PETALING JAYA: As a young lad, it was love at first sight when Tham Onn Chuan, now 65, first laid eyes on a mechanical watch. He wondered what made it work so well and soon, his curiosity caused him to take it apart. Of course, it was his father’s watch and he got an earful for his deed.
But, that initial curiosity grew on him and in his adult life, he set up his own company, ATG Watch, to sell good quality timepieces.
“ATG Watch was established in 2000 and was soon appointed sole distributor by Montres EPOS SA, which has been a Swiss watchmaker of the EPOS brand since 1925. Six years later, the Titoni brand appointed the company as its official distributor in Southeast Asia.
“Everything was going well and business continued to grow. From a dealer in luxury watches, ATG Watch became a distributor of the world’s top watch brands.”
Having been a watch collector and enthusiast for some 50 years, Tham said mechanical watches are works of art, and he wanted to introduce his love for such machines to more people by making top-quality mechanical watches affordable for the masses.
“I wanted the younger generation to appreciate mechanical watches and cultivate their passion and love for them. But top-branded watches are expensive and beyond the reach of the man in the street.
“One day, a good friend asked if my watch had a brand. When I said it didn’t, he discussed the importance of building a brand for future generations as a way to fulfil my vision to introduce affordable mechanical watches to the masses.
“In 2019, I began looking for a good brand name and a simple logo. I registered trademarks, selected the right movements and designed cases for several collections.”
One of his greatest challenges was persuading watch enthusiasts to buy an unknown brand. Another is keeping the brand alive for at least 50 years for the next generation. Malaysian watch enthusiasts, he said, are very adventurous and readily accept new brands with a distinct identity, high quality and excellent value for money.
Tham has already started creating watches under his IROAS brand, which will be launched as soon as he has finalised the designs.
But for now, he has decided that he would introduce a range of collections representing the air force, navy and others.
“I will sell IROAS watches for between RM1,900 and RM4,900. They will be top-quality timepieces that can rival any branded Swiss or Japanese make because, while I will sell a Malaysian brand, the watches will be made overseas to very high specifications. They will utilise both Swiss and Japanese movements.”
He also plans to export the watches through the network of dealers that ATG Watch has established over the years. His goal, he said, is to go global without borders and to leverage the digital platform to do so.
Tham also said he will invest heavily in brand awareness and in the longer term, he wishes to further refine his range of watches to establish a sound brand image. Those keen to learn more about his company and the IROAS watch brand can visit the ATG Watch website at https://atgwatch.shop/
