A round of Big Two after dinner, poker with friends on a Friday night, a gift for Christmas or Chinese New Year: in Hong Kong, a deck of cards is never far away. MisterChrono Hong Kong now carries Vintage Watches, the second deck from the Paris publisher Éditions de la Tour: 52 playing cards illustrated with 52 vintage watches, priced at HK$220.
A Paris house born from a love of watchmaking
Founded in Paris in 2025, Éditions de la Tour brings watchmaking standards to playing cards: care in every line, the search for the right proportion, respect for materials. Its first deck, Steel Watches, devoted to steel sports watches, was limited to 1,000 copies. Vintage Watches turns to older timepieces, their patina and proportions, and joins the publisher's permanent collection.
52 watches selected by James Lamdin
For this second edition, the publisher turned to James Lamdin, founder of Analog:Shift, the New York house specialising in vintage watches. He chose the deck's 52 watches one by one, for the stories they tell as much as for the elegance of their lines. No design repeats, from the two of clubs to the king of spades.
Blueprints and court cards
The drawing changes with the card. On the number cards, the watch appears as a technical blueprint, like a watchmaker's drawing; on the jacks, queens and kings, it merges with the traditional court figures, in full colour. It takes several games to see them all, and that is half the fun: spotting a bezel, a dial or a case shape as the hands go round.
Made for Big Two, poker and more
The cards are standard poker size (63 × 88 mm), printed on 310 gsm linen-textured "black core" stock. The black core makes each card fully opaque, which matters when nobody should see your hand, and keeps the deck in good shape game after game. It is a standard 52-card deck, so it works for Big Two (鋤大D), poker, rummy or blackjack. In Hong Kong's humid months, keep the deck in its tuck box between games.
A gift that needs no wrapping
The burgundy "alligator"-textured tuck box, with its embossed and varnished logo, is designed for two lives: the deck you take out to play and the one you keep on display. Each copy slips into a "reptile"-textured paper envelope with gold hot-foil stamping. For Christmas, Chinese New Year or a watch-loving colleague or client, it is an easy gift, and a natural companion to a strap or a book from our watch bookstore.
Specifications
- Publisher: Éditions de la Tour, Paris
- Selection of the 52 watches: James Lamdin (Analog:Shift, New York)
- 52 illustrated poker-size cards, 63 × 88 mm
- 310 gsm "black core" stock, linen texture
- Burgundy "alligator"-textured tuck box, embossed and varnished logo
- "Reptile"-textured paper envelope with gold hot-foil stamping
- Part of the publisher's permanent collection
Frequently asked questions
Is Vintage Watches a limited edition?
No. It is the first Éditions de la Tour deck to join the permanent collection, unlike Steel Watches, which was limited to 1,000 copies.
Can I play Big Two with it?
Yes. It is a standard 52-card deck, everything you need for four players with 13 cards each.
Is the deck linked to a watch brand?
No. The illustrations are original designs inspired by watchmaking; Éditions de la Tour is an independent house with no affiliation to any watch manufacture or brand.
Available at MisterChrono Hong Kong
The Vintage Watches playing cards are priced at HK$220. Complimentary shipping throughout Hong Kong, and our team at 72 Wellington Street, Central, is happy to help. Discover the rest of our watch bookstore.
