Cortina Holdings’ CEO Raymond Lim joined Ong Ban, the CEO of Sincere Fine Watches, at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands on 7 September 2022 to unveil the retailer’s newly renovated boutique. Sincere Haute Horlogerie, since shortened to SHH, brings independent watchmaking products to the fore with brands like Greubel Forsey, Laurent Ferrier, Lang & Heyne, and Jacob & Co. The partnership between the store and Jacob Arabo’s eponymous label was signed just a week before it opened.
In the last 15 years, Ong Ban has been at the top of Sincere’s management and has seen the company change ownership four times. In 1954, the Tay family founded Sincere Fine Watches, which they sold to the now-defunct Peace Mark in 2007. It was then acquired by a consortium led by LVMH backed equity firm L-Capital and Tay Liam Wee.
In 2021, it was sold to Cortina Holdings for $84.7 million in cash by Hong Kong property billionaire Pollyanna Chu. SHH was a concept developed with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) in 2005. According to Ong, STB wanted to boost Singapore’s competitiveness as a shopping destination.
“They selected a few companies as part of the Uniquely Singapore concept that offered goods and services available only in Singapore. Sincere was already known as a retailer for independent watchmaking. We had a well established history of bringing new watch brands to the market and growing their awareness.” These include Franck Muller in 1992, A. Lange & Söhne in 1998, and Panerai in 2000.
As a highly mature watch market, Singapore has always been a place for brands with strong growth potential to build an audience. Collectors had access to the best boutique and independent watchmaking. When Cortina Holdings bought Sincere Fine Watches, Raymond Lim and Ong Ban discussed major strengths and identified areas for investment, of which SHH was one.
“We shortened the name to SHH. It’s an easy abbreviation to remember. We’ve also developed a new store concept with Singapore designer Peter Tay that is open and contemporary. Not only can we present all the independent watchmakers we represent to our customers, but we’ve also created a lounge corner where we can host collectors and have future exchanges on watchmaking,” he adds. “We want SHH to be a place where the watch community can come together to discover, share and experience watchmaking differently.”
This isn’t the first time Peter Tay is working with Sincere and Cortina. Earlier this year, he developed a brand new store concept for Franck Muller in ION Orchard. According to Ong, the concept will eventually make its way into Franck Muller stores globally, the same way Sincere’s 1992 store design for Franck Muller became a global standard.
Sincere used to have a programme called the Watch Academy dedicated to growing the watch community. Ong hopes to revive and incorporate that within SHH to develop Sincere’s watch family in Asia. His goal is also to expand SHH into South-east and North Asia, starting with Malaysia, Thailand (where Sincere operates under the name Pendulum), Taiwan, Hong Kong, and mainland China. “It’s part of the reason we changed our name to SHH. In non-English speaking countries, it’s easier to recall three letters.”
As part of the relaunch and store opening, SHH has also introduced three limited edition models by Greubel Forsey, Laurent Ferrier and Lang & Heyne. The Greubel Forsey Double Balancier Convexe SHH Edition features a rich purple mainplate and accents with a matching rubber strap, limited to just six pieces. Laurent Ferrier has a 10-piece Classic Origin SHH Edition in stainless steel with a unique almond green dial; Ong confesses he fell in love the moment he saw it. With Lang & Heyne, it developed the Georg Limited Edition SHH with a unique ceramic dial set against a royal blue givree-finished silvered baseplate and a stepped seconds counter. The brand’s famed calibre VIII is completely visible through the caseback. It’s breathtaking with just one glance.
“We chose these three brands because they represent the epitome of independent high-end watchmaking. Each appeals to different collectors. If I were to sum up SHH in a sentence, I would say that we offer timepieces that make your heart jump and that collectors will lose sleep over,” he remarks. “It’s also not just about tangible value. With our online platform, we offer microbrands that are highly coveted by both customers looking for affordable timekeepers and sophisticated collectors who value what they are creating.”
He adds, “Singapore is a unique market for collectors because it’s safe. You can walk around wearing an expensive watch without fearing you will be robbed. It’s also a place where people recognise and appreciate high watchmaking. It is safe to buy without worrying that it isn’t authentic. This is why it remains a key market for independent watch lovers and watchmakers. SHH is here to serve this community.”
