Founder of BCHH, Celadon and Milléchron, Benjamin Chee is making significant strides in the luxury watch industry while championing Asian watchmaking
In the world of luxury watches, the Swiss have been the longstanding benchmark for their unparalleled precision, quality and craftsmanship. With such an esteemed history and reputation, it can be difficult for watch brands from other parts of the world to make their mark, especially from countries that are perceived to be newer to the watch industry such as those in Asia. But that has not stopped Singaporean entrepreneur Benjamin Chee from taking up the challenge.
Over the past 12 years, he founded three watch brands and, on top of that, has been proudly flying the flag for Asian watchmaking. While studying law at university in London, Chee developed a passion for history and design, which eventually led to him venturing into the watch business. “Living in London, I was surrounded by some of the best museums and art galleries in the world, and I was up close and personal with all these beautiful objects,” he recalls. “That’s where my passion for design was reinforced and developed further.”
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While he had a string of job offers lined up at renowned law firms in Singapore and the UK, Chee realised that he did not have the same passion for law as he did for design. Upon graduation, he spent some time in Shanghai, where he discovered a profound connection to his roots and commitment to promoting Chinese craftsmanship.
As a result, he started his first brand, Celadon, in 2012 with the aim to create high-quality Chinese watches with exceptional design and craftsmanship. “The ethos of Celadon is simple—it is proudly Chinese,” says Chee. “China has this bad reputation for copying people and other countries. I wanted to fight that by showing the very best of Chinese craftsmanship and design. Original design is a core tenet of the brand DNA.”
