It is in Tham Onn Chuan’s nature to be optimistic. Even in these troubled times, the founder and CEO of ATG Watch sees a silver lining on the Covid-19 cloud as the world braces itself for the economic implications of drawn-out lockdowns.
Titoni signage during the Bandar Malaysia Open
“Times may be tough now with our sales at virtually zero, but I think the luxury watch market will recover eventually once we are able to manage the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Tham. “Mechanical watches have been around for six to seven hundred years and I would classify them as ‘Big Boys’ Toys’, which have their own niche market.
“However, it will take some time and we are prepared to rough things out until the end of the year. Fortunately, we are a compact company and our overheads are not very high,” he added, noting that there was actually a marked slowdown in sales from January when the pandemic started affecting travel out of China.
Slowdown notwithstanding, ATG Watch still claimed the distinction of being the official timekeeper of the last big sporting event to be staged in Malaysia before the Movement Control Order was imposed, the Bandar Malaysia Open, which teed off at Kota Permai Golf & Country Club in early March.
Tham noted that it was as much a question of sentiment as it was a business decision to get on board with the US$1 million event, which was the 55th edition of the Malaysian Open – making a welcome return after four years.
“There were many emotional factors that weighed in on our decision to sponsor the Bandar Malaysia Open. We first started using golf as a branding platform in 2006 and just two years later in 2008 we became the Official Timekeeper for the Malaysian Open, which I think was just amazing,” he shared.
(L-R) Tham with Korean pro Dongkyu Jang, MJ Lim of Mercedes-Benz and Wong Voon Pui of BHP Petrol during the Bandar Malaysia Open pro-am
Using the Titoni and Epos brands for which they are sole distributors in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, ATG Watch’s golf sponsorship portfolio is impressive, ranging from high-profile professional championships to amateur series and club-level events.
“Golf is perfect for the demographics of our target market and it also gave us inroads into corporate business through the connections we made,” stressed Tham, who – reflecting his calm, cool character – plays a dangerously steady game of golf.
An avid watch collector, Tham decided to pursue his love for horology and set up ATG Watch in the year 2000. Headquartered in Seremban where Tham lives, the company grew from strength to strength and today is the distributor for Epos, Titoni and Vostok-Europe in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.
With Titoni CEO Daniel Schluep during the Swiss watchmaker’s centenary celebration last September
Over the decade and a half since they ventured into golf, ATG Watch and indeed Tham himself have become synonymous with the game in Malaysia.
“Business aside, golf has also helped me make many lifelong friends over the years. There’s something about the game which allows you to really connect with people,” Tham reflected.
With the rocky road ahead for all businesses, will golf sponsorship still be on his radar? The answer was a firm ‘yes’.
“Golf is part of our DNA now. If they ask us, we will be glad to return as sponsor of the Malaysian Open in 2021. It’s a fantastic event with a rich history and is really world-class.”
That’s timely and great news indeed for golf.
Story by Jonathan Ponniah / Photos courtesy of ATG Watch
