Wouldn't it be nice if life were like a box of Valrhona chocolates?

We finally consumed the last of the chocolates from a box of Valrhona's last week. The wife didn't like milk chocolates so it had to be me to finish the chocolates - not that I minded that. :)

Box of Valrhona chocolates we got at the airport duty free shop

This is the outer package that showed which chocolates were included in the box. These were all what Valrhona calls Grand Crus chocolates - Guanaja (red), Caraibe (blue), Tainori (yellow) and Tanariva (orange). Only Tanariva is milk chocolate. The rest are dark chocolates.

Details on the chocolates at the back of the outer package.

Close-up for the ingredients of each chocolate

Nutrition information and serving size

There are 52 squares - perfect for samplers and to control your consumption. :)

In praise of the chocolates

Close up of the rows of chocolates

Valrhona chocolates don't need an introduction. These are among the top chocolates in the world and I use them as a benchmark for comparing the chocolates I taste(d). I often compare local (Philippine) chocolates to these and so far, only a couple brands come close to Valrhona on a head-to-head comparison (e.g., same % of cacao at least). If only we had an unlimited supply of these chocolates! We'll probably get another box or two in our next trip.

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Chocolate review: Nadalina Mediterranean Passion

One of our friends was recently traveling in Europe and gave us some chocolates from Croatia. I wasn't able to spot the chocolate in our refrigerator until I saw the opened box one time I was browsing for some dessert after a late dinner. Here are photos of the box - the chocolate was almost all consumed by the time I got to it. Still, I was able to enjoy a couple of bites.

Dark chocolate with almonds, dried figs and raisins

Details on the chocolate at the back of the box including where it is manufactured

Close up showing the ingredients. I was also surprised to see a translation in Japanese. This tells me that there are a lot of Japanese visitors/tourists in Croatia

This is a dark chocolate with a minimum of 69% cacao based on the label. It was enjoyable and I thought the dried figs and raisins enhanced the taste - giving it a nice combination of sweet, bitter and sour. I haven't been to Croatia but this is definitely a good buy and souvenir from a trip to that country.

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Vintage Citizen Diver: Dolphin WR200

Many watch collectors have specialty collections (e.g., chronographs only, WW2 watches only, divers only, hand winds only, automatics, etc.). I started with Swatches followed by Seiko AGS/Kinetic watches, picking up a few of my grail items along the way. Incidental was the accumulation of divers watches including a Glashutte, a Luminox, and a Mido that is my usual watch for the beach or pool. I also have an original Seiko SKX399 apart from the 2 others I've acquired with replacement inserts (these I am unloading). 

It seemed only natural to pursue a few divers watches anyway. And the opportunity to acquire this classic diver from Citizen came up. So I ended up getting a few Citizen divers that were in great condition and water resistant.

The watch features a big rotating bezel, and day and date functions

Side view showing the screwdown crown

The other side view

Case back was polished to the point that one cannot clearly see or read the watch specs from most angles.

Close up of the case back showing more clearly the text

Close-up of the well-preserved dial

Citizen caliber 8200 movement running at 21,600 beats per hour with a power reserve of 43 hours.

I got this watch for cheap and so far it has been a steal. I usually use this for the weekends including when I go to the market on Saturdays. It keeps time and has had a decent power reserve (i.e., I can leave it overnight and it is still functioning in the morning).

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Vintage Tissot from the 1940s

I am featuring another oldie in my collection. This one's a Tissot released in the European market (it says "Anti-magnetique" instead of "Anti-magnetic") with a movement that was in production from 1936-1949. It is very possible that the watch was made in the early 1940s during the Second World War.

The watch features a sub-second and no other complications like a day or date display. The lugs are also nice on this piece. I have several watches with similar lugs that are from the same period like an old Doxa and Revue.

Side view showing the crown, which I think is a replacement one but apt for the watch

The other side view

Case back shows no marks or information. This was typical of many common watches from

Close-up showing the aged dial

The watch is powered by this Cal. 27 movement running at 18,000 A/h with a potential power reserve of 43 hours. The movement is signed Tissot & Fils, which increases the value of the watch as it allows for it to be dated and shows it is authentic.

Wrist shot

This one's still a keeper for now. I just remove the strap that I also use for other watches. That way, I also save on storage space as I only need to keep the watch head with others in smaller containers.

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Chocolate review: Co Chocolat In the Mood, 65% Dark Chocolate

The stash of Co Chocoholic at home is slowly being consumed as we wanted to relish the taste of the chocolates. Here is their version of 65% dark chocolate.

In the Mood is a 65% dark chocolate that's certified vegan

Details about the chocolate include production date and the name and location of the farm where the cacao was produced.

Snow flake inspired design on the packaging

There are details about the production of the chocolate and other ingredients on the inner side of the packaging

Health code

Community code

The chocolate is wrapped in foil sealed with a sticker bearing the company logo

Unwrapping reveals the chocolate

This chocolate is refined and, if I were to compare with a premium local chocolate, at par with Auro and Malagos chocolates. There are no nuts or other ingredients here that will distract you from the quality of the chocolate so you can focus on the taste and texture. This is definitely my favorite among the Co Chocolat chocolates we've tasted so far.

[Disclosure: We are actually investors in the company. Don't take my word for it but you should really try it out to taste for yourself. Here's where you can get their chocolates: https://cochocolat.com]-

Vintage Jaeger Le Coultre Memovox movement

The Memovox I have is powered by a Caliber 814 movement. This is an in-house movement that I hope can stand more years as maintenance and parts for these can be very expensive. There is no JLC service center in the Philippines and the authorized dealers here will likely send it to Singapore for servicing. That makes them expensive. Here's a photo and a video showing the movement in action.

Cal. 814 is a manually wound movement running at 18,000 A/h with a potential reserve of 52h. The movement features an alarm that can run up to 20 seconds.

 Here's a short video of the movement in action:

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Vintage Jaeger LeCoultre Memovox / Wrist Alarm 9386

I currently have three Jaegers in my collection. These include 2 iconic models of the watch - a Futurematic and a Memovox. The Memovox is an alarm watch meaning it has an alarm feature. I have had a few alarm watches including a Seiko Bell-matic that I had unloaded last year. I still have a Helbros Alarm, which is the first one I acquired and a Poljot that I rarely used.

The Memovox is an alarm watch. It has 2 crowns - one for the time settings and another for the alarm settings. The watch is wound using the crown at 4 o'clock and its alarm may be wound using the crown at 2 o'clock.

View showing the 2 crowns

The other side view. Notice the markings just above the 5:30 mark on the dial? That is the indicator for the alarm setting. I don't usually wind the alarm so it doesn't go off.

Case back featuring a notch that allows for easy opening and access to the movement

The watch runs on a Cal. 814 movement beating at 18,000 A/h with a potential reserve of 52h and alarm of up to 20 seconds.

I wanted to show the watch with the customized strap I got a while back that I haven't used with any of my watches. It turns out that this was the watch for it. Leather strap is from Two One Four Straps.

The obligatory wrist shot

I would wear this watch more often if only I wasn't worried about it being damaged. I have similar feelings with the Futurematic as well as at least 5 other vintage watches in my collection (yes, that includes the Baume chronograph). I wear this and the other favorites (keepers) whenever I have a light schedule when I don't need a hardy or water resistant watch. That does not include fieldwork or I am on vacation with family as physical activity might compromise the watches. :)

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Punta de Fabian, Baras, Rizal

Our office held its most recent planning workshop in Baras, Rizal. The venue was Punta de Fabian, which I had heard about before and passed by several times between trips to Laguna, Quezon and Bicol. Here are a few photos of the resort.

Infinity pool

The view from the infinity pool is quite splendid. That's Laguna de Bai and further you can see Mt. Makiling at the other side of the lake. Tanay town proper is the area between the tree and the pool.

Adult and kiddie pool near the building housing the lobby and indoor dining/restaurant. There are many outdoor eating spaces around the pool.

One of the outdoor dining areas across from the main building is this veranda type overlooking Rizal and Laguna towns including the lake.

This is the view when you descend from the resort to the highway just below it, which is the Manila East Road. I stopped my car to take this breathtaking photo of Laguna de Bai. Only the communications tower seem to be spoiling the view.

I thought that the resort is a good venue for out-of-town seminars. Also, it is a good place to escape to a quiet place. We checked the reservations and it is quite full during the weekends but then why would you want to escape into a crowded place? I think the best times to book would be on weekdays instead. Be wary of the traffic at Teresa town though. It can get pretty bad there. But for other parts of the trip it should be a leisurely travel.

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Omikron Thin-o-date automatic watch

I have a couple of manual wind Omikrons including the mint condition that's become somewhat a favorite of my wife. Manually wound Omikrons are quite ordinary for vintage watches from a brand that's been discontinued. So the first time I saw an automatic Omikron, I jumped at the opportunity to acquire it.

Watch dial has a date feature

Side view showing the crown that fits right into the case for that full UFO effect.

The other side view

Case back showing the watch's features. Note the term 'waterproof' instead of 'water resistant'

Close-up of the cream-colored dial. The lumes still work fine,

The obligatory wrist shot

The movement is an AS 1863 beating at 21,600 A/h with a potential storage of 42h when used regularly. The movement dates the watch to be from ca. 1970.

I've worn the watch several times and more often than others in my collection. It is pretty accurate and therefore reliable. I haven't had it serviced so far since I acquired it so perhaps that's the next thing to do with the watch so I would have a reference date for maintenance. It's definitely a keeper for now and it pairs with the wife's manual wind Omikron.

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