259. MEMBURU JAM VINTAGE DI VIETNAM (HUNTING FOR VINTAGES IN VIETNAM)

Itulah kalau dah gila jam sampai ke negara orang pun terkejar-kejar cari jam tangan lama. Sejak hari Rabu telah berada di Hanoi. Jadi bila ada kesempatan sedikit masa malam tadi, ajak Tran Hai, rakan Vietnamese memburu jam vintage di kotaraya ini walau pun cuaca agak sejuk di sana siang dan malam.

Rata kedai di singgah, rata juga lorong diterjah, rata juga night market di santai intai-intai jam vintage. Banyak kedai di Hanoi hanya menjual jam-jam model baru baik buatan Swiss atau Jepun. Harga jam-jam baru buatan Swiss dan Jepun tak jauh beza dengan harga di Malaysia cuma diskaunnya terlalu sikit cuma 5% sahaja.

Ada kedai jual jam original dan ada kedai jual jam replika dan ada kedai jual jam original dan letak replika di satu sudut.

Tapi yang diburu adalah jam vintage...

Bukan senang nak cari jam tangan lama. Lebih mudah cari restoran Melayu macam Restoran Annisa milik Sdr Haji Alias Ben Taat, anak kelahiran Johor yang dah beranak pinak di Hanoi.

Buru punya buru akhirnya terjumpa juga tersorok di satu sudut kedai dekat Hang Dao Night Market, seorang nyonya muka tak berapa nak senyum menjual jam-jam lama. Boleh tahan stoknya hampir 60 buah jam. Ada Wyler, ada Citizen, ada Seiko, ada Raketa, ada Poljot, ada Pobeda dan ada banyak lagi jenama Swiss, Jepun dan Russia. Tapi yang paling menarik ada sebiji jam tangan lusoh model Longines.

Cuma semua jam rupa cukup uzur macam jam kutip dari medan perang. Cermin retak, tali hilang dan crown terjulur. Tak kisahlah kerana bukan susah sangat nak baiki kalau kena cara dan harga asalkan jam ori.

Minta nyonya yang tak reti senyum dari tadi keluarkan Longines untuk diamati dengan dekat. Memang sah jam ni dah teruk kena belasah. Cermin retak, crown tak padan, caseback terkopak, nampaknya semua kena tukar. Tu belum lagi tengok enjin. Apa pun kondisi jam masih ok kerana dial tetap cantik.

Nyonya kata harga Longines USD 120.00 sebiji. Hah! Terbeliak biji mata dengar harga yang nyonya letak. Gila ke nyonya ni? Berapa banyak nak minta diskaun kalau jam burok pun diletak harga gila semacam. Tanya balik pada nyonya harga tadi dalam Dong ke USD? Jawab dia confirm USD dan masih tak senyum...

Cadangan asal nak borong kesemua 60 biji jam kalau murah, tersangkut kat situ. Lebih baik beli jam baru kata Tran Hai, yang menemani saya. Tergamam, kami berdua sambil tersenyum buat keputusan cancel cadangan beli jam tangan lama mau pun baru lalu beredar dari situ. Sambil berjalan sempat lagi singgah sekejap di satu kedai lagi, saja tengok-tengok sementara tunggu driver sampai...

Waktu appointment makan dah dekat dan driver pun sampai...

Beredar meluncur ke Restoran Khazaana, restoran India yang jual makanan halal. Nak pekena puri, nan dengan masala kambing. Bila perut kenyang hati pun senang, tak dapat jam pun dah tak kisah.

Lagi pun Barry, seorang lagi kawan kami, anak Malaysia kelahiran Ipoh yang sudah 16 tahun menetap di Hanoi sedang menunggu kami di situ...

HUNTING FOR VINTAGE WATCHES IN VIETNAM

Once a collector will always remain a collector wherever one may be. Been in Hanoi since Wednesday. Between the tight schedule, managed to drag Tran Hai, my Vietnamese friend, the previous night to visit possible sites where vintage watches might be available.

Stopped by many watch shops and galleries, pounded many lanes and combed through a few night markets in the cold Hanoi weather searching for vintage watches. Many shops are selling new watches, Swiss and Japanese models with prices similar to Malaysia with minimal discount of 5%.

There are galleries selling branded Swiss and Japanese original watches, there are shops selling fakes and there are shops selling original watches with counter displaying fakes tuck at a corner.

Still, the hunt was for vintage watches...

Searching for vintage watches in Hanoi proved to be more tedious than locating a Malay restaurant like the Annisa Restaurant owned by Haji Alias Ben Taat, a Johor-born Malaysian who had set base in Hanoi for a long time.

We continued the hunt eventually discovering one little counter tucked at the corner of a shop near Hang Dao Night Market selling old watches that resembled vintages. Took a closer look at the counter. There were some Swiss models like Wyler and Rado, some Japanese models like Citizen and Seiko, some Russian models like Raketa, Poljot and Pobeda closed to 60 pieces.

But the one piece that caught my eyes was a seasoned Longines. Requested the sterned-looking lady seller to take out the Longines for me to examine. Mind you, the Longines was so battered as though it had been salvaged from a war zone. So did the look of other watches. Still, I was thinking of buying up the whole stock of 60 pieces if the prices were affordable. Repairing them later was not going to be a problem since we have an experienced and trusted watch doctor at home.

Got a shock when she quoted USD 120 for that seasoned Longines. Maybe my hearing was playing a trick. Asked again whether the price was in Dong. The face turned sterner and the voice was raised. "USD120 not Dong." replied the lady seller with the uncompromised stern look. Mind you, if that was the price, what is there to bargain then? Mind you, we have yet to check on the authenticity of the watch! The idea to wrap up the whole stock was immediately dropped. It wasn't going to be my day.

Tran Hai suggested we moved on since it was dinner time and Barry, our Ipoh-born Malaysian friend was waiting at the Khazaana, the Indian restaurant serving halal Indian cuisine. A serving of nan, puri, mutton masala and dhal with papadom masala as the starter would definitely warm the cold night in Hanoi.

About the vintage watches,

well, another day, another time, another place and another story...