WHAT WAS INSIDE THE BOX?
Chua: For the inside of the box, Ken picked out the straps himself. We looked at the range of watches that he might have, or watches that he mentioned he owns. We curated straps that would best match these watches. It was a lot of digging and watching all the interviews he has done.
Kuan: For Sheeran’s Divide Tour, he had commissioned a Tudor Black Bay. The watch has a black face but with the Divide logo on it in blue and white. What we did was we paired it with a strap that’s blue and white so it matches the watch. In his interview with Hodinkee, Ed mentioned that he would love rubber straps for some of his Patek watches. These watches are usually very fancy, and come with leather straps. But he said in the video that if he had a rubber strap, it would look very sporty. So we decided to give him a rubber strap so he can see exactly how it would look.
WHAT WERE YOUR IMPRESSIONS OF ED SHEERAN WHEN YOU MET HIM?
Chua: He was very nice. He came across as a really genuine guy. We were surprised because we sat down and he said “tell me more about your story and how you started?”. It was not a question that we expected, but he genuinely wanted to know more about us and we were happy to share. Later on, we showed him the mock-ups we had prepared of his watches with our straps. He was scrolling through and his reaction was priceless. He said things like “this combination looks so good, that combination looks so good”.
Kuan: He was really interested in what we showed him. He wasn’t there just to “show face” or get some free products. He was excited to see how we could do something different with his watches. It really felt like I was talking to another watch collector, not just a celebrity.
WHAT STANDS OUT TO YOU ABOUT HIS WATCH COLLECTION?
Kuan: He knows his watches. He’s really into them not for the prestige or status symbol. When people think of celebrities and their watches, you might think of certain brands that are more showy. For Ed, his collection goes beyond that. You can tell that he’s interested in watches because he appreciates the craftmanship or the stories behind them.
HOW DID IT FEEL TO SEE HIM WEAR YOUR STRAP WHILE PERFORMING?
Chua: It was pretty surreal. We really couldn’t believe it. At the end of the day, despite how excited and happy we are, we hope that the straps are comfortable for him and that he will continue wearing them. As much as we see him as a celebrity, he is still a watch collector, so having something that goes with his style and fits his lifestyle, that’s the most important for us. We hope to be able serve customers of all walks of life, and now that has led us to Ed Sheeran. That’s the most fulfilling for us.