58
DERRICK YEO, 34
Currently in love with his Richard Mille
RM 055, the director at a manufacturing fi rm
admits he fell in love with horology by accident.
What started off as rewarding himself with a
“decent automatic Swiss-made watch” at age
22 eventually grew into a full-blown obsession.
“I love watches because they can last forever.
While women have bags and jewellery, a
watch is probably one of the most important
accessories for men,” says Derrick. And being a
millennial, he constantly documents his passion
for watches on his Instagram account
@trumpster.d—his posts about his collection
and potential acquisitions have garnered him
some 100,000 followers.Your fi rst watch purchase... I remember
it’s a TAG Heuer Grand Carrera, one of its
most high-end models about a decade ago.
Back then, I was a big fan of American actor
Leonardo DiCaprio, who wore a TAG Heuer
watch and was also a global ambassador for
the brand.Acquisition criteria: design, brand or
savoir faire? All of the above, to be honest.
Craftsmanship matters a lot because I’m
quite particular about the manufacturing
quality and fi nishing of the watches. There
has to be a certain level of fi nishing and
fi nesse. As for design and brand, diff erent
watchmakers specialise in diff erent crafts and
aspects, and boast diff erent qualities. There
is a watch for every occasion, so I will choose
my watches— and hence the brands—based
on the event and theme.The item on my current wishlist The new
Rolex Oyster Perpetual Sea-Dweller in
yellow Rolesor, which is a combination of
Oystersteel and 18K yellow gold. This is the
fi rst time Rolex has introduced yellow gold to
the Sea Dweller range.