“My relationship with Cortina Watch has influenced every part of my life and my family’s. That’s something that’s equally true for so many of our staff,” shares 87-year-old Anthony Lim, who started off as a humble kitchen helper for a British family, then later as a delivery boy for Singapore watch dealer Nanyang Watch Company.
In 2022, the executive chairman of Cortina Holdings celebrated the 50th anniversary of Cortina Watch, which began as a retail boutique that Anthony founded in Colombo Court Shopping Center, one of the earliest shopping centers in Singapore. Colombo Court was located in what is known today as the Civic District, the first district from which the founder of modern Singapore, Sir Stamford Raffles, began charting the urban planning of this future metropolis.
“We have employees whose children now work at Cortina Watch, like my own family. It’s a relationship that’s spanned generations,” Anthony’s voice boomed through the speakers at the gala dinner that feted this golden jubilee. Many members of his publicly listed business looked on with pride, such as his granddaughter
