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Interactive store designs and private viewings: How this watch specialist enriches the collectors’ journey
Cortina Watch’s new Rolex stores across the Straits are proof that besides offering the regular retail experience, it wants to educate and excite its customers too
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Cortina Watch has been an Official Rolex Retailer since 2006, with boutiques in countries like Singapore (pictured), Malaysia and Thailand. PHOTO: ROLEX
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Those who flew to Penang, Malaysia, for a short getaway recently would probably have noticed the brand-new street-facing Rolex boutique in Gurney Plaza along the main shopping promenade.
An interesting fact about Rolex is that the Swiss watchmaker does not manage any of its own boutiques. Instead, it maintains an exclusive network of Official Rolex Retailers, including partners like Cortina Watch, across more than 100 countries.
Cortina Watch first became an Official Rolex Retailer in 2006 and the partnership has flourished, with the retailer taking the brand to countries across Southeast Asia, including Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.
The Penang boutique, managed by Cortina Watch since 2007, is based on the latest store design concept by Rolex: exterior stucco panels and neutral stone walls, with walnut-brown interiors and sensitive lighting accentuating the beauty of Rolex’s timepiece selections.
Similar in design to the Gurney Plaza boutique is the Rolex boutique at The Starhill in Kuala Lumpur. It also underwent a facelift this year, transforming into a 1,442-sq-ft street-facing unit on the ground floor, with high tables and chairs to encourage conversations between customers and staff.
After the refurbishment, both stores experienced increased traffic, a testament to the conducive environments designed by Rolex as well as Cortina Watch’s belief in presenting inspiring experiences to local audiences.
A lasting partnership
But more than just opening new stores, Cortina Watch has also partnered Rolex to welcome customers to its retail outlets.
From private events to presentations of the latest timepieces, Cortina Watch constantly explores dynamic new ways to engage audiences and share Rolex’s watchmaking philosophy with them.
Mr Jeremy Lim, CEO of Cortina Watch, says: “What we offer today is the brand’s experience within the store. Our retail team is well-versed in bringing across each brand’s vision and message to our customers.
“We help customers continue their journey with our partners through a cultivated retail experience, through in-depth staff training and creating the best retail environments today.”
Today, amid strong demand for Rolex models across the globe, retailers like Cortina Watch need a deep understanding of new customers’ purchase motivations, while at the same time, they have to nurture enduring customer relationships.
“We want to be able to support the next generation of collectors and provide them with the models they desire to help them start their watch collecting journey,” Mr Lim explains.
“We’ve found that our customers today want to know the brand better and understand the value of their watches apart from their intrinsic value. They want to share in and appreciate the values behind the products they are buying.”
To this end, Cortina Watch is certainly upping the game and offering a refreshed retail experience for this generation and the next.
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.
