First time here?
Welcome to the Internet watch and jewelry community.
The Internet has opened a whole new market to
the watch and jewelry industry. We specialize
in world-known brand new, pre-owned & vintage
watches as well as handmade unique jewelry. We
are not an authorized dealer for any watch brands
or expert in watches & jewelries. Please read
our profile to know more about us.
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Where are our watches
from?
We buy from you! Yes, we always buy watches from
collectors in Singapore as well as overseas. Sometimes,
we buy direct from manufacturers.
We are very critical when purchasing the stock
and we demand the best condition with or without
the accessories. Almost all our watches have been
sent to my watchmaker for a polish & service.
Sometimes, we may replace the straps (Original
or non-original) when it is too old.
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What are the things
to look when purchasing a watch?
The aim of this part is not to tell you what to
collect, but rather to help you decide for yourself
by showing you the variety of watches and jewelries
available. A watch collection can be based around
any number of features, such as the date of production,
the materials used or the particular functions
of the watch. A collection can also be based on
a theme, such as military or sports watches.
Whatever type of watch or jewelry you choose
to collect, you would be well advised to start
with pieces that you like and find interesting.
A purchase that is based on price or rarity alone
may eventually be regretted.
Once you have decided what to buy, there are
a few points to bear in mind when purchasing a
wristwatch. If you are going to wear the watch,
it needs to be capable of telling the time. If
a mechanical wristwatch is not in working order,
there could be any number of reasons. If a ticking
sound can be heard when the watch has been wound,
but the hands are not moving, it is possible that
they have come away from the dial train (the wheels
and pinions of a watch). Not all wristwatches,
especially early ones, were made to be shock-resistant,
and the hands may have become disconnected after
a severe knock. This is not a major problem and
can usually be put right by a competent watch
repairer.
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What's the difference
between a "manual" and an "automatic"?
An "automatic" wristwatch is a mechanical
wristwatch with a self-winding mechanism. In other
words one does not have to wind the crown periodically
to keep the watch running. A "manual"
watch must be wound by hand, using the crown,
usually every day, to operate continuously.
If one were going to own only a single watch,
and wear it every day, an automatic would be a
good choice, since the watch will be worn consistently
enough to stay wound – the owner would never
need to manually wind the watch.
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How do I care for
my watches?
Mount your collection of wristwatches on rolls
of soft fabric or acid-free tissue papers, if
the watches do not have their own boxes.
Never leave dead batteries in quartz watches.
If a mechanical wristwatch stops, get it serviced
straight away. Find a reliable watch repairer
early in your collecting career and stay with
him or her – as a bonus, you will also learn
a lot.
Your collection will occasionally need cleaning.
This means the outside only. Never clean, oil
or regulate the movement or change the battery
yourself. Always leave the inside of a watch to
the professional repairer. A soft cloth is all
that is needed to clean the case of most metal
watches. Never use solvents on gold plate or silver
gilt. Silver watches may be rubbed gently with
impregnated cloth. The metal part of a waterproof
watch may be cleaned in soapy water and then dried.
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Where do I
get my materials?
Being the Main designer of Christine’s Collection,
as to ensure all my jewelries are genuine works
of art, only finest materials are used. I am very
particular with the materials that I use. I only
work with materials from Master Craftsmen from
USA, Europe, Japan, China, Thailand, Indonesia
and India, which have a great tradition of artistry
and craftsmanship passed down through the generations.
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What are Lampwork
Beads?
Lampwork beads are handmade glass beads. They
are made using centuries-old process called Lampworking
– a term which refers to the oil lamps once
used to melt the glass. Modern bead makers use
a variety of torches, tools and glass to produce
individual glass bead, which may contains remarkable
detail and artistry.
To put it simply, a rod of glass is melted in
the torch and the molten glass is wound around
a specially coated steel mandrel. This bead can
then be shaped and embellished using a variety
of techniques. Once finished, the bead is placed
in a kiln for slow cooling, which ensures the
strength and longevity of the bead. Further cleaning
and/or processing will be required before the
bead is completed.
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What is Thai Hill
Tribe Silver?
The silversmiths of Northern Thailand have built
their lives around silver and silver crafts for
centuries. These artisans - known as the "Hill
Tribe" artisans - live in various tribes
which occupy the Gold Triangle area of Thailand,
near the borders of Thailand, Laos and Burma (Myanmar).
The Hill Tribe people often use silver in place
of paper money, and silver jewelry carries much
cultural importance, signifying wealth, status
and spirituality.
The Hill Tribe silversmiths create each detailed
jewelry component painstakingly by hand from fine
(99.9%) silver. They form silver sheets and wire
from silver ingots, and then hammer, solder, mold,
and engrave each piece to completion. Because
each jewelry component is handcrafted individually,
no two beads, pendants, or clasps are exactly
the same. Each carries its own silent story of
the artisan family who created it.
Unlike sterling silver (which contains 92.5%
pure silver and 7.5% copper), Hill Tribe silver
is very resistant to tarnishing. Your Hill Tribe
silver components will not require polishing as
often as sterling silver.
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What is Bali Silver?
Bali beads are made from solid sterling silver.
The beads are handmade by Balinese artisans who
take pride in their work. The Balinese are famous
for their intricate artistry, and beautiful handiwork
is produced throughout Bali.
Visitors to Bali often observe that every native
person they encounter is a master craftsperson
in one art or another. Balinese silversmiths enjoy
a traditional trade that passed down from generation
to generation. Artisans spend years under apprenticeship
before they are permitted to create their own
works.
Silver is mined in other parts of Indonesia
and brought to Bali, where the smiths handmade
jewelry and other decorative items. Each bead
is cast in two parts and joined together after
they are individually decorated. Delicate balls
and wires are created and glued to the bead. Once
all the decorations have been put on, they are
sauntered to the bead.
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How do I store my
jewelries?
Protect your jewelry when it is not being worn
by separating it from other jewelry, using a separate
compartment in your jewelry box.
Gems and gem quality items, improperly stored,
can damage each other. Diamonds, for example,
may scratch rubies, sapphires, or emeralds, and
in certain situations, each other. To be on the
safe side, be sure that gemstones and jewelry
do not touch. Because of their softness, cultured
pearls need special care. Clean and dry them prior
to storing your pearls in a special chamois pouch
safe from potential harm.
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How do I clean my
jewelries?
In most cases, routine home care of your fine
jewelry supplemented with periodic care by your
personal jeweler means a lifetime of pleasurable
wear. Regular cleaning of your gemstones keeps
them shining and beautiful.
A mild soap and water solution used with a soft
brush is effective for many home jewelry care
needs. Even the mild chemicals of commercial jewelry
cleaning products may damage certain gems. Although
soap and water is the best choice for most gems
and jewelry, do not use soap and water with amber,
coral, emerald, jade, kunzite, lapis lazuli, opal,
pearl, or turquoise.
Check with your personal jeweler prior to using
a commercial cleaning product for the first time.
Dispose of any such cleaner after 3 months. A
home solution of one part mild detergent, one
part household ammonia, and three parts water
is also effective for many jewelry needs. Dry
the jewelry with a lint-free towel. This method
of cleaning is especially desirable for alexandrite,
amethyst, andalusite, aquamarine, citrine, diamond,
garnet, iolite, moonstone, ruby, sapphire, spinel,
tanzanite, topaz, tourmaline, and zircon.
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What are South Sea
Pearls?
South Sea Pearls are primarily cultured in the
waters of Australia, the Philippines and Indonesia.
Some will mistakenly include pearls found from
the waters of Tahiti and French Polynesia and
call them Black South Sea Pearls. The distinction
between these two types of pearls are the oysters
they are cultivated in. The South Sea Pearls are
cultured in the silver or gold-lipped pearl oyster
and the color of the South Sea Pearls are usually
white or silver colored, but they can also come
in shades of yellow or blue-gray with pink or
green overtones.
The gold-lipped pearl oyster used to culture these
pearls is the world's largest pearl mother and
is considered by experts to produce the best pearls
in the world. The sizes of the pearls produced
range in size from 10 to 20 millimeters, though
pearls larger than 16 millimeters are rare. Their
rarity and exceptional size make them highly prized.
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What are Freshwater
Pearls?
Freshwater Pearls are small, sometimes irregularly
shaped pearls that are grown in various species
of freshwater mussel. The colors range from pink,
gray or black, bronze, lavender to white. Natural
freshwater pearls occur in mussels for the same
reason that saltwater pearls occur in oysters.
Foreign material, usually a shaped object or bead
is inserted into the mussels or oysters to initiate
the formation of a pearl.
To culture freshwater pearls, the shell of the
mussels are slightly opened, small slits are cut
into the mantle tissue and small pieces of live
tissue from another mussel is inserted into those
slits. The shape of the nuclues and its position
in the mussel determines the shape of the cultured
pearl. The shaped recovered include rounds, pearls,
eggs, drops, buttons, dome and baroques.
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TERMS used in this website
are widely used and accepted in the dealing of
watches and jewelries and as conservative as possible.
New
Factory box with all necessary papers from the
factory. Should have an authorized dealer
stamp on the warranty, to validate that the watch
is legitimate and that the factory will honor
the warranty. Collections from the present market
New Old Stock (NOS) / Mint
Undistinguishable from new, original in every
way. Still in factory box, with papers.
Papers may be open, that is blank, and warranty
may still be intact. May have been in showcase
or used in display, or bought new and never worn,
or worn so little as to show no wear whatsoever.
Collections from 1940 – 1980.
Near Mint
Completely original in every way. Faint marks
or light scratches may be observed under magnification.
Expertly repaired or serviced.
Excellent
May or may not be in factory box. Looks as though
watch was used very little if at all. If watch
has been restored, all original replacement
parts have been used. Faint scratches are evident
but hard to detect with the eye. No dents are
detectable and the bracelets have little or no
wear.
Very Good
The watch may show some wear, and perhaps is in
need of some routine servicing, but a sound attractive
presentation overall. No evidence of abuse. May
have new hands and new crystal, but original case,
dial and movement. Dial may need refinishing but
the overall appearance is acceptable.
Good
Nothing fundamentally wrong with the watch, though
it has obviously been used. Movement may have
had a part replaced, but the part was near to
original. Possibly in need of a servicing and
restoration of the case or bracelet, due to nicks
and mars on the case, or more noticeable scratches.
Runs well for at least 24 hours, but may need
timing adjustments.
Fair
Well used, is in need of a servicing and restoration.
May be running erratic or not at all. May
not have original dial or case. Even an untrained
eye could tell the watch has seen better days,
but overall still wearable and worthy of consideration.
Poor
Anybody's guess as to whether it can ever made
to run again. Speculative piece and should be
priced accordingly. Maybe 'fixer-upper' would
be too generous a term.
