Celebrating Two Decades of Passion and Dynamism

Luxury watch retailer Swiss Watch has grown to become one of the leading watch retailers in the region with a presence in four countries

- Chong Jinn Xiung

The genesis of Swiss Watch is a tale of time, chance, determination, and hard work. More than 20 years ago, the core business of luxury retail specialist Valiram Group revolved around the textile trade and lifestyle retail. But with each passing generation, its business evolved to match the needs and wants of its customers.

Swiss Watch was the result of the group’s attempts to diversify and expand its reach to the luxury watch industry in 2000. Valiram Group’s executive director Ashvin Valiram recalls when tenders were called at the Penang International Airport, he and his brothers, Mukesh and Sharan, decided to take the chance and bid to open a watch store. This is despite them having almost no experience in watch retailing.

Looking back, Ashvin says it was extremely challenging entering a brand new industry that already has many well-established players. Naturally, there were roadblocks along the way.

“Being young and naïve, we had heard that the sales of timepieces were typically quite high,” tells Ashvin. “When the watch retail fraternity heard we wanted to open a new store, they laughed at our attempt. But that disbelief only strengthened our will and ambition.”

THE BEGINNINGS OF GREATNESS

The Valiram siblings’ persistence paid off in April 2001 when Swiss Watch opened its first boutique in Penang. The multi-brand emporium of luxury watches carried 16 carefully selected watch brands that included Rado, Tissot, Cartier and Breitling. “We were very proud to have been able to present such a product repertoire,” Ashvin says.