Timeless Gallery Ltd
- HKGCC Membership No. :
- HKT0648
Timeless
Mark Quek looks upon fine timepieces as works of art. Often unique, always beautiful in their complexity, and extremely desirable, he believes they should be enjoyed to the maximum. To share his passion, the Singaporean entrepreneur opened Timeless Gallery, where people can come and marvel at pieces on display, and -- if the mood strikes them -- buy an item or two.
On display are some of the world's finest clocks, many of which are unique pieces, ranging in price from a few hundred thousand dollars to HK$20 million. The gallery also carries collectable fountain pens, jewellery, watch winder cabinets, as well as some amazing looking safes masquerading as luxurious travel trunks.
The concept is a departure from his original business model which took off in Singapore around three years ago with three partners.
"We still have Timeless Gallery retail shops in the best luxury shopping malls in Singapore, but of course retail space is limited," he explained. "So when we came to Hong Kong, we decided to go for this unique museum concept, so that people can have a different shopping environment."
Quek himself is a collector of mechanical watches, and clearly understands some of the difficulties that people face in keeping their precious timepieces wound and in good working order. He said it is not uncommon for someone who owns a dozen watches to only wear one because they do not have the time nor patience to adjust a watch that has stopped due to it not being constantly worn.
Not many people realise the importance of watch winders to keep their timepieces, particularly complicated ones, in good working condition.
"People spend a lot of money on mechanical watches, but what happens to them after they invest in these complex timepieces? They need to upkeep them," he said. "It is like a fountain pen. If you leave it in the drawer for a year it will not work because the ink becomes blocked. You need to use it regularly."
Watch vaults
Small watch winders for keeping one or two watches ticking over nicely have been on the market for many years. But for maintaining and protecting a collection, serious collectors need purpose-built winders that also act as safes.
Besides selling standalone clocks made by famous German clockmaker Erwin Sattler, he also imports display pieces which incorporate a clock into decorative watch cabinets made by Buben & Zorweg, and Dottling.
These can hold hundreds of watches. Some even have a built-in cigar humidor, wine rack, and sound system. So while enjoying their watches, collectors can also enjoy a good cigar and fine glass of wine. What a life!
But that is exactly what Quek is trying to achieve and promote with his gallery. In a region where hard selling is the norm, he makes sure the gallery feels like a private club, where people can relax with no pressure to buy.
Since opening on Gloucester Road two years ago, Hong Kong has already become his biggest market, but it is the Mainland where he sees the greatest potential. Timeless Gallery recently opened a gallery in Beijing, and over the next two years plans to open branches in Shanghai, Wenzhou, Qingdao, and a few other cities.
"I am going to develop this concept more in China, because the trend there is people like to have a private club to entertain customers," he said.
The Central Government is aware that many wealthy Mainlanders are spending huge sums overseas, so it is planning to reduce taxes on luxury goods to entice them to spend domestically.
Growing trend
The trend for collecting watches and fine wines has been increasing over the past decade. Quek states the evidence is obvious, with more multi-brand watch stores being replaced with a single brand.
Although global sales of luxury watches slowed significantly during the financial crisis, the numbers are bouncing back. Hong Kong remains the largest single importer of luxury watches, with almost half of Swiss watchmakers' production being exported to Hong Kong.
"The luxury business is never really affected by a crisis," he said. "The rich are getting richer and that will always be the case."
