Malaysia – Life Inspired has teamed up with Switzerland Tourism Board for the channel’s sixth and seventh original productions, a Style and Travel series which is scheduled to premiere this July.
Life Inspired will be taking viewers on a getaway to two of Europe’s most picturesque destinations in its latest travel series, Stopover Switzerland and a journey through the world of time in It’s About Time: Baselworld this July. Fresh off Jason Down Under and Stopover Shanghai, avid traveller-cum-host Jason Godfrey has set his eyes on Lucerne and Zurich for his next adventure. With his signature charm and wit, Godfrey interacts with various colourful local personalities to unfold what gives each city its edge whether in culture, dining, fashion or lifestyle in this season’s travel show, Stopover Switzerland. Beginning July 20, viewers will be able to follow Godfrey as he discovers the intricacies behind making a brilliant timepiece in It’s About Time: Baselworld.
Stopover Switzerland is a two-part half hour travelogue that starts off with a historical journey in Lucerne as Godfrey wanders through the medieval streets, past the gothic towering Hof Church before visiting one of the world’s most iconic monuments, The Lion of Lucerne, a memorial to Swiss mercenaries who perished during the French Revolution, and has been immortalised by Mark Twain as “the most mournful piece of stone in the world”. He later stops by at Chapel Bridge, undoubtedly the city’s most famous landscape known for its grandiose paintings illustrating scenes from Swiss history. Moving to the modern side of town, Godfrey pays a visit to the futuristic Culture and Convention Centre, a popular landmark designed by famed Parisian architect, Jean Nouvel. Godfrey then heads over to Stadtkeller, a charming Swiss folklore food haven where the flavours of a hearty alpine meal is enhanced by doses of folk music in an utterly distinct ambience. To round up his Lucerne trip, Godfrey scales up the Swiss Alps, in this case, Mount Titlis in Engelberg to get a taste of the great snowbound outdoors before heading to Zurich, where he runs into some lost baggage drama upon arrival.
The second episode starts right where we last see Godfrey, in the heart of Zurich for his final leg of his Swiss adventure. He checks out the thriving shopping district of Bahnhofstrasse followed by a visit to Laderach, one of Switzerland’s top chocolatiers and Hiltl Restaurant, the world’s first and longest running vegetarian establishment. Godfrey then continues to explore the city: from distinctive industrial architecture Haus Konstruktiv, creative heads and hipster central Cabaret Voltaire, hiking up to posh resort Uto Kulm to tapping into the underground culture of Zurich West. While visiting these places, Godfrey gets a chance to hang out with local designers, artisan chocolatiers, hoteliers and art-space managers as he learns more about the local culture.
Stopover Switzerland brings out the enticing charm that is uniquely Swiss: where the old and new co-exist in perfect harmony through picture-perfect sights, architectural highlights, historic squares, streets and districts, works of art and much more unlike any other
It’s About Time is a two-part half hour series that starts with Godfrey getting a first-hand experience in the craft of watch-making as he visits workshops and museums at the birthplace of luxury Swiss watch industry, “Town of Time” La Chaux-De-Fonds. With a newfound appreciation for the art of horology, Godfrey then turns to Baselworld Fair, the place where trends for watches and jewellery are cast and presented to buyers, the media community and watch enthusiasts on what constitutes cutting-edge design and precision.
Throughout his Baselworld journey, Godfrey will speak with leading watch brands such as TAG Heuer, Tissot, Mido, Zenith, Bell & Ross, among others to learn about their brand credo, design philosophy and key showpieces. And along the way, he starts to discover certain emerging trends from Baselworld 2014 such as: the use of aluminium as a light metal in some brands while titanium, ceramic and PVD continued to reign; solar energy was tapped in a big way; average dial size for men ranged between 40 to 43 millimetres while mini dials to the conventional 38 millimetres remained as popular size choices for ladies; and, square watches looked to be the new rage.
To top it all off, Godfrey gets a rare up-close-and-personal encounter, and even manages to wear some of the hottest timepieces showcased at Baselworld this year:
- TAG Heuer Monaco V4 10th Anniversary, a truly avant-garde creation that takes innovation to the next level by being the world’s first tourbillon watch driven by belts;
- Mido All Dial Gent Limited Edition 1918, a watch that combines pure lines of design inspired by the visionary architecture of the Coliseum in Rome with reliable precision of the brand’s COSC-certified chronometer movement;
- Tissot T-Complication Chronometer, a simple and elegant wristwatch devoted to precision thanks to its award-winning COSC-certified chronometer movement that is intended to showcase the brand’s mechanical watchmaking expertise;
- Zenith Pilot Type 20 Grand Feu, a special tribute timepiece dedicated to the brand’s past with a retro styling that remains true to the originals Zenith used to make; and
- Bell & Ross BR 03-94 Carbon Orange, a limited edition featuring all of the signature markings of the brand’s aeronautical themes in its aviation and vintage collections
Stopover Switzerland will broadcast every Monday starting from July 28 and It’s About Time: Baselworld will broadcast every Sunday starting from July 20, both exclusively on Life Inspired, Astro B.yond Channel 728.
