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Four decades of friendship: How these partners are stronger together
Luxury watch retail specialist Cortina Watch has played a pivotal role in Cartier’s high jewellery watchmaking success in Southeast Asia
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Cartier has participated in every edition of Jewellery Time, Cortina Watch's high jewellery watch event, since 2000.
PHOTO: CORTINA WATCH
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Today, in Singapore, many of Cortina Watch’s customers are highly familiar with Cartier’s repertoire of watches as well as its high watchmaking, high jewellery watchmaking and métiers d’art creations.
High watchmaking refers to complicated mechanical watches, while high jewellery watchmaking is the art of combining precious stones with complex timepieces. Métiers d’art is decorating wristwatches with artistic crafts.
That familiarity with Cartier’s savoir faire and aesthetics has resulted in Cortina Watch’s customers showing immense interest in the luxury marque’s many beautiful creations.
A prime example is the new Baignoire Allongée MM Cortina Watch Golden Jubilee Edition. Limited to just 10 numbered pieces, the stunning edition comes in a diamond-set, pink gold case with an opaline dial.
A prime example is the new Baignoire Allongée MM Cortina Watch Golden Jubilee Edition. Limited to just 10 numbered pieces, the stunning edition comes in a diamond-set, pink gold case with an opaline dial.
Within its Arabic hour markers, the number “5” is replaced with “50”, in a brighter red than the rest of the burgundy numerals, to commemorate the occasion. It is also a sign of how much Cartier values its longtime partner. It seldom allows tweaks to its dials.
One man’s foresight
But this deep working relationship between Cortina Watch and Cartier would have come to naught had it not been for Mr Anthony Lim.
During the mid-70s, the founder of Cortina Watch began to observe an interesting trend among watch collectors. Chic, sporty timepieces in steel or steel-and-gold with a strong design aesthetic were growing in popularity over highly complicated timepieces.
Realising that this was not a passing fad, he quickly struck a deal with Cartier’s local distributor to retail its timepieces.
Even then, Cartier was already known as a watchmaker with an eye for design. Timepieces such as the Crash, Tank and Baignoire, with their refined, simple dials and slim movements, captured the attention of Cortina Watch’s customers.
As the retailer expanded its business over the years, Cartier remained a close working partner. And when Cortina Watch opened its flagship store at Raffles City Shopping Centre in 1992, Mr Lim knew he needed to have a range of sophisticated brands that would interest mall shoppers.
“Orchard Road was just emerging as a new district for retail but the customers there were mainly tourists. Raffles City Shopping Centre represented a change in how local customers were shopping, moving away from High Street to North Bridge Road,” he recalls. Among the watchmakers he stocked in this huge store was Cartier.
To further strengthen collectors’ familiarity with Cartier and other brands, Mr Lim’s eldest son, Raymond, who was already working at Cortina Watch, developed the idea of creating in-store exhibitions for what they stocked at Raffles City.
“We’d bring in a range of timepieces from the brand and invite our customers to visit the store to discover them. By doing so, we were able to share more and educate them on each brand’s unique qualities,” explains Mr Raymond Lim.
When the idea for Jewellery Time – a high jewellery, high watchmaking exhibition – was mooted in 2000, it was obvious that Cartier had to participate in the event. This benefitted both parties, which gave Cartier a platform to showcase its finest high jewellery models that were rarely presented to the public.
The success of Cortina Watch’s seven Jewellery Time exhibitions, until 2014, helped cement its close retail relationship with Cartier.
A key partner
As Cortina Watch expanded its presence across Southeast Asia and East Asia, Cartier remained a key brand partner with the retailer.
It has developed specialised brand spaces within Cortina Watch’s flagship boutiques in Paragon Shopping Centre in Singapore, and E Sky Mall in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Furthermore, the watchmaker has developed exclusive models with Cortina Watch.
To that, Ms Cécile Naour, CEO of Cartier Southeast Asia & Oceania, says: “Cartier has journeyed with Cortina Watch for a few decades, with many amazing achievements. From collaborating on the Jewellery Time series launched in 2000, expanding our luxury retail watchmaking presence in Singapore, pioneering a partnership in Malaysia, to developing a professional watch-passionate team.”
Agreeing with her is Mr Jeremy Lim, CEO of Cortina Watch: “Cortina and Cartier have a close retail relationship that’s lasted for over 40 years. This is a partnership that has expanded across our Southeast Asian and East Asian operations and strengthened over time.
“Cartier was a key participant in our Jewellery Time exhibitions and now, it has developed an exclusive timepiece for our 50th anniversary with the Baignoire Allongée Cortina Watch Golden Jubilee Edition. The Baignoire Allongée is an important icon with an incredible history within the brand. It’s a wonderful honour for us that they’ve chosen this model for our special edition.”
Click here for more stories related to Cortina Watch's golden jubilee. To see tributes from its brand partners, go to the Cortina Watch 50th anniversary commemorative website.
