JEREMY LIM
Time to Treasure
“THE FIRST WATCH I fell in love with was the first one my father gave me: the Rolex Explorer 1,” says Jeremy Lim, Chief Operating Officer of Cortina Watch, a leading watch retailer and distributor in Asia carrying over 50 internationally renowned brands. “Now, I own many watches. I have 50 to 60 pieces in my personal collection, but the ones I wear regularly are the Rolex GMT2 and Patek Philippe Nautilus.”
What does Singapore-based Lim look for in a timepiece? “I like classic timepieces, like the Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph, Reference 5970R, because of its classic design and its mechanical movements,” he replies. “That is why, out of all the watch mechanisms, I like manual watches most - because most manual watches have a classic and vintage design. I also like sports models, such as Rolex’s GMT2 and Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Offshore. I mainly look at the aesthetics and any special features of a timepiece when purchasing – and, of course, it has to be love at first sight!”
Lim’s father, Anthony Lim, founded Cortina Watch in Singapore in 1972. Jeremy, aged 43, is the youngest of his three children. Since joining Cortina Watch in 2000, he has helped establish the company as a leading player in luxury watch retailing in the region. “When I joined the family firm, my brother Raymond was in it, and my father and he asked me to work in the business as it was beginning to grow. I was an audit senior with KPMG Singapore at the time. I asked them to match my salary, and it was agreed. Being an auditor means to be very meticulous in your work. My accounting background has helped me to manage the company’s overall financial planning.”
Lim graduated from Edith Cowan University in Australia with a Bachelor of Business degree majoring in Accounting and Finance. He has been an Executive Director of the Cortina Group since 2002. He became COO of Cortina Watch Pte Ltd in 2011. His duties include the management of overall operations and merchandising of retail outlets in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. Cortina Watch operates more than 25 retail outlets in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The company also manages four Patek Philippe boutiques in the region. Lim became President of the Singapore Clock and Watch Trade Association in 2012.
“I have noticed in recent years that consumers are getting savvier about watches and are no longer dependent on what the salesmen are telling them,” notes the COO. “Before they make a purchase, consumers do their own research from various digital and social platforms. Sometimes, they are even more knowledgeable, as they can tell us more about the timepieces and the brands’ DNA! With the growing penetration of social, digital media and technology, consumers’ preferences for a timepiece might be leaning towards digital watches instead of a traditional watch. We are already seeing some technology companies marketing digital watches that synchronise with their Android phones. It is inevitable that the next generation would be impacted by this digital trend.
“I am not too worried about this, as timepiece appreciation is something that one will grow to know about. Smartphones will replace the functionality of telling time, managing time zones and so on. It is just like how e-books were introduced. However, people still prefer to hold on to the original item. There are some things that cannot be replaced. Wearing a timepiece - to be able to see, feel and enjoy the mechanism - is not something a smartphone would be able to offer.”
How good is Lim at managing his time? “Because of my role at the company, I am required to travel to the various regions regularly,” he says. “I am also the father of three young children. Hence, I am constantly juggling my time at work and for the family. It all comes down to good time management. You must manage time, and not let time manage you. To have time on your side is what I call luxury. For me, success is really simple to define. When you feel happy after doing some work, then you can say that you are successful. It’s the happiness that actually matters in life. It’s never guaranteed that a successful man is always happy, but a happy man is always successful.”