The Watch Ho & Co x Selten Jui Bauhinia offers a familiar 39mm platform, now with Bauhinia light-play
Jason LeeI first crossed paths with Jackie Ho back in 2024, when he was passing through Korea. We ended up sitting down for coffee, and he did what any serious collector tends to do when there’s time on the clock: he pulled a few watches out of his bag. The spread ran from properly important vintage Audemars Piguet to a modern F.P. Journe — the kind of selection that can make a conversation drift into flex territory.
But that wasn’t Jackie’s vibe. If anything, he seemed more interested in how collecting makes people act than in what people own. The guiding principle behind Watch Ho & Co(mmunity) — the Hong Kong-based enthusiast group he founded — was simple and disarming: keep the energy positive, and keep the door open. “Good Vibes Only” might read like a slogan online, but in person, it felt like an actual filter for how the community operates.
At the time, Watch Ho & Co wasn’t yet a name you’d hear in every corner of the global watch conversation. That changed quickly with the first Jui collaboration with Selten. The original Jui didn’t just sell; it created the sort of ripple effect that enthusiast watches chase but rarely achieve: genuine emotional buy-in, beyond specs and price tags. Now, the follow-up is here — the Jui Bauhinia — and I’ve had a chance to spend time with it on the wrist. It’s recognisably the same watch in the ways that matter, but it shifts the tone through one big move: a new mother-of-pearl dial execution that pulls its colour cues from Hong Kong’s Bauhinia flower.
A quick refresher: what the Jui formula is
The Jui line is built around a clear idea: a relatively restrained, wearable case gives the dial permission to do the talking. The sizing stays exactly where many collectors want it in 2026: 39mm in diameter, 9.95mm thick, and 45.5mm lug-to-lug, with a 20mm lug width. Water-resistance is rated to 5 ATM, and you get a domed sapphire crystal with inner anti-reflective coating. Under the hood is the Miyota 9039 — a no-date automatic that makes a lot of sense here. It’s reliable, slim, and practical. If you know the original Jui, the Bauhinia will feel immediately legible. The architecture is carried over, but the emotional centre of gravity has moved from the inaugural black Tahitian mother-of-pearl to white mother-of-pearl that’s been tinted into two romantic, slightly surreal directions: pink or purple.
Why “Bauhinia” matters (and why it’s not just a colour name)
The Bauhinia flower is more than a pretty reference. It’s the emblem on Hong Kong’s flag, a symbol of unity and resilience — a bloom that can thrive in a dense, high-rise city. That’s not accidental. Watch Ho & Co’s whole point is connection: people meeting through watches, then sticking around for the friendships. The Jui name itself nods to gathering — “聚”, meaning “to meet, to gather.”
For the Bauhinia edition, the collaboration frames the watch as a “pair of unisex timepieces” — essentially pitched as a couple’s watch concept, with two dial variants that feel like siblings rather than duplicates. You can take that literally (buy two), or you can read it as a design strategy: make a watch that’s not boxed into “men’s” or “women’s” styling, and let the dial do the personality work.
On the wrist: familiar dimensions, better-than-you’d-expect finishing
Fit is the easy win here. On my 6.6-inch wrist, the proportions land comfortably, and the slimness means it slides under a cuff without argument. The lug-to-lug measurement is the quiet hero: 45.5mm is a sweet spot that gives presence without the watch feeling like it’s wearing you.
What surprised me most — again — is how convincingly the case finishing plays above its price bracket. At US$1,250, you’re not expecting high-art casework, but you do get a thoughtful mix of satin and mirror-polished surfaces with crisp transitions. The lugs have defined chamfers that catch light cleanly, and the mid-case profile is shaped in a way that creates a bit of depth rather than presenting as a flat-sided cylinder. There’s also an onion-style crown that gives the watch a slightly old-world touch. It’s a small detail, but it helps balance out the dial’s modern, engineered patterning.
The dial is the headline, and it earns it
Let’s get straight to the point: the mother-of-pearl dial is the reason this watch exists. The base material is natural white MOP, but it’s been tinted into pink or purple tones that aren’t static. The colour shifts depending on angle and lighting, moving between soft pastel haze and saturated bursts. In a certain light, the dial can fall back into a milky, opalescent white — like the tint is hovering above the nacre rather than replacing it.
Layered over that is the returning “Mountain Pattern”, a motif borrowed from ancient Chinese armour. In the Jui narrative, it’s been repurposed into a map of community: each element stands for an individual collector, and the surrounding rings of intersecting circles represent the smaller groups we orbit — local meetups, niche interests, regional clubs — all nested inside a wider “Watchfam.”
The pattern is produced with digital CNC work, and it behaves more like a light engine than a flat decoration. As your wrist moves, the texture amplifies the inherent shimmer of the mother-of-pearl. One of the nicest touches is the hidden flashes of emerald and azure in the iridescent layers — and yes, in person, you can catch those cooler tones cutting through the warmer Bauhinia palette when the light hits just right. Then there are the hands: skeletonised sword shapes, heat-treated into blue and purple. Heat-treating for a true purple hue is not trivial at this end of the market, and it adds a satisfying sense of intention — like the collaboration wasn’t content with “good enough” detailing.
One small signature returns from the original Jui: the Chinese character “二” placed at 2 o’clock. It’s a discreet marker of “chapter two” rather than a loud anniversary badge.
Community language, plus a sensible movement choice
Flip the watch over, and you get an exhibition caseback. The Miyota 9039 is on display, paired with a custom rotor — a pragmatic choice that keeps the watch slim and serviceable. More emotionally, the caseback sapphire carries the phrase “聚人聚時聚故事”, translated as “A place where people, time, and stories come together.” On the Bauhinia, the printing is colour-matched in purple/blue tones. It’s a lot of meaning to etch into a watch, but that’s also the point of community-driven projects: they’re allowed to be earnest.
Strap thoughts, and who this watch will actually suit
The Bauhinia comes on a HasNoBounds hand-stitched FKM sailcloth strap that colour matches each dial, with a brushed steel pin buckle. The material choice makes sense: it keeps the watch casual and wearable. Personally, I’d still be curious to see this on the optional steel bracelet (available separately online). The reason is simple: a bracelet would push the dial forward visually, while the OEM strap keeps the whole watch in a more grounded register. Neither is wrong — it just depends on whether you want the dial to feel like a statement piece or a daily companion with personality.
And about the unisex positioning: in real life, it works. Yes, the palette leans pink/purple, but the overall watch doesn’t read as delicate or overly stylised. The case is clean, the hands are assertive, and the pattern brings structure. It’s not “a men’s watch in pink,” and it’s not “a women’s watch scaled up.” It’s simply a watch with colour — and in 2026, that’s a refreshing lane to be in.
Closing thoughts
At US$1,250, the Jui Bauhinia sits in a crowded part of the market, but it’s also bringing something that most competitors can’t: a dial that feels materially alive, paired with finishing that looks considered. Add in a limited edition structure — 200 pieces per dial, with “One of 200” engraved on the caseback — and it’s clear this is aimed at collectors who enjoy owning something that will stay relatively uncommon in the wild.
If you’re expecting haute horlogerie movement romance, the Miyota 9039 won’t pretend to be that. But the honesty is part of the charm here: the money has gone into the visual experience and the wearable object, not into a spec-sheet arms race.
Watch Ho & Co. x Selten Jui 聚 Bauhinia pricing and availability
The Watch Ho & Co. x Selten Jui 聚 Bauhinia is a limited edition of 200 pieces and is available now directly from Selten. Price: US$1,250
| Brand | Watch Ho & Co. x Selten |
| Model | Jui 聚 Bauhinia |
| Case Dimensions | 39mm (D) x 9.95mm (T) x 45.5mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 50 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Domed sapphire front, inner AR-coated Flat sapphire exhibition caseback |
| Dial | Natural white mother-of-pearl, tinted pink or purple, CNC guilloché |
| Strap | HasNoBounds hand-stitched FKM sailcloth strap Optional steel bracelet with on-the-fly microadjustment |
| Movement | Miyota 9039, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 42 hours |
| Functions | Hours and minutes |
| Availability | Limited to 200 pieces |
| Price | US$1,250 |