Five questions with Sherrie Han, founder of The Eliana Timekeeper.

The Eliana Timekeeper's first collection, Twilight Glint

The exponential increase in the number of collectors, aficionados, and interest groups that have mushroomed over the three decades in Singapore hadn't simply elevated the country's standing in terms of watch appreciation - it has evolved the watch landscape here into a thriving, multi-facetted and multi-layered horological ecosystem. A tell-tale sign? The recent rise in the number of homegrown microbrands.

An increasingly vibrant component in Singapore's horological scene, microbrands allow a wider demographic to access quality timepieces through online retail channels and, oftentimes, more wallet-friendly prices. At the same time, they also provide a niche option for those who eschew mainstream brands. (Read our story on starting your own microbrand here).

One of the latest microbrands to debut in Singapore is The Eliana Timekeeper. Founder Sherrie Han (above) was dismayed by the lack of decent mechanical watch options for women and decided to take things into her own hands. As a result, the 28-year-old lawyer started The Eliana Timekeeper, named after her firstborn, to offer “beautiful, good quality watches for women”.

Here, she shares her thoughts on what women want in their timepieces, as well as the challenges she faced starting a microbrand for women.

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I want to make premium mechanical watches attractive and accessible to the modern woman. People have told me there is no market for ladies’ mechanical watches, and that women just want pretty watches. I disagree. Modern women have increasingly sophisticated tastes and I want to cater to that.

Limited edition Twilight Glint in steel with rose gold and Singularity Black dial 

Women don’t have many choices when it comes to choosing a watch. Most options are either shiny with diamonds and mother-of-pearl, or minimalist with clean lines. The fancier ones have moonphase features but most are fitted with quartz mechanisms. If you don’t like these options, you’ll have to opt for a men’s watch, which typically has more character, even though it wasn’t designed with a woman in mind.

We offer one of the smallest automatic watches in the market. At just 28mm, our watches go against the trend of women wearing large watches. We also wanted to change the misconception that automatic timepieces are bulky creatures.

Limited edition Twilight Glint in steel with silver and Singularity Black dial 

I’m inspired by vintage jewellery and watches. Our designs take reference from them but are updated with modern looks and materials, holding both ideals in tension. For instance, the elegant fine coin edges on the Twilight Glint’s bezel was inspired by vintage jewellery and our linen dial was an updated classic. The limited-edition ‘void-black’ dial we offer was made possible by a special nano-material that only became available in the past decade.

Open caseback of the Twilight Glint

People don’t know what to make of us. That’s been the biggest challenge in starting a watch brand dedicated to ladies’ mechanical timepieces. A lot of men compare our watches with those in their own collection but that’s not the profile we fit into. Our watches are designed for women who might not have otherwise taken an interest in mechanical watches. Hence, an exhibition caseback and open heart design for our first collection was necessary, even though it might seem like an overkill in a men’s watch.

The Twilight Glint's bracelet with butterfly clasp and The Eliana Timekeeper logo

I hope to change the way women wear and think about watches. I would like to introduce women to the beauty of mechanical watches by incorporating the traditions and variety typically associated with men’s premium watchmaking into ladies’ timepieces.

The Eliana Timekeeper is launching on Kickstarter on 8 January 2020. 

Case	28mm stainless steel with rose gold or silver
Dial	Open-heart white/grey linen-printed dial with Swarovski crystals or limited-edition Singularity Black dial with Swarovski crystals
Movement	Self-winding Miyota Calibre 6T28
Bracelet/Strap	Stainless steel bracelet in contrasting matte and polished tones with butterfly clasp or genuine calf leather strap in oxblood or greyish brown
Functions	Hours, minutes, seconds
Power Reserve	40 hours
Price	From S$432.50

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