Author Archives: Timmy Tan

Cosentino: Anything is Possible – Cos’ it is about Time

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“Cosentino: Anything is Possible” is a magical show held at Mastercard Theatres in Marina Bay Sands and runs from 17 to 27 August 2017. Mastercard Theatres is owned by Base Entertainment Asia. Photo: Base Entertainment Asia/Cosentino.

“Cosentino: Anything is Possible”, is a magic show which runs from 17 to 27 August 2017 held in Mastercard Theatres at Marina Bay Sands Singapore. Mastercard Theatres is owned by Base Entertainment Asia.

Now, what is the link between time and this magic show?

Well, the illusions and “magic” of the whole show is all about time.

For his act known as “Smashed”, Cosentino, wearing a straight-jacket, has to get out of it and escape from the steel chair that he is chained and locked to before a massive axe comes smashing into him and splices his body in half. Photo: Base Entertainment Asia/Cosentino.

“What makes an illusion magical is the timing. If you can change places with your assistant, the quicker you change places, the more magical it looks.

“If you can disappear off the stage and end up in the audience, the quicker that happens, the more magical it looks.

“You know it’s an illusion and it’s a trick but the quicker that re-appearance or disappearance happens, the more magical it’ll be.

“My show is all about timing; everything is about timing,” explains the 35-year-old master illusionist, escapologist and magician Paul Cosentino from Australia.

This explains why Cosentino wears a wristwatch and carries a fob pocket watch in his vest even when performing onstage.

Cosentino wears his watch during his performances. Here he can be seen with his watch that is used for taking note of time during his “water trap” escape. Photo: Base Entertainment Asia/Cosentino.

“When I am performing the escapes; when I am wriggling out of a straight-jacket and when I’ve got a big axe coming towards me; it’s all about split-second timing.

“Every lock I pick, I practise [unlocking it] to within a 10- to 12-second time frame. When I am underwater holding my breath, it’s all about time. I am always checking the time.

“For my underwater escape trick, my hands are placed through a grille and are handcuffed. As soon as I am about to go underwater, I activate the stopwatch. I have to keep track of the time so I know where I am supposed to be along the way.

“I know I have five seconds [to undo the lock on] for one wrist, five seconds for the other wrist, 10 seconds for my left ankle and 10 seconds for my right ankle. I need to know if I am behind [time] and make up for the time,” says Cosentino.

What exciting magical and escape acts can audiences attending “Cosentino: Anything is Possible” look out for?

Well, watch out for “Smashed”, an act whereby Cosentino, who is chained and locked to a steel chair, has to free himself from a straight-jacket and pick all the locks to avoid an axe swinging down at him with a force of 100kg.

Cosentino will make a helicopter appear onstage for his “Anything is Possible” show. Photo: Base Entertainment Asia/Cosentino.

He’ll make a helicopter appear onstage, levitate his assistant and even bring her magically back to life. Cosentino will also vanish while wearing a cloak and inside a transparent box.

The vanishing illusion, named “Time Machine”, is inspired by a Star Wars movie scene when Jedi master (Ben) Obi-Wan Kenobi disappears, leaving behind only his cloak, after allowing himself to be struck by Darth Vader’s lightsaber.

Watch Cosentino’s cloak drop to the floor as he vanishes in the “Time Machine” act. This performance is inspired by the Star Wars scene when Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi gets struck down by Darth Vader. Photo: Base Entertainment Asia/Cosentino.

SAW A WOMAN IN HALF?

Most of us have probably “seen” a woman in half during magic shows, literally. This “sawing a woman in half” is a classic magic act where a lady, placed in a wooden box, is perceived to be sawn in half.

For the “sawing a lady in half” illusion, Cosentino has taken this act to another level as the “victim” will be placed in transparent Perspex boxes, allowing the audience to view her body while the “decapitation and limb amputations” take place. Photo: Base Entertainment Asia/Cosentino.

Cosentino has taken pushed this classic illusion to its limits as the lady will be placed in transparent Perspex boxes, allowing the audience to view the “sawing” process. This is a trick that truly excites, says Cosentino.

Well, what else can we say but to expect exciting times when watching this magical show.

Georges Kern: Breitling’s new “Wing Commander”

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Georges Kern, former IWC CEO and Head of Watchmaking, Marketing and Digital at Richemont Group. File photo, IWC

On 14 July 2017, Compagnie Financière Richemont SA announced the immediate resignation of their Head of Watchmaking, Marketing and Digital, Georges Kern. According to a Reuters report, he was four months into his new role.

Watch industry observers will be familiar with this industry veteran who was formerly the chief executive officer of IWC Schaffhausen. The 52-year-old Kern has a proven track record as he “piloted” IWC and took it soaring to new heights. Even Richemont head honcho and chairman Johann Rupert has acknowledged Kern’s “… very successful career at IWC Schaffhausen”.

Key brands within the Richemont portfolio include jewellery businesses like Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels, and watch brands like A. Lange & Sohne, Baume & Mercier, IWC Schaffhausen, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Officine Panerai, Piaget, Roger Dubuis and Vacheron Constantin, including Montblanc and Ralph Lauren Watch and Jewelry.

Richemont posted a net profit of 1.21 billion euros on sales of 10.65 billion euros for its financial year ending 31 March 2017.

Though Kern was a key senior management figure in Richemont, it is important to note that analysts figure that his departure wasn’t a reflection of any “underlying problems with the watchmaking division”, according to the Reuters report, which added that there have been “… recent improvements in Richemont’s watch sales.”

The key challenges facing Richemont, as with other luxury watch brands, will be “volatile geopolitical and trading climates”.

The former Richemont high-flier is said to have joined and/or invested in Breitling which was only recently acquired by CVC Capital Partners, reportedly for more than 800 million euros.

Kern studied political science in Strasbourg, France and graduated from the University of St. Gallen with a Business Administration degree.

Prior to joining the watch industry, he was working for Kraft Foods Switzerland. He was thereafter with TAG Heuer before joining the Richemont Group in 2000.

In 2002, at the age of 36, Kern became the youngest CEO within the Richemont Group when he was tasked to helm IWC Schaffhausen.

Kern was a promoter of environmental conservation, notably climate protection, becoming a Board Member of The Climate Group, a non-profit organisation that aids governments and businesses focus economies towards a low-carbon future. He also sat on the Board of the Laureus Foundation which promotes the use of sports as a tool for social change.

There is no doubting that Kern is an astute and strong leader; he is one who will definitely spare no expense in getting Breitling off to higher grounds.

During his earlier days at IWC for example, when asked about “purist watch collectors” who felt the brand was being too commercialised, his answer was: “It is not what little will be lost along the way but what more is to be gained.” [Reference: TimeWerke magazine, The Kurt Issue, Volume VII, Editor’s Note.]

We have also noted that Kern is a master strategist and one who does not mince his words. He is a realist and is clear about what can or cannot be done, as his unforgettable quote demonstrates: “Sometimes I am more proud of the things I haven’t done than those that I have done.” [Reference: TimeWerke magazine, The Definitive Issue, Volume XI].

Horological observers will now be paying closer watch to aviation-linked Breitling which has a long and storied history. Bear in mind that Kerns has a deep experience in aviation watches, what with his “flying time” steering IWC’s Pilot’s watches. Perhaps a more appropriate headline title for Kern would have been “Air Chief Marshal” rather than “Wing Commander”.

As for “flight duration time” for Breitling to achieve “a new record altitude”, a safe bet is less than five years as that is the average equity holding period for CVC Capital Partners. With Kern onboard, one can expect an even faster “flying time”.

Another related article on Breitling and CVC Capital Partners on timewerke.com is:
i. Breitling sold to CVC Capital Partners