Local retailer Cortina Watch was founded in 1972 by Jeremy’s father, Anthony Lim, in a department store called Cortina in Colombo Court on High Street. The building has since been torn down, and the new Supreme Court is in its place. Fast forward 50 years and the company has become one of Asia Pacific's foremost luxury watch retailers and distributors.
Display of eight commemorative timepieces from various brand partners form a wall of exquisite timepieces at the foyer of Ritz-Carlton Millennia Singapore
It now has 40 boutiques in the region, including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Australia. Throughout the years, Cortina Watch has stayed true to the vision of its founder, Anthony Lim, by putting the core values of trust, loyalty, and reliability at the heart of the business. In a show of appreciation to brand partners, clients and media, Cortina Watch hosted a gala dinner at the Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore on Nov 19.
The beautiful setting at the gala dinner
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In his speech, the CEO of Cortina Watch and COO of Cortina Holdings, Jeremy Lim, said: "Had it not been for our chairman Mr Anthony Lim, who made a bold decision to start Cortina Watch 50 years ago, we probably would not be here today celebrating our golden jubilee. In our business, trust and passion are always key to our success. And it is the trust that has enabled us to build long-standing relationships with all our brand partners and business associates. Cortina has gone through many ups and downs over the past 50 years, including many recessions and adverse economic situations, not forgetting a pandemic that has made everything even more challenging. However, we have steered through these challenges because of our dedicated and passionate team of employees."
Anne Yitzhakov, Yanina Novitskaya, and Cheryl Lim
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Cortina Watch’s founder and chairman, Anthony Lim, added: "Our employees are a part of our family. We cherish them and their efforts in lifting the company. Our success is theirs. Loyalty is a two-way street — we need to be as devoted to our staff, partners and customers as much as they are supportive of us."
J R Karthikeyan, Chew Sutat, Tan Chuan-Jin and Raymond Lim presented cheques totalling S$1.62 million to several organisations
As part of Cortina Watch’s commitment to giving back to the community and championing social responsibility, donations in the form of cheques totalling S$1.62 million were also presented to several organisations — including the Community Chest (for AWWA), Singapore Heart Foundation, Ren Ci Hospital, Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital, and the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) — while $1 million was channelled through Community Chest to AWWA, which provides early intervention for preschoolers, education and integration support for children and adults with additional needs, social assistance for vulnerable families, and care services for seniors. AWWA’s mission is to empower the disadvantaged to maximise their potential to lead independent and dignified lives.
The Lim family, with founder Anthony Lim (fifth from left)
