Renée Batchelor

1 week ago | harpersbazaar.com.sg | Renée Batchelor

From the poolside of my villa in the Trisara hotel in Phuket I spy a tiny island in the distance, a lone tree sprouting from its neat, mound-like shape. It strikes me how this is an almost stereotypical representation of an island—the kind you would find sketched in a children’s book. This distant “mirage” cements just how fitting a venue this stunning locale is for the Asian unveiling of Van Cleef & Arpels’ Treasure Island high jewellery collection.

1 month ago | harpersbazaar.com.sg | Renée Batchelor

At every Watches and Wonders edition, everyone from aficionados to the everyman awaits the latest launches from Rolex. It is after all not unexpected that perhaps the most famous watch brand in the world, is one of the rare few whose watch launches are that anticipated, even among the non-watch crowd.

Oct 8, 2024 | herworld.com | Renée Batchelor

Growing up as a ’90s teen was a wholly different experience than being a teenager today. I should know: I spent most of the decade as a teenager. And what a time it was. Gen X and older millennials often wax lyrical about a decade where information didn’t flow quite as freely as it does today, a concept that may puzzle today’s teens. But the spirit of discovery was alive and well. Things were not as easy to “get” as they are today, whether it was a new album or a hard-to-find book.

Aug 26, 2024 | harpersbazaar.com.sg | Renée Batchelor

I confess I was a late adopter of Only Murders in the Building and only started bingeing the first two seasons in mid-2023, just in time to catch the show’s stellar third season’s live. One of the lessons this show imparts is patience—each of its 10 episodes are released weekly, meaning fans have to wait a whole seven days before the next installment is dropped.

Aug 22, 2024 | harpersbazaar.com.sg | Renée Batchelor

When it comes to the idea of men’s and women’s watches, the watch community is somewhat divided. In the recent past, there have been clear distinctions between which timepieces were made for each gender— just look at a watch brand’s website to see how watches are presented, or at its marketing to see which pieces are designed and intended for whom. But today, the customers themselves have spoken and the lines are truly blurred.