Welcome back to another episode of OverTime the Podcast! This week, Praka and James sat down with Ong, the mind behind Yuen, to talk about his journey into the watch world and the launch of their inaugural collection.
Wristchecks:
Ong: Yuen Y-01 Prototype
James: Minase 5 Window / Houtman Pilbara Rock
Praka: Smiths PRS-59 WWW
Ong is a mechanical engineer by training who channeled his passion for unique dials and materials into founding Yuen. His debut collection, the Y-01 起源 "Nascence", reflects this blend of collector philosophy and technical expertise.
The Y-01 is an automatic dress watch featuring an intricate, fumé-finished dial handmade from high-grade abalone shell tiles in a repeating "Y" mosaic pattern. Built with double lug holes for versatile strap pairings and a unique cornes de vache silhouette, the collection launched in six vibrant colors across mid-2026. Operating on a transparent pre-order model to fund production directly, the watch is available at an all-inclusive price of $888 USD (covering shipping, taxes, and duties via DDP) before locking at MSRP.
Rather than relying on industry-standard monobloc or welded cases to create his organically curved lugs —which may suffer from structural warping, polishing issues, or high failure rates—Ong designed a Modular Case Architecture. By machining all four lugs onto a separate baseplate that is screwed directly to the midsection and secured by the caseback, he is able to achieve the lug construction whilst also allow him to create alternating brushed/polished finishes with ease.
Dimensions: 39.0 mm diameter | 46.0 mm lug-to-lug | 9.9 mm thickness | 20 mm lug width
Movement: Miyota 9039 automatic
Crystal: EU double-domed sapphire
Water Resistance: 10 atm (100 m)
Connect with Yuen:
You can explore the full collection and follow their journey through the links below:
Website: Visit the Official Yuen Website. Keep an eye out as they plan to populate their Blog section soon for a deep dive into their design process and behind-the-scenes content.
Socials: Follow their journey on the Yuen Official Instagram.
Something Interesting Section:
Ong: Loving the new Daredevil show on Disney+—Marvel's Charlie Cox is a brilliant man!
James: Had a hilarious interaction where a watch shop owner genuinely encouraged him to start a food channel instead of being a watch blogger!
Praka: Going deep into his coffee hobby with his latest toy, the Orea O1 Coffee Brewer.
Contact Us
Thanks for tuning in! If you have any feedback or just want to chat, you can find us here:
Praka: @kinda.average.watches
OverTime Whatsapp Channel: Whatsapp Group!
OverTime The Podcast: Linktree – OverTime The Podcast
WatchingJames (Youtube): https://www.youtube.com/@WATCHingJames
WatchingJames (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/watching_james/?hl=en
Support Us
If you’d like to support the show, you can buy us a coffee here: buymeacoffee.com/overtimethepodcast
Tags
Yuen, Yuen Y-01, Y-01 Nascence, Yuen Nascence, Ong Yuen Watches, Microbrand Engineering, Modular Watch Case, Abalone Watch Dial, Fume Dial, Cornes de Vache Lugs, Microbrand Watches, Independent Watchmaking, Dress Watches, Watch Collecting, Watch Customization, Watch Manufacturing, Watch Specs, Miyota 9039, Horology Podcast, OverTime Podcast, Wristcheck, Watch Reviews, Everyday Carry, Luxury Watches, Men's Style, Timepieces, Coffee and Watches, Daredevil Disney Plus
