Known in the microbrand circles as the masters of all things dial-side, Selten took it up another notch for their latest collaboration with Watch Ho & Co., but this time, its value is in more than just the level of handicraft. The Hong Kong watch community celebrates its third year, as founder Jackie Ho looks to some particularly personal moments from his childhood, and one that many that grew up like him could relate to. Yes, the Selten x WH&C Yum Cha does have a stunning, hand-engraved and grand feu-enamelled dial, but the best watches have stories behind them, and this one most certainly does.
What is it?
The Yum Cha is both an ode to the classic Cantonese tradition that is as much a bonding experience as it is a manner of consuming food, but also a tribute to Ho’s grandmother, specifically. If you’ve had the pleasure of eating with a grandma as a kid, you can usually be assured that your plate will never be empty, and that she’ll make sure it’ll be filled with your favourites only. For Ho, it was his preferred dim sum, and in my case, that meant plenty of roast potatoes and none of that nasty Brussels sprout stuff.
In those vibrant teahouses, there is no sight more iconic than the woven bamboo steamer baskets, which is the pattern that’s translated onto the dial, painstakingly engraved by hand before undergoing grand feu enamelling. Selten quotes more than 16 hours of human intervention per dial, with master enameller and engraver Mr Qin seeing it through from start to finish. The first eight hours are dedicated to engraving, the next seven to enamel, and the last 90 minutes to hand-polishing, with failures likely at any stage, with a 40% rejection rate.
The rest of the watch is as you’ve become accustomed to from Selten – a conservatively sized 38mm diameter, with subtly notched lugs and inset crown that make it very comfortable on-wrist. Usually, I’ll spend a lot more time talking about what’s under the caseback than what’s on it, but the Yum Cha is one of those rare watches where both are just as interesting. On the caseback is yet another nod to food, this time a scene drawn by Lee Yuen-Rapati of @onehourwatch, depicting three pairs of chopsticks lunging for three plump siu mai dumplings. On the side, a table number stand that can be custom-engraved per the owners’ requests.
Beneath the caseback you’ll find the Sellita SW200-2 M Power+, this lengthily-named calibre being one of the latest developments from the Swiss movement maker’s affordable line. It’s manually-wound which helps keep the thickness under 10mm (9.95mm to be exact), and with a whole host of upgrades as part of the Power+ refresh. The gear train has new tooth geometry; the barrel houses an upgraded, longer mainspring offering 65 hours of power reserve; a more efficient automatic winding system; a new escapement with reduced inertia, new regulator, and Incabloc shock protection (accurate to +/-6 seconds per day); and finally, reworked bridges and mainplate for improved rigidity and endurance.
First impressions
Having spent plenty of time with Selten’s Spiral grand feu enamel model, I have no doubt that the Yum Cha is just as striking, if not even more thanks to the unique engraved pattern. With the manually-wound Sellita movement, I wonder whether the brand could’ve done with a slightly grippier crown, but these are nitpicks, especially when I haven’t commended them on slimming the case down by a whole millimetre. The handset is especially nice, which is something that brands either don’t get enough flack or praise for, here it’s very much the latter.
Selten x Watch Ho & Co. Yum Cha 飲茶 pricing and full specifications
The Yum Cha by Selten and Watch Ho & Co. is a limited edition of 100 pieces, with each available for customisation on the caseback. Price: US$4,950 (~A$7,000). WatchPoint is an authorised dealer of Selten, find their collection at our Melbourne Showroom and the WatchPoint Webstore
