Time tells many tales, as the saga of Sincere Fine Watches demonstrates. This magazine has been tracking some of these stories, intermittently, over the last 20 years but we have noted one constant: current CEO Ong Ban. He has been in this trade for longer than this magazine has existed - longer than Heart Media as a company, in fact. The fact that Ong has been involved in the watch retail business for so long is not remarkable, in itself. What sets him apart from most of his peers is that he has been with Sincere Fine Watches the entire time, from its heyday as a family-operated business, through all its subsequent ups and downs, and now as part of Cortina Holdings. He rose up through the sales and operational fronts to eventually become CEO in 2008.
One constant in Ong Ban's journey is his passion and enthusiasm for watchmaking, and cultivating an interest in fine watches. One need only begin to wax lyrical on timepieces to get his eyes to light up, if only for the chance to talk about some detail about the watches at the new SHH boutique at Marina Bay Sands. Ong calls this boutique the "forever home," for SHH and it represents for him the core competencies that have always distinguished Sincere Fine Watches.
From the Greubel Forsey Architecture to the Lang & Hyne Georg, these are timepieces that require more than glossy magazine advertisements and display cases; these days, such rare timepieces are likely to be spoken for before they arrive in Singapore. The retail operation needs a person with a certain measure of sang-froid to deal with competing collectors, as well as a measure of gravitas to perhaps get these collectors to agree to display watches that they have bought in their stores. Think of it in the same way as some high-end car dealerships, where some buyers are happy to park their cars at the showrooms.
Denne historien er fra Issue 67-utgaven av WOW Singapore.
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Denne historien er fra Issue 67-utgaven av WOW Singapore.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
BUOYANT HEAVYWEIGHTS
The ubiquitous use of titanium and carbon fibre does not satisfy a growing number of watch lovers; the indisputable rise of quiet design vexes them. The recent release of hefty and heavy timepieces, especially in the dive watch segment, proves that some just like it big
YEN FOR PRECISION
While we typically think of watchmaking as a Swiss matter, this ignores the powerful contributions of Japanese industry and know-how. We begin this deep dive with a look at the biggest names in the game
LEGENDARY DEPTHS
From pioneering chronographs to revolutionizing dive watches, Longines has always been at the forefront of horological advancements. Explore how the Swiss brand's journey through water-resistance shaped the future of dive watches-and made a splash in the process
LEAPING AHEAD
IWC updates the perpetual calendars in its Portugieser range with four new models
HOLDING THE HIGH GROUND
Chanel's 2024 collection represents a rare moment where haute couture and haute horlogerie coexist perfectly
SARTORIAL TIMING
Parmigiani Fleurier encourages us to take a second, and perhaps third, look at the new Toric collection of watches
LEFT HAND DRIVE
The DOXA SUB 300T Aristera is a tribute to the brand's heritage in dive watches, combining the original design with a left-handed twist for 2024, offering the standout features that made DOXA renowned while breaking new ground in functionality
LIVING HISTORY
A. Lange & Söhne has spent the better part of this year celebrating the 25th anniversary of the seminal Datograph. With the Datograph Handwerkskunst, the watch is elevated to the highest level
THE PURSUIT OF PERFECTION
Since its inception, Rolex has never wavered in its pledge to create the world's finest watches for anyone, anywhere
SWEET SPOT
The Longines Legend Diver is just the right amount of watch for a contemporary sports model that could also pull dress watch duties
