Ahead of His Time

Winston Koo has the hots for futuristic looking watches that are mostly black. Tatler finds out what makes this collector such a force

- Annie Darling

A great watch has always been, and will always be, a personal possession that speaks volumes about its wearer, something Winston Koo learned at a young age. “My father once told me: ‘A gentleman doesn’t need much apart from a good pair of shoes, a watch and a pen.’” Despite this advice, Koo says his father never wore watches although, years later, he did discover his parents owned diamond-set timepieces from the 1970s by Chopard. “They’re not to my taste,” Koo tells me. “They’re quite blinged out, but that was interesting to find out because I only know my dad as this parental figure. I was like: ‘Wow! You were young once and liked crazy stuff too!’”

As senior director of product innovation at the United Chinese Group, which makes decorations for large outlets including Ikea, Target and Walmart, Koo represents the third generation of his family-owned business. With an eye for detail and appreciation for the atypical, Koo, 47, is especially fond of innovative watches that have revolutionized the industry. While other collectors gravitate towards the most expensive examples from brands such as Patek Philippe and Rolex, Koo has built up an impressive collection of modern pieces from independent watchmakers, including a stunning one-of-a-kind HYT H0 Black.