IN THE short space of two weeks, Carlos Rosillo flew from his hometown in Paris to Japan, then to China and Hong Kong and finally to Malaysia and Singapore.
And he didn't suffer from jetlag.
The co-founder of Bell & Ross, which specialises in making watches that can be used by those in extreme professions such as divers and astronauts, credits it to his melatonin habit.
The supplement, which affects the component of the brain that dictates sleep patterns, helps him to sleep on flights and better adjust to different time zones.
Rosillo, 42, was in Singapore as part of a market exploration for Bell & Ross, which doesn't have an outlet here yet.
His fascination with timepieces can be traced back to his childhood when his grandfather gave him his first watch.
At the age of 15, he met Bruno Belamich who shared his passion and it was the beginning of a friendship that eventually led to the establishment of the Swiss watch company in 1992.
Aside from timepieces, his passions are good food and cooking and, of course, his wife Barbara, 42, and their 18-month-old son, Pablo.
Which is your favourite airport?
Actually, I have two favourites. The first is Barcelona airport in Spain. They built it with glass everywhere so there is a lot of natural light and there are real palm trees inside. The other one is the airport in Laut, Malaysia. It's a little airport in the middle of the jungle and it reminds me of the old days when aviation wasn't such a huge industry. Being so small, it's really efficient as well.
Ever had an airline or airport lose your luggage?
The first time I came to Singapore, which was so long ago that I can't even recall which airline I flew with, my luggage got lost because of complications with the transit. But the service here is very good and I got it back in just three hours.
Which airline has the best uniform?
I think the blue colour and design of Air France's uniform is very nice.
Which airline do you think has the best service and food?
It's the private airlines that have the best service, because you don't have to go through long security checks that sometimes take longer than the time you spend onboard the plane.
Ever had something interesting happen on a flight?
No. In fact, flights are quite boring. For leisure, I much prefer to travel by train because the speed allows you to enjoy the landscape. I know of some trains such as the Royal Scotsman and the Orient Express that also serve very good meals onboard.
How do you handle jetlag?
I have some basic rules to avoid jetlag. Normally, if I arrive at a destination in the morning and have enough time, I go for a swim and get some sun. The second thing is that I use melatonin. It's something that affects the components of your brain that tell you when you need to sleep. So, on the flight to Tokyo from France, I took melatonin after lunch and slept throughout although it was daytime in France but nighttime in Tokyo.
What do you always carry with you on flights?
Pillows with pure essential scents and a cashmere jumper to keep warm. This time I also brought along a book - Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance by American author Robert Pirsig who talks about combining the analytical and emotional ways of looking at situations in the search for quality.
What do you think of budget airlines?
They're good. It makes travel low-cost and efficient. I use them sometimes for short flights.
What drink do you always order onboard?
A lot of water and, sometimes, fruit juice. But if I want to get some help sleeping, I take a good cocktail like Jack Daniels with ginger ale.
