Sweda Ltd is enjoying worldwide success with its own brand o.d.m which stands for original, dynamic and minimal

In an industry where Hong Kong ranks second in the world for the export of completed watches, companies are leveraging decades of experience in watch engineering and manufacture for customers of Original Equipment Manufacturing (OEM) and Original Design Manufacturing (ODM) to move up the value chain and produce their own watch brands.
 
Take, for example, Sweda Ltd, a Hong Kong company enjoying success with its four-year-old own-brand o.d.m., which stands for the brand's principles of original, dynamic and minimal.

"We wanted to build on our engineering, R&D and design capabilities," says Martin Ko, senior marketing manager of Sweda which also undertakes ODM production. "Also, the watch manufacturing market was becoming very crowded with numerous Hong Kong and Chinese mainland companies producing watches cheaply with fast turnaround."

Innovation in technology

WOWI has come up with a popular brand sold in 25 countries

The brand's digital watches are cleverly marketed under the "Sorry, no buttons" slogan, describing the digital technology that allows the watch to change from time to calendar display at the simple flick of the wrist and  are sold in 25 countries around the world.

Another popular own-brand is WOWI, manufactured in Hong Kong by WOWI Enterprises Development Co Ltd, whose founder Lam Fai Yuen likens brand development to the training of a top athlete. "It's a long and arduous process and without indomitable will you are never going to succeed," he believes.
 
His respect for both athletes and brands led him to create a collectible series of exquisite, durable stainless steel watches to commemorate Chinese medallists at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.

The Olympic line was just one successful example in two decades of development by the WOWI brand, whose name comes from the first two letters of World and Wide and symbolises Lam's determination to conquer global markets.

"Our Italian-style, avant garde designs have won fans around the world, particularly in Japan and Europe where consumers place a premium on quality and style," he adds. Recognising their sleak, sporty appeal, exhibition organisers in both countries have selected WOWI as theme exhibits.

Design experience

Hong Kong has 50 years' experience in the watch industry and more than 30 years of expertise producing international watch designs, says industry veteran Bob Chong, Managing Director of Chung Nam Watch Co Ltd and Chairman of the Hong Kong Watches & Clocks Advisory Committee.

"Hong Kong companies undoubtedly have the production and engineering capabilities, they have previously been limited in own-brand development by a very small home market," said Mr Chong.

But that will change with the recently signed Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) between the mainland and Hong Kong, added Mr Chong. "CEPA will open up a huge duty-free home market of 1.3 billion people for Hong Kong watch and clock manufacturers which will make the mainland market much more attractive for brand development and brand equity."

Chong speaks from experience as his company, Chung Nam Watch Co Ltd, manufactures complete watches and components in China and Europe and has shares in Swiss brand Roamer, which is already available on the mainland, as well as in Eastern Europe.

Some 40 of Hong Kong's finest watch and clock fashion labels, original and licensed brands can be seen on display at the Brand Name Gallery Hong Kong, a highly popular feature of the 2003 Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair to be held from September 3-7 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Click Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair 2003

Related links:
Sweda www.sweda.com
Wowi www.wowi-intl.com