Jeremy Lim - Man Of The Moment

To Cortina Watch Chief Operating Officer Mr. Jeremy Lim, pushing the envelope is what brings the watch industry into the future

- Zara Zhuang

One wouldn’t expect to hear this from Mr. Jeremy Lim, chief operating officer of Cortina Watch, president of the Singapore Clock and Watch Trade Association since 2012, and, as of March 15, a newly inaugurated member of the 60th council of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

One of the three major luxury watch retailers in Singapore, Cortina Watch operates a total of 24 retail outlets across Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Indonesia, including Rolex and Patek Philippe single-brand boutiques; and carries more than 35 international brands, including Cartier, IWC Schaffhausen, Piaget, Vacheron Constantin, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Panerai and Bvlgari.

In late August 2018, the retailer officially entered the digital space with the launch of its e-commerce platform, CortinaWatch.Online, which ships to Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand and carries tickers from five brands: Bell & Ross, Corum, Ebel, TAG Heuer and Zenith. But rather than indicate a shift to operating completely online, the move is a change in the method of engaging clients while not cannibalizing its brick-and-mortar business.

At the start, expectations of CortinaWatch.Online were modest, to say the least. “Zero,” says Mr. Lim with a laugh when asked about the initial projection for the e-commerce site. “We knew it was going to be challenging. …We always felt that because the price points of the brands we carry are still more on the higher side, customers still want to touch and feel the watches. So when we created CortinaWatch.Online we didn’t want it to be competition for our brick-and-mortar business; we wanted it to be complementary and a convenience for our customers.”