only was this watch made by the father of modern watchmaking, it also inherited the structure of a pocket watch from the 18th century. Its craftsmanship and design echoed Professor Fan’s experience in collecting coins, and it became a milestone in the world of mechanical watch collecting.

The so-called "beauty emerging from reason" is Fan Weici's core experience of fine watchmaking.

Design is no longer a lonely creation, but a cross-border collaboration

"Only within a very rigorous framework can we create free and moving works." Professor Fan believes that art is actually a very rational science. Many people think that artists are always sentimental and romantic, but in the process of learning music, he was trained through music theory and structural analysis. Just like the Swiss watch entrepreneurMax BüsserQuoted:"A creative adult is a child who survived."He believes that the design that truly touches people is the blend of rationality and innocence. This is exactly the resonance he feels in watchmaking craftsmanship.
"A good mechanical watch, its dial layout, proportions, lines and even light and shadow reflections are like the rhythm of a poem: it has a theme, a structure, and a layer." The beauty of watchmaking lies not only in the visual sense, but also in the structural logic and design language. Moreover, contemporary watchmaking already has a high degree of division of labor. Watchmakers focus on movements and functions, while designers deal with lines and layout. Professor Fan particularly admires Bulgari’s designersFabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, although he does not make watches, he can draw complete sketches and hand them over to the team for realization. A good watch is no longer the work of one person, but a cross-field collaboration. In terms of collection, Professor Fan does not entirely prefer complex functions. He believes that if a simple three-hand watch can show the beauty of structure and polishing, it will be more attractive. The so-called "beauty emerging from reason" is his core experience of fine watchmaking.

Fan WeicifenXiangdao: "In the final analysis, watches are still a relatively niche hobby. How to grasp the brand characteristics and develop new models requires a test of wisdom. This BulgariOcto Finissimo CarbonGoldDate and leap year double retrograde perpetual calendar carbon gold version watch is both Bulgari classicOctoelements, and also has breakthroughs in new materials. It is also equipped with a retrograde date and perpetual calendar function. It is a great watch. "

Design first: the intersection of reason and emotion

For Professor Fan, design is always the primary consideration when selecting a watch. He not only makes intuitive judgments, but also conducts rational aesthetic analysis from lines, proportions, layout and structure. He is not superstitious about brands, but he does not deny the value of brands either. If a brand has a historical background, stable aesthetic logic and a sincere narrative style, he will be willing to understand and identify with it.
"I will never buy a watch just because it is limited edition or has some rare functions. Design, aesthetics, history, craftsmanship, and dialogue between people all have to make me feel. I will take action. "This is not consumption, but a manifestation of value choice and identity." He once had a good chat with Chopard brand executives at the Singapore Watch and Clock Fair, and happened to encounter an out-of-print tourbillon that was originally only for display. The other party specially arranged for it to be sent back to the original factory in Switzerland to complete the shipping standard procedures before it was officially sold. Become a rare collection experience. Professor Fan attaches great importance to the connection with the “people” behind the brand, whether they are designers, watchmakers or founders, emotional encounters through sincere interactions.

Fan Weici attaches great importance to the connection with the "people" behind the brand. Emotional encounters through sincere interactions can create rare collection experiences.

Record the time footprints of life

"If a watch cannot accompany you in life, it will lose a layer of meaning." Professor Fan emphasized that no matter how complicated a watch is, he would always wear it in turn. He believed that the evolution of chronographs from sports functions to daily works of art was a good sign that high-complexity functions have truly entered life. Design is no longer just about showing off skills, but about practical, wearable and emotionally connected craftsmanship. Many senior collectors increasingly prefer simple three-hand and chronograph models, focusing on intrinsic craftsmanship rather than stacking functions, showing that the market is simultaneously experiencing two trends: extreme complexity and minimalist purity.
Regarding the craftsmanship of contemporary watches, Professor Fan paid attention to the development of geometric structures in the watch industry, such as Bulgari watches.Octo FinissimoThe case has hundreds of facets, combining brushed, polished and matte treatments to show the beauty of three-dimensional light and shadow. Brands such as Cartier and Audemars Piguet are also replicating classics or innovatively adopting beveled, asymmetrical and sculptural shapes, showing the trend of "complex structure". At the same time, the material innovation in recent years is amazing. Professor Fan specifically mentioned Montblanc1858 GeosphereThe Vincent Peak Limited Edition Zero Oxygen Watch uses a mixture of five materials including quartz fiber, granite, and alumina to make the case, which presents a marble-like gray-blue texture and is highly recognizable. Bulgari went a step further and directly used real marble slices as the dial, showing the deep combination of material science and aesthetic language.

Fan WeiciHe believes that watch design is no longer just about showing off skills, but about practical, wearable and emotionally connected craftsmanship.

Take a panoramic view of the Watch Grand View Garden

Professor Fan, who has always paid attention to watch trends, participated in many off-site special exhibitions in addition to the Geneva Watches and Miracles Exhibition this year. He saw the annual new works of various brands in four days. He said with a smile, "I want to buy them all" because there is more than one that is really tempting.Grand SeikoAlthough the style of "Tokyo Lion" was not his previous preference, the rough shape and strong lines made him unexpectedly fascinated.
Breitling and football starsErling HaalandjointChronomat GMTalso arouses interest. He originally only paid attention to the brand's flight watch, but he did not expect that this meteorite surface design looks elegant and has a unique style with a classical bezel. Bvlgari’sOcto FinissimoThe ultra-thin perpetual calendar carbon gold watch shows the jewelry brand's attention to detail. The movement rudder and side nameplate are both made of rose gold, which forms a beautiful contrast with the black appearance. Jaeger-LeCoultreReverso Tribute Monoface Small SecondsThe Flip Series small seconds watch features a classic design and a rare metal bracelet(Milanese woven strap)Matching, and with a customizable back design, it has become a highly collectible piece in my heart.

「BreitlingChronomat Automatic GMT 40The design is very simple and does not block the appreciation of the meteorite dial, but another major feature of this model is its case and bezel design, which completely breaks my previous impression of Breitling. The bezel has a strong sense of design, breaking away from the usual impression that Breitling is equal to a flight watch or a chronograph sports watch. This is a part that I think is great. "Fan WeicifenEnjoy.