hollywood billionaire

Chapter 491: High-end Watches
"Wait a minute, I'll park the car on the side of the road first."

After taking a look at the rearview mirror, Han Yi turned the car to the right and stopped next to the gray shoulder of 1206 Lexington Road.

"No need to stop. I can show you later."

"We'll be at Lana's house later. Do you want to do this in front of them, or just do it here?"

"Then let's do it here." Maddie licked her lips, "Because I'm afraid... after I show you this watch, you won't be able to resist doing something to me."

"That's not going to happen, girl."

“You never know.”

“Try me.”

"OK."

"Well, I don't mean to ask you to try me." Han Yi held down the girl's shoulders with a frown on his face, stopping her from kissing him. "I mean to ask you to try and see if I can't help wanting to do something to you."

"You didn't explain yourself."

"That's been made very clear."

"Okay." Maddie shrugged nonchalantly and retreated to her seat, looking confident. "So... when I went to pick her up at grandma's house, the first thing I asked her was, 'Grandma, how do we choose a gift for someone who has everything?'"

"My grandmother smiled and shook her index finger, took off her sunglasses, and told me: 'No, Maddie, your boss doesn't have everything. He may be a little older than you, and may be a little more mature than you, but in my opinion, you are still children, and the first chapter of your life has not yet been written. There are still too many things you don't know, and there are still too many things waiting for you to explore.'"

"That's true." Han Yi agreed with Lorien's evaluation of him. He didn't mind his age at all, because this was one of the greatest advantages that time gave to the reborn. "Being rich doesn't mean I have everything. I haven't even finished reading the first page of this book called the world, let alone the first chapter. Reading any story that I have never encountered before will give me an indescribable sense of excitement and satisfaction."

"That's exactly what Lorian told me at that time! I think she really understands you." Madison agreed repeatedly, "She said that a man like you, with such financial strength, could have ignored the evolution of the world and kept everything around him in a permanent stable state. You can live a carefree life in the castle you built without having to step into the real world. Many men like you choose to live this kind of life."

"But there are always a small number of people who don't fit in. They will never feel comfortable in their comfort zone. In other words, they have no comfort zone and hate the feeling of comfort. They want to row into unknown waters, conquer territories beyond the map, and expand their own and all mankind's horizons. History has repeatedly told us that it is these people who don't fit in and can't feel comfortable in their comfort zone who make the world we live in a better place."

When saying these words, Madison did not hide the admiration, obsession, and even fanaticism in her eyes.

"Grandma said that you are a typical person who doesn't fit in and can't feel comfortable. The best gift for you is not the gift itself, but the door it opens for you and the new world waiting for you behind the door."

"Is your grandmother single?" Han Yi let out a long sigh and joked, "I'm beginning to think... maybe the fifty-year age gap isn't such a big problem."

"You beast!" Maddie's eyes widened and she shouted, "I won't let you touch my dear grandma even a little bit! If you have anything to say, come to me!"

"That's it."

"Why, a fifty-year age difference is okay, but a four-year age difference is not?"

"So, the gift your grandmother recommended you to give me was not the watch itself, but the field that the watch represents?" Han Yi realized that he had dug a big hole for himself and quickly brought the topic back to the topic, "What field? High-end watches?"

“The watch itself is a very meaningful gift. But, yes, the gift is not just about the watch, it’s about the whole niche behind it. Independent watchmakers, Fine Watchmaking, Haute Horlogerie… call it what you want.”

"Oh, haute... or something like that." Han Yi joked, "If there is a special French term to describe this industry, it must be very serious and elegant."

"I know you're joking, but it's true. In fact, the more you know about it, the more you can appreciate its existence and artistry." Madison responded with a very serious expression.

"It sounds like you did a lot of homework this time."

"That's a lot more than I did in school." Madison shook her head proudly. "Go ahead, test me."

"What am I testing you on?" Han Yi grinned, "I know nothing about this thing called haute..."

"Haute Horlogerie." Like most Americans who want to show off their culture, Madison pronounced the French word she had just learned in an exaggerated way. "The first watch inlaid with gemstones was made by French watchmaker De Beaufret in 1704, but the concept of haute horlogerie was not invented until the 1970s."

"At that time, the world was undergoing the 'Quartz Revolution'. Starting with the first quartz watch produced by Seiko Group of Japan in 1969, this alternative, which was much more accurate, cheaper and more cost-effective than mechanical watches, began to become popular around the world. For consumers, this was undoubtedly a great thing, but for Switzerland, which regarded the mechanical watch industry as a national pillar and mechanical watchmaking technology as a national characteristic, it was a disaster. Therefore, in Switzerland, this movement was called the 'Quartz Crisis' rather than the 'Quartz Revolution'."

"Throughout the 1600s and into the early 600s, the Swiss watch industry was struggling to survive. The number of manufacturers dropped from 90000 to 28000, and the number of employees dropped from to . In order to save the industry and the Swiss economy, they pursued two routes. The first route was to reduce the price of mechanical watches. They replaced metal dials with plastic ones, reduced the number of parts from to , abandoned manual production, and introduced assembly lines. Swatch was a typical example of this route, and they competed head-on with quartz watch brands."

"The second route is high-end watches. Instead of trying to make mechanical watches more acceptable and popular to the public, some watchmakers try to link Switzerland's exquisite watchmaking craftsmanship with a luxurious high-end lifestyle. They use traditional crafts such as enamel, hand engraving, miniature painting, and marquetry to decorate the dial, and use the Geneva Seal or Swiss Official Observatory certification to prove its excellent mechanical performance. A special high-end watch foundation has also been established to spare no effort to promote the concept that 'mechanical watches are luxury goods' and 'high-net-worth people should wear mechanical watches'. Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, Audemars Piguet and Rolex, brands that have been gradually eliminated by the mass market, have tried to increase their prices and brand positioning in order to enter the high-end market for shelter."

"You sound a bit cynical, Maddie." Han Yi smiled, "What do you think of this trend they are trying to set for human society?"

"I guess I can only say... it's all about business. They promote the concepts they have to promote to keep their brands relevant and profitable." Madison, who comes from a family of businessmen, looks at such issues quite objectively, "but on the other hand, they have to make their products worth buying in the eyes of ultra-high net worth customers, because billionaires won't pay for mediocrity. This means they have to make the most sophisticated watches, not only to tell time, but also to reflect taste, aesthetics, personal style and social status."

“So… yes, I guess I’ve never really looked at them closely, but when I first focused on them with my grandmother, I had to admit that some of them looked like real collectible works of art, comparable to all the classic master paintings.”

"Among all these collectible works of art, this is the best one, right?" Han Yi stretched out his left wrist and let Madison take off the Patek Philippe that he had been wearing for a long time and replace it with an FPJourne with a dark brown leather strap.

"I wouldn't say it's absolutely the 'best', but it's definitely one of the best." Madison's eyes and expression as he fastened the watch strap were extremely focused. "It's better to say that this watch best reflects your personality within the range of what I can afford right now."

"So…tell me the story of how you got it."

"I'm already telling you this story. I picked up my grandmother on the way to Manhattan and we were discussing all of this. At the end of her analysis, she said, 'Maddie, we're not going to Fifth Avenue today. Let's go straight to Mercer Street.'"

"I said, OK, and we changed our route and drove across the Williamsburg Bridge and directly into the TJMaxx parking lot."

"TJMaxx?"

"Yes, it's across from the FPJourne store. You know what's going on in Manhattan, there's no way to park on the street." Madison shrugged. "I almost stopped there when I squeezed through the crowded TJMaxx and bought you a Prada suit at a discounted price of $59." "I think that's actually a good gift."

"But then I realized that you don't look very good in a suit."

“It’s a little hurtful.”

"There's only one kind of 'suit' that makes you look smart in it."

"What kind of 'suit'?"

"Birthday suit."

Looking at Han Yi who was speechless, Madison smiled happily.

"But let's talk about this later... I'll see your birthday suit on my birthday." After saying the second half of the sentence in a very low voice, Maddie immediately brought the topic back on track, "Anyway, grandma and I arrived at the FPJourne store, which is... a real 'boutique' store, if you know what I mean. A few sofas, a few tables, a few single display cabinets that look like they were placed randomly, and a TV... There are no more than a dozen watches on display in the entire store."

"So, as soon as I stepped into the store, I squeezed my grandmother's hand. Lorien understood immediately, leaned over, leaned close to my ear and whispered, 'Don't worry, you'll understand when you see their exhibits.'"

“We were greeted by a very friendly middle-aged man who was apparently familiar with my grandmother… because he had worked at Cartier.”

"Next time I go to New York to visit your grandmother, I will buy her some Cartier." Han Yi interjected with a smile.

"Are you still going to see her?" Maddie was stunned at first, then she gathered her hair by her ears, and her sitting posture and expression became much more reserved.

"Shouldn't it be? Not only her, but also your parents." Han Yi said as if it was a matter of course, "I'm going to New York in December. The most appropriate thing to do at that time is to visit them with holiday gifts and thank them for entrusting you to me... No, no, Maddie, it's not what you think!"

"That's what I meant." After leaving several lip prints on Han Yi's cheek, Maddie was so happy that she almost lost her sight. "Now that I've said this and cast the spell, there's no turning back."

"No...seriously, Maddie, we can't let your grandma and parents know..."

Having said that, Han Yi's voice stopped abruptly.

"Know what?" Madison looked at him leisurely.

"nothing."

"We can't let them know that there's nothing going on between us?" Madison pouted and thought for a moment, "Okay."

"Well, I'll just have to skip these trips then."

"Don't." Maddie quickly stopped him. "Okay, don't worry, I won't let them see anything. In front of them, you are just my boss."

"Thank you, Maddie."

"Just this Christmas."

"Hmm?"

"Next Christmas, you will be the holiday gift I bring home." Thinking of this, Madison suddenly clapped her hands and said excitedly, "Hey, does this mean... I can have Chinese food with real Chinese people on Christmas Day?"

"Yes." Han Yi thought for a moment and nodded in response, "I'll cook for you this time."

"This is what it means to be a husband."

"Maddie..."

"Let's stop talking about this and talk about watches!" Madison waved her hand, interrupting Han Yi's protest. "The middle-aged man, Oliver, first showed me a lot of their new models for 2016. I - simply - love them to death! I don't know how to describe them to you, ah... they are as shocking as Lana Del Rey turned into a watch."

"Weird metaphor."

"Not surprising at all! Lana is sexy and charming, exuding the independent temperament and charm of modern women, but at the same time with the retro texture and taste of the golden age, exactly the same as the FPJourne I saw. Every watch looks like it came out of the movie "Casablanca". There are basically no metal straps, all of them are genuine leather. The design of the dial is complicated but not dazzling, exquisite but without trivial details that are deliberately mysterious. It's like a retro movie poster. At first glance, you will feel that there are too many elements on it, and most of them are unnecessary, but when you take a second look, you will realize that everything is just right."

"Especially the Octa Automatique series in their store. Oh, my God, the maroon wristband, the 18K gold dial, and the design style that seems to be from the same era as Paul Newman..." At this point, Madison swallowed unconsciously, "At that time, I thought about what it would look like if you wore this watch, and how I would react. Then I realized that if you wore this watch, wore a black Tom Ford suit, sat on the edge of the bed, with that cynical look, hooked your finger, and whispered to me to come over, I would... not take it off!"

Holding Han Yi's other hand, Madison said viciously: "If you pick it off, I will never let you go!"

"Then maybe... you should stop depicting crime scenes involving me."

"Oh, yes, that was definitely a crime scene... Ok, ok, I won't say anything more." With a grin, Madison did not change the way she held Han Yi's wrist. Instead, she turned it up a few inches and came to his palm. "After seeing the watch, I immediately asked Oliver if he could help me wrap it up. I wanted to buy it. But Oliver told me that the watch was the only display watch in the store and was not for sale to the public. If I want to buy a new watch, I will have to wait a long time, at least two to three years, or even longer."

"Oh my God."

"Yeah, I was really upset, but Oliver immediately told me, 'Ms Beale, we know who you are and we always have something special for our celebrity customers. I've got a watch here that I think you're going to really like'."

Madison lifted Han Yi's wrist upwards.

“It’s called the Chronomètre Optimum and was produced in 2012.”

"Mr. Junard himself has always regarded it as the ultimate high-precision timepiece that represents the highest level of craftsmanship of FPJourne."

(End of this chapter)