Kee Hing Hung, a family business founded in the 1960s, has grown to become an authorised retailer for Rolex and Tudor. Recently, the company has relocated to a larger retail space run by the father and son team of Max and Tron How. Here they share why they felt the need to expand
Tron How greets us at the main entrance to the new 109sq m Rolex and 76sq m Tudor boutiques, featuring a wide collection of luxury timepieces. The first stop is the Tudor boutique which features the brand’s three iconic colours: Black, red and white, along with a sign bearing the brand’s motto: “Born to Dare”. From here, Tron draws our attention to an interactive display that shows the evolution of the bronze dial from an alloy to the finished cut dials of the Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight Bronze.
When Options first met Tron, he had just joined the family business after graduating from public relations and social media studies. Fast forward three years, and Tron is confident and comfortable as he talks passionately about the watches. Well, Tron has had the best teacher: His father, Max How.
Max took over his father’s trading business, Kee Hing Hung, which began as a trading firm started by his father, How Ting Hai, in the early 1960s. The company was originally a wholesaler of watches destined for overseas markets. In 1970, Kee Hing Hung evolved its business model to include retail after relocating to a shop in the People’s Park Complex, which had just been completed in Chinatown.
Max grew it to a multi-label watch boutique, focusing solely on Rolex in 2001 after observing that his customers often came into his store asking about Rolex timepieces. He also noticed a strong growing interest in Tudor, and his belief in the brand resulted in Kee Hing Hung being one of the first few retailers in South East Asia to adopt the new brand concept in July 2019.
Today marks another milestone in Max’s career, as he has moved the business to its new home at 18 Robinson. The street-level boutique in the heart of the CBD offers Rolex and Tudor enthusiasts a place to feel at home while browsing through the treasures in glass vitrines.
Just as Tron completed his tour of the Tudor boutique, Max invited us into a warm and welcoming place. The Rolex boutique is bathed in the familiar official colours of the iconic Rolex green, offset with a chandelier that ignites the room with a warm glow. Inviting plush sofas gives the room a feel like we are visiting someone’s home.
This is like home for Max, a homage to his father and a legacy he can leave behind for his three children. As with Options’ past interviews with Max, the passion he has is palpable, and his quiet optimism and pride for his business and his children are still there, maybe even more now, as he walks us through the boutique, pointing out things that we would have otherwise missed, such as the carefully chosen curtains to give customers the privacy that they want, and the varying ceiling heights that give the place an added depth and dimension.
In the meantime, we learned more about the new boutique and why there was a need to relocate from both Max and Tron.
What inspired you to open a watch boutique in the heart of the financial district?
Max: Our People’s Park location will always hold a special place in our hearts. The location was originally selected back in the 1970s because of its importance as the largest mall in Singapore then. With this exact blueprint in mind, we wanted a space with the same potential in current times.
Getting to where we are today, standing in our Rolex boutique at 18 Robinson, makes the long journey here worthwhile. It was a eureka moment when we chanced upon this location after many visits to other less-than-ideal ones. We always wanted a larger space and a location that could evolve with time, and 18 Robinson exceeded all our expectations.
Was it difficult to move out of where your father began the journey?
Max: It was a sentimental journey moving out of Chinatown, a place that held our memories for the last 50 years. But we trusted the process and have absolute faith that the people make the place. The memories of my father will always live on in the legacy of Kee Hing Hung, no matter where we put down our roots.
Could you take us through opening this boutique from the planning stage to what we see here today?
Tron: The entire process took almost a year from start to finish and was a steep learning curve for us. It taught us patience and gave us the grit to persevere through challenges.
We foresee ourselves being here for good, so it was essential to design the boutique with longevity. We worked closely with Rolex to ensure that the design ethos transcends the aesthetics of the boutique. Careful attention to detail was taken from carefully calibrating colours and patterns to the fittings and furnishings. The Rolex logo signage on top of this amazing boutique is placed outside our building, like a beacon illuminating our presence in the financial district.
The boutique features both Rolex and Tudor aesthetics that reflect the values of both brands. Could you point out some of the design elements?
Tron: No attention was spared when it came to the design of the Rolex boutique. When you enter the Rolex boutique at 18 Robinson, you will be greeted by a majestic chandelier. It consists of 427 glass pieces, which are manually installed piece by piece. A few other exceptional elements would be the striking emerald aqua wall which highlights Rolex’s rich heritage — its wave motif referencing the iconic Oyster, the world’s first waterproof wristwatch, as well as the walls with mixed textures from brown walnut wood to beige-coloured stone and hand-crafted stucco panels in a pattern that recalls the fluted bezel of the Oyster watch.
Over at Tudor, the brand’s iconic colours, black, red and white, anchors the new 18 Robinson boutique, exuding a bold and distinctive character — a true reflection of the brand’s innovative timepieces. Elegantly furnished and designed with various materials, the contemporary Tudor store allows customers to experience the brand truly. Visitors are greeted with a distinctive sign lighting up with the brand’s slogan, “Born to Dare”, featured against a concrete wall that lends an edge to the store. An interactive display of bronze watch sets in the middle of the boutique showcases the craftsmanship required to produce a Tudor bronze watch case from the aluminium bronze alloy. You will also find the exclusive Black Bay Fifty-Eight Bronze in this space, only available in selected boutiques.
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What kind of experience can customers anticipate when visiting your boutique, with the Rolex boutique being 109 sq m, a significant increase in size from the previous one, and the Tudor boutique now measuring 76 sq m?
Tron: Our long-term commitment to Rolex has been an exciting journey that started over 50 years ago. It was only natural that we continue the momentum with the opening of the new Rolex boutique, illustrating our dedication to upholding the excellent standards Rolex is known for. We see ourselves as more than a luxury watch retailer; we are a common ground where like-minded watch enthusiasts gather to exchange perspectives and share knowledge.
At 109 sq m, the new Rolex boutique at 18 Robinson is about 30% larger and is designed to introduce customers to the brand through an immersive experience where every element of the interior design features the elegant Rolex aesthetic and radiates the values of the Rolex crown.
The Tudor boutique brings together the brand’s heritage, partnerships and technological advancements into a welcoming space. In the last few years, Tudor has signed David Beckham, Jay Chou and the All Blacks while not forgetting partnerships with Morgan Bourc’his and even forming their own Tudor Pro Cycling Team. These strong collaborations are visible in-store and reflected in the latest bar concept, where guests can enjoy refreshments. The boutique is a place for watch lovers to gather and be fully immersed in the brand through this intimate and experiential approach to retail.
How do you approach building customer relationships, and what strategies do you use to create a memorable customer experience?
Tron: There are no specific strategies on this front. The kind of business we run is anchored by our authenticity and guided by our hearts, with a huge emphasis on customer service, a philosophy the company has embraced since its inception. We strongly believe in “treating customers how you want to be treated”.
After all, Kee Hing Hung would not have attained such a high level of success without our regular client core’s strong and sustained support. Our 11-strong team is made up of a mix of seasoned veterans and young talents, all of whom are teeming with energy and enthusiasm. Being watch buffs themselves, the staff members are well-versed in the brand and are eager to share our passion for watchmaking and creating an indelible connection with the customers.
Kee Hing Hung has managed to carve out a niche market that speaks to different generations of consumers. Can you share the strategy behind this unique aptitude?
Max: Our strength lies in our roots. Being a multi-generational business, Kee Hing Hung has been able to serve customers through a myriad of experiences. We have a long-standing affinity with our customers, who appreciate us for the tradition of “mom-and-pop” authenticity and honesty.
Whether it’s for celebrating the granddad’s 70th jubilee or mum’s gift to her daughter to celebrate her 21st — we have been there with our customers’ families through every pivotal moment. This familial relationship and philosophy continue to guide us forward, taking the business through more generations.
How do you ensure your business continues to thrive under your children’s leadership, and what strategies do you have to address the challenges?
Max: The most important goal in running the family business is to hand over the business. You don’t own it. You’re just watching it, guarding it, nurturing it, and handing it over to the next generation in as good a condition.
Like my father before me, I wish to pass on the same values and business acumen to my children. Now the chief operating officer, Tron must balance a family-run organisation’s intimacy and attentive characteristics with standard operating procedures for the business to thrive and succeed across generations.
Putting trials and tribulations aside, I’m ultimately still their father, and I must continue guiding them every step of the way, influencing them to achieve their greatness.
Looking to the future, what are your long-term goals for your business, and what roles do you see your children in achieving those goals?
Max: I hope we continue to stay ahead as an innovator in the industry while preserving our family traditions and legacy. Looking into the future, a well-thought-out long-term vision will become ingrained in our company culture to underpin any succession plan and the inevitable changes in leadership and direction.
The chemistry between [my two sons] Tron and Troy would be vital in ensuring that the business remains relevant in its industry for the long term, focusing on their strengths in operations and supporting core business functions.
