MANILA, Philippines – Will Stein has one rule of thumb when it comes to traveling, which he does often as the co-founder and president of celebrity-endorsed luxury watch brand Philip Stein: he never checks in his luggage. Instead, he fits weeks worth of his life – including business-ready suits, gadgets, and workout gear – neatly into a cabin-sized Rimowa suitcase. That and a backpack are the only things he carries whenever he lands anywhere.

His reasoning behind the minimalist habit comes down to practicality: “You already have to wait for a long time at immigration. You have to wait again for your luggage to come,” he explained. “I like to be more efficient.”

This is perhaps one way to sum up the entrepreneur’s style, which was on full display last August 14 as he introduced Philip Stein’s new brand ambassador, Miss Universe herself, Pia Wurtzbach. Clad in a faintly checkered dark blue suit jacket paired with black pants, Will proved that even cabin-sized luggage can carry a whole lot of style.

Such starkly simple elegance is to be expected from a man who built a luxury watch brand, worn by celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, and Lea Salonga. Will and his wife Rina started the brand in 2004, founding it on the concept of “wearable well-being.”

“At that time, in America, all the well-being aspects were coming out of the ground, whether it was yoga, reiki, organic food, etc. Because my wife and I, we always led a healthy lifestyle and we wanted to create a watch brand, we said we had to have something very special about this,” he explains.

“We said if we could be the first wearable accessory, wearable well-being encased in a beautiful watch, maybe we have a chance to create a niche, and that’s what we did.”

The watch brand, like its originator, seems to strike the perfect balance between fashion and function – as most watches do, though Philip Stein’s pieces seem to up the ante on both. Aside from telling the time – in dual time-zones no less – Philip Stein watches also promote better health and improve sleep, running as they do on what Will calls “natural frequencies” – the natural rhythyms of humans.

Interestingly enough, Will’s balancing act carries over not only to his watches’ designs, but to the way he runs the business, and ultimately, the way he lives his life.

For work, Will shuffles between Zurich, Switzerland, and Miami, Florida. On top of that, he travels all over the world, from Asia to the Middle East and beyond. The shifting timezones and changing climates may seem daunting, but Will remains unfazed, coolly describing what he loves about traveling so much.

“There are so many beautiful places. Every place has its own charm, its own beauty,” he said, sharing that while he adores and enjoys nature much more, he still gets his dose of big city energy when he travels there for work.

When it comes to home, Will does not choose favorites, loving both Miami and Zurich in equal measure.

“it’s the best of both worlds. Miami is beautiful during the wintertime when it’s very cold in Zurich, and Zurich is beautiful during the summertime when it’s very hot in Miami. It’s really wonderful, I call both my home because I feel comfortable in both places,” he shared.

As for the Philippines, Will, who first travelled here when he was 22, said that he fell in love with the warmth and friendliness of the locals, saying the natural beauty is only secondary to the people.

“I love that Filipinos always have a smile on their face. I love that they always have some kind of song, and that they are happy,” he said.

These days, whenever he comes to Manila, he makes sure to stop by the Farm in San Benito, Batangas, where he goes to regain his balance after a hard week’s work.

From style and function to hard work and relaxation, it would appear that Will Stein has got his balancing act down perfectly, proving all the while that efficiency does not have to come at the cost of true elegance. – Rappler.com