IN JUST RECENT HISTORY, A TIMEPIECE IS SOLELY RECOGNIZED AS AN ACCESSORY MORE AKIN TO JEWELLERY BECAUSE OF ITS CRAFTSMANSHIP, IT IS A USEFUL WORK OF ART, IF EVER THERE IS SUCH A THING. IT IS IF A SERIOUS NATURE, AND THE OWNER AND WEARER SHOULD NOT HAVE TO TROUBLE HIMSELF WITH SOMETHING AS FRIVOLOUS AS FASHION. BUT WITH THE CHANGING OF THE TIMES, WATCHES HAVE BECOME MORE DEMOCRATIC AND ARE NOW FINALLY DABBLING WITH FASHION AND FUN, AS WELL AS PRACTICABILITY.

LTIME STUDIO

LTime Studio comes into the fashion watch scene bearing watches that are trendy, hip and, of course, fashionable. This is for people that just want watches to go with every aspect of their lives, and also for the outfits that they wear. This is not a store where you go in deathly afraid of the watch prices or snooty salesperson watching your every move. The keyword for LTime is "fun," as it is evident with the bright lights and the high energy atmosphere of the stores. Doing away with the traditional counter displays, you can look closer at the watches on the walls and stands.

Colorful and trendy watches with cool and innovative designs adorn the store. LTime Studio has one of the biggest collections of fashion brands that include Fossil, Nike, DKNY, Kenneth Cole, Diesel, Lacoste, Reaction, Philippe Starck, Alessi, Buler and Freestyle. With prices that don't go beyond ten thousand a watch one can buy just about a watch for every activity, or just to match an outfit for that matter. People of all ages can go in and buy a watch that suits their personality and style.

"There are watches that people wear on any occasion, but now having a certain look is very important, " says Emerson Yao, General Manager of Lucerne, the company that owns LTime Studio. "When you go to LTime, chances are you'll see a watch that will fit your personality."

LTime Studio has over a dozen stores and they can be found in department stores and premiere malls all over the country such as Shangri-La-- where the flagship store is located-Festival Supermall, SM Megamall, and have recently opened in SM Southmall, SM North EDSA, SM San Lazaro and SM Bacolod. There are more branches of LTime Studio planned for the future, as well as more fashion brands to add to LTime's collections. It's all just a matter or time.

CHRONOS

Chronos aims to be the perfect watch store for the Filipino market. It treads the middle ground between a young fashionista watch store, which is LTime Studio , and Lucerne -- a luxury watch shop that caters to the collectors and high-end market. Chronos is intended for a more mature, and serious shopper on the lookout for a watch that borders on exclusivity without having to break the bank.

The atmosphere inside the stores is a little subdued, and more serious, to suit the designs it carries. It is not too daunting, rather, it invites you to go in and be assured that the craftsmanship of the watches on display are excellent, For the watches in Chronos, while still fashionable, are made to be more than just accessories.

While it still carries most of LTime's designer watches. Chronos also has Rolex and other Swiss brands that have been around for over a century. The watches are more for long-lating reliability, rather than merely for fashion. For people seeking to begin their own collection to timepieces this is the best place to start.

Going with the times, Chronos has evolved a new look and stores in Gateway, Megamall, Greenhills, Glorietta 3 and Powerplant now has a uniform look, and the branch in Alabang Town Center is up next for a facelift, With this evolution, the store's identity is unified and clients are assured to expect the same quality of service from the staff wherever store they may be in.