Meet Kate Lim, scion of the Cortina family and GM of Sincere Fine Watches

In 2021, Cortina Holdings acquired Sincere Fine Watches for a reported S$84.7 million. Founded in 1954, Sincere is Singapore’s oldest luxury watch retailer with a portfolio of brands featuring esteemed names such as Franck Muller, Omega, Parmigiani Fleurier, A Lange & Sohne, Audemars Piguet, Jaeger-LeCoultre and more.  

Following the acquisition of Sincere, Lim was appointed general manager, where, working closely with the company’s longtime CEO Ong Ban, she is charge of its Singapore operations.  

In the past year, one of Lim’s major projects was the relaunch of the Sincere Haute Horlogerie concept, now shortened and rebranded to SHH. The goal of SHH when it was first established in 2005 was to be a champion for independent watchmaking. The boutique on the premises of the former Hilton hotel in Singapore was where collectors could discover rarely seen, high-end mechanical watches in person. The original SHH boutique closed in 2019.  

In September 2022, SHH made a comeback with the opening of a new boutique in The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. Designed by celebrated Singaporean interior designer Peter Tay, the SHH boutique resembles a watch museum. The space is divided into two sections – a main showcase area and a private lounge. A central island displays timepieces from brands exclusive to Sincere, while podium capsules display a rotating selection of the rarest watches.