Time for bling bling

Teh Soon Kheng, the general manager of Cortina Watch Sdn Bhd, tells RACHAEL PHILIP that The Jewellery Time expo this year will feature more shining rocks

DIAMONDS are a girl’s best friend but, thanks to rappers vis-à-vis MTV, the boys have warmed up to them too.

Luxury watch retailer Cortina Watch Sdn Bhd hopes that this year’s The Jewellery Time expo in Singapore, with 16 star timepieces specially created for the bling-bling watch event, will pull in the crowd.

Its general manager, Teh Soon Kheng says: “Just like women who have a bag for every occasion, men these days too have a watch for every occasion.”

When the 36-year-old Teh smiles, his eyes smile too. On his left wrist is Corum’s Admiral Cup Challenge 44, a beautiful mechanical self-winding chronograph.

“Men are not afraid of carrying diamonds and even rubies on their wrists. They embrace it. It spells success,” says Teh, dressed in a sharp dark blue suit.

“Then there are those who are just opening up to the idea of a jewelled timepiece. For them, there are classic designs by established brands with a subtle approach to the whole bling thing.”

Significantly, IWC from Schaffhausen, Switzerland — that no-nonsense brand with its Pilot’s Watches, the Portofino, Portuguese and the Grand Complication — has produced its first two adorned range.

IWC’s foray into the world of rocks features the Portuguese Chrono-Automatic with a rim of brilliant-cut diamonds and the Da Vinci Ladylike Automatic with a firework of sparkling diamonds paving its rose gold case and lugs.

“IWC has noted this growing trend among men. They’ve come to realise it’s a trend you cannot ignore and we are the first to showcase it,” says Teh proudly.

Themed Rock Baroque, this year’s Cortina watch expo will be different from its previous events. To be staged at a shopping mall, it is hoped to lure about 150,000 people from Oct 30 to Nov 9.

There will be 16 prestigious brands taking part and each will introduce one specially-made piece for the event.

According to Teh, these timepieces, horological wonders in themselves, have undergone cosmetic as well as technical modifications so that they are fresh and exclusive to the event.

“Some may have been released in Basel and some at the SIHH trade show, but Cortina has secured the right to launch them first in this region,” he says.

“From watch lovers to true connoisseurs and those who like all things bling, it will be a good opportunity to see these bejewelled timepieces all in one place.”

There will be public workshops on appreciating watches as well as lessons in enamelling. Experts from Switzerland will hold classes on the traditional art of enamelling and visitors can try their hands at it.

Cortina, which has been in Malaysia for 26 years, is also seeing its operations grow, thanks to Teh, who was hired last January to spearhead its expansion plans.

“We are the first luxury watch retailer to expand out of the Klang Valley. Last year we opened a Rolex boutique in Gurney Plaza, Penang. Last month, Cortina spread its wings to 1Borneo in Kota Kinabalu,” says Teh whose previous job experiences read like one big adventure.

Kuala Lumpur-born Teh attended the Setapak High School. At an age when most teens just had to decide between Sixth Form or matriculation, Teh had to choose between contributing to the family’s coffers and putting himself through school. He chose the former.

His grandfather ran a logistics business and the family had a fleet of lorries. But they went through difficult times and the family struggled to cope. Teh went to work at Isetan departmental store as a sales assistant for RM350 a month.

“At 17, I was the youngest assistant supervisor. It felt good,” he says. But after more than four years, he believed he could do better. He was ready for the position of retail executive but age was a factor and nobody was ready to give him that position.

He moved on to become a supervisor at the then newly-opened Makro in Selayang and next worked for UK fashion label InWear Matinique.

Teh attended evening classes for The Chartered Institute of Marketing diploma.

“Regardless of exposure and experience, you need education, at least the minimum qualifications. In this line, you need the basic understanding of how business models work. You can’t rely on your gut feelings all the time.”

He took four years to complete the 18-month course.

He next tried selling cars for Perodua, for about one year. Then he made a complete switch and pursued IT for a change. Together with friends, he set up an IT hardware and support business. Even today, Teh enjoys assembling PCs as a hobby.

By now, Teh realised that his expertise was in marketing. He took on a job with Davidoff, selling cigars for two years before moving to Berjaya HVN to become operations manager at VideoEzy.

It was during this time that he was head-hunted for his current position as general manager of Cortina.

His wide experience in the retail and marketing scene and his exposure at every level of the job finally earned him the recognition he was seeking all these years.

Looking back at the roller coaster ride of his young life, he feels that customer service is the backbone of the industry.

“We neglect it much to our own peril,” he stresses.

Has the sluggish economy caused a dip in sales in the luxury watch industry? Teh thinks not.

“We are, in a way, insulated. Our customers are captains in their industries. They are at a level where the economy has little impact on the way they live their lives,” he says.