Watch Ho & Co x Selten Yum Cha: A Bamboo

Introduction

Watch Ho & Co has always brought a personal touch to collaborative watchmaking, focusing on stories and culture. For its third anniversary, the brand teams up with Selten to release the Yum Cha, a tribute to Hong Kong's traditional tea houses and founder Jackie Ho's childhood memories with his grandparents.

Design and Inspiration

The 38mm stainless steel case measures 9.95mm thick with a 44.5mm lug-to-lug, featuring a box-shaped sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating and 50m water resistance. The solid caseback showcases an original illustration by artist @onehourwatch, depicting Jackie as a child sharing a Yum Cha meal with his grandparents. Collectors can personalize the watch by engraving a meaningful number on the illustrated restaurant table marker.

Dial: A Bamboo Steamer Tribute

The dial draws inspiration from the woven bamboo steamer baskets found on every dim sum table. Selten's master engraver and enamel specialist, Qin, hand-engraves each silver blank into approximately eighty sections, each filled with precisely cut bright-polished lines. The varying direction and depth of cuts create the illusion of woven bamboo. Multiple layers of transparent Grand Feu enamel are applied and fired at around 800°C, repeated at least eight times before hand-polishing. Each dial takes about 16.5 hours to complete, with a rejection rate exceeding 40%. The resulting Fumé Amber color transitions from a luminous honey-gold center to deep smoky brown edges, reflecting light and shadow like a well-used steamer. Tea leaf-shaped hands complete the theme.

Movement and Specifications

Inside beats the manually wound Sellita SW210-2 M Power+, offering a 65-hour power reserve and adjusted in five positions for accuracy of approximately ±6 seconds per day.

Strap and Packaging

The watch comes on a tan Italian nubuck leather strap handcrafted by HasNoBounds, with a pin buckle. Each piece is delivered in an authentic handcrafted bamboo steamer basket, accompanied by three bamboo coasters. The warranty card replicates the red dim sum order cards used in Hong Kong tea houses.

Availability and Price

The Watch Ho & Co x Selten Yum Cha is limited to 100 pieces, priced at USD 4,950 or HKD 38,828.

Technical Specifications

Case: 38mm diameter x 9.95mm thick (8.35mm without crystal), 44.5mm lug-to-lug, 316L stainless steel, Top Hat sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating, solid engraved caseback, 50m water resistance
Dial: Hand-engraved fine silver dial with transparent Grand Feu fumé enamel, bamboo steamer weave pattern, tea leaf hands
Movement: Sellita SW210-2 M Power+, hand-wound, adjusted in five positions, 65-hour power reserve
Strap: Hand-stitched Italian nubuck leather, steel pin buckle
Box: Handmade bamboo steamer box, three bamboo coasters, Hong Kong dim sum order-card warranty, signed artwork
Availability: Limited edition of 100 pieces
Price: USD 4,950 / HKD 38,828