10 Dec 2008
Perfect Matches(HKTDC Watch & Clock, Vol 01,2009)
|
His 'N' Hers Watches
Casual, unisex looks and subdued tones are all the rage when it comes to his 'N' hers watches Going beyond telling time and making a style statement, matching watches for couples are a symbol of enduring affection, so producing beautiful his 'n' hers watches is clearly a labour for love. An example of a head-turning pair is "Dual Time" from Nova Time Co Ltd, with multi-dial faces in black and white that create a bold visual contrast. "There are two Japanese movements in each watch to power the dual-time feature," notes Managing Director Jack Wong. In the gents' version, the main time is shown on the larger dial and the secondary time on a smaller one, and serving each dial is a sub-dial displaying the seconds. The ladies' watch sports a similar design except that there is just one sub-dial to fit the model's smaller size. "The face of the ladies' model features a mother-of-pearl effect," notes Mr Wong. Customers' call "The stainless steel cases of both models are usually available in silver, rose gold or black colours, but we can provide yellow gold on request, too," he says. The watches come with genuine calf leather straps, whose standard colours are brown and black, although white is also available for the ladies' version. "We can also offer bracelet-style or rubber straps according to customer requirements," Mr Wong advises, adding that the watches are priced at US$22-25 per piece FOB Hong Kong. "We mainly produce gentlemen's watches, but some of our customers like to have a matching ladies' version to make up a set. We can do this for them, depending on the quantity, and we can provide them with special gift boxes, too," he notes. Nova Time supplies watches under customers' brand names to markets in Europe, particularly Germany, Italy and Turkey, as well as Saudi Arabia and Japan. "Our watches have a European look to them and we are finding that the Japanese like this," Mr Wong says. Glitz & glamour His 'n' hers watches are often bought to mark a special occasion such as an anniversary, calling for something special in the design - a requirement that can clearly be fulfilled by the Ingot watch line from QPF Ltd, which includes paired sets of gents' and ladies' watches. "Each watch incorporates one Credit Suisse ingot on the dial, weighing either 1 gramme or 2 grammes," explains Marketing Manager Carl Chan. "Each ingot carries a serial number and is accompanied by a certificate, thus making each timepiece unique. Every year we add new elements to this line. We now have more than 100 models for customers to choose from." He says that the Ingot line "carries on" the Swiss watchmaking tradition as company founder, Mr L.C. Siu, trained in Switzerland. QPF's major markets are in the US, UK, Germany, Thailand, Japan and the Chinese mainland. Best known for its range of trendy ladies fashion watches, Winmix HK Ltd leverages its expertise to produce special sets of his 'n' hers watches, for which design inspirations come nevertheless from classic styles. "The simple, classic look is more suitable for these type of watches," remarks Marketing Manager Irene Kwong. One popular pair, for example, has alloy cases. "The alloy series includes two round-case models, one for him and the other for her, incorporating Japanese Miyota movements that display both day and date, and come with three hands," Ms Kwong explains. "The watches are water-resistant, and the cases feature acid gold plating. The simple dials are white and have big Arabic numerals. The PU straps come in classic colours such as brown, black and blue," she says. Simply popular "The simple designs of these matching sets of watches are popular in all our markets, be it the US, Europe or Australia," Ms Kwong says, adding both the mens' and ladies' versions are unit-priced at US$7.50 FOB Hong Kong. "Winmix was founded in 2003 but we actually have about 25 years of experience in the watch business. We carry a very wide range of products and we have strong technical experience," Ms Kwong says. Hong Kong watch manufacturers are always adept at providing customers with new opportunities to drive their business further, and the creation of matching sets of men's and ladies' watches are the perfect illustration of this capability. These his 'n' hers watches are clearly the perfect matches that no passionate lovers or canny traders can afford to miss. TEXT BY ANN WILLIAMS FAST FACTS
|
