Taiwanese actor Austin Lin attends Audemars Piguet exhibition at National Museum of Singapore
Taiwanese actor Austin Lin may have been in Singapore for a professional commitment, but give him an entire day off here, and he already knows right off the bat where he would go.
“I’d really like to go to Gardens by the Bay,” was the star’s immediate answer when MS News posed the question during a brief doorstop interview at the National Museum of Singapore.
The 38-year-old, sporting a rugged leather jacket, his signature dimpled smile, and an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph on his wrist, was in town for the opening cocktail party for the Swiss watchmaker’s Perspectives on Time exhibition on Wednesday (9 Sept).
“I really like walking around there, and at night, you can stay to watch the light show,” he added. “I really like it.”
And unlike a first-time tourist simply picking a popular attraction off someone else’s must-visit list, Lin has actually been there before. “I thought it was great, so I want to go again!”
Austin Lin reflects on the time he would most like to relive
The captivating Perspectives on Time exhibition brings together rare historical pieces from the Audemars Piguet Museum, several of which are being displayed outside Switzerland for the first time, alongside contemporary creations.
With time at the heart of the experience, we asked Lin which chapter of his own life he would most like to return to if he had the chance.
“I think I’d really like to go back to my university days, when I was in my early 20s,” he mused.
“Back then, it felt like life was full of possibilities. There were all sorts of fun things to try and challenges to take on, and I hadn’t experienced any of them yet.”
Like many of us who have since been hit by the realities of adulting, however, that seemingly endless supply of time and energy has given way to a much fuller schedule.
Lin, who graduated from National Taiwan Normal University with a degree in chemistry, began his showbiz career while he was still a student.
In 2007, he had appeared on Taiwanese singing competition ‘One Million Star’. He then made his film debut in ‘Somewhere I Have Never Travelled’ in 2009.
However, his breakthrough came in 2016 with the coming-of-age film ‘At Cafe 6’, which earned him Best Supporting Actor at the Golden Horse Awards, often regarded as Taiwan’s equivalent of the Oscars.
Source: SET News
Lin has since taken on more prominent roles in productions including ‘i WEiRDO’ and the hit supernatural comedy ‘Marry My Dead Body’.
Both these performances earned him Golden Horse nominations for Best Leading Actor in 2020 and 2023 respectively.
His simple trick for making the day feel longer
With a career that has now kept him busy for nearly two decades, you might think Lin has mastered the art of squeezing every last minute out of the day.
His time-management tip, however, was surprisingly simple, and probably something your own parents have told you before: “Wake up earlier. You’ll feel like you suddenly have a lot more time in the day.”
There was just one problem. Lin admitted with a sheepish laugh — flashing those distinctive dimples again — that he doesn’t exactly follow his own advice.
“I actually sleep very late, so I can’t really wake up early myself,” he confessed. “I hope I can, though.”
See rare Audemars Piguet timepieces in Singapore for four days only
Lin’s reflections on time made for a fitting prelude to the exhibition itself, which examines how generations of watchmakers have interpreted, measured, and transformed it.
Created especially for Singapore, Perspectives on Time takes visitors through Audemars Piguet’s heritage, craftsmanship, and innovations.
Rare pieces from its museum have been displayed alongside contemporary creations, including several being exhibited outside Switzerland for the first time.
You don’t have to be a serious watch collector to appreciate what’s on display.
Among the highlights is the first Royal Oak from 1972, a design that shook up luxury watchmaking at the time with its distinctive steel case and octagonal bezel.
Image courtesy of Audemars Piguet
There are plenty of curiosities, too, including a 1991 mechanical watch ingeniously concealed inside a genuine 1904 US$20 gold coin.
The real showstopper, though, is the 1921 “Grosse Pièce”, an elaborate pocket watch featuring 19 complications and a miniature rendering of the London night sky made up of 315 stars.
Image courtesy of Audemars Piguet
Its story is almost as fascinating as the watch itself.
After disappearing from public view for decades, it resurfaced at a Sotheby’s auction in New York in Dec 2025, where Audemars Piguet bought it back for US$7.736 million, more than seven times its pre-sale estimate.
It now takes centre stage at the Singapore exhibition, inviting visitors to linger over the tiny details that made it such a prized collector’s piece.
Audemars Piguet exhibition runs till 13 Sept
Elsewhere, attendees can peer into the intricate inner workings usually hidden beneath a watch dial, explore how astronomy has inspired watchmaking, and even hear chiming timepieces that quite literally turn time into sound.
Perspectives on Time runs for just four days, from 10 to 13 Sept, at The Gallery Theatre in the National Museum of Singapore, with 30-minute sessions from 10.30am to 6pm.
Admission is free, though advance registration has already reached full capacity.
Those who missed out can still try their luck as walk-ins, which will be accepted subject to availability.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image by MS News. Photography by Chloe Heng.
