Memorigin

Memorigin is a Hong Kong watch brand founded in 2011 by William Shum. Its principal specialization is the tourbillon, a mechanically complex watch complication historically associated with high-priced Swiss luxury watchmaking. The brand was established around the idea that tourbillon watches could be produced with credible technical quality and offered to a broader customer base at prices below those commonly associated with prestigious Swiss examples. Shum's interest in the category was connected to his family background and to the technical capabilities of a watch factory in Hangzhou in which his father had invested. That factory had been producing tourbillon movements since 2000, giving the business access to a manufacturing base with relevant movement expertise but comparatively limited experience in building an international consumer brand. Shum brought business and financial training to the venture. He studied finance and economics at the University of Southern California and later completed a master's degree at Cornell University before working in investment banking in Hong Kong. In 2008, he chose to move away from banking and toward the watch business, eventually establishing Memorigin. The brand's commercial proposition has been to combine mechanical-watch engineering with design themes that draw from both Chinese and Western visual traditions. Shum has described this approach as seeking Swiss precision with Chinese characteristics. Rather than positioning the company solely as a conventional mass-market Chinese watch manufacturer, Memorigin has pursued distinctive, often highly decorative tourbillon designs and has expressed an interest in becoming a tailor-made or collectible-watch brand. Memorigin's first reported model was the 2011 Antique, which retailed for approximately US$3,800. The brand later moved into more elaborate and expensive pieces, including the 2013 Emperor Jade, whose case or design incorporated translucent sheets of hand-carved precious stone and was reported at approximately US$38,000. These products illustrate the breadth of the brand's range, from comparatively accessible mechanical tourbillons to high-end limited or collectible creations. The company has also used licensed entertainment properties to broaden the appeal of mechanical watches. Its collaborations and merchandise work have included Marvel characters such as Iron Man and Captain America, as well as Batman and Superman watches for Warner Bros. and Transformers watches for Hasbro. These designs place recognizable fictional characters and franchise imagery on or around the watch dial, linking traditional mechanical complications with popular culture and the strong interest in comics and superhero films among consumers in Hong Kong and China. Memorigin's market identity therefore sits between technical watchmaking, luxury accessories, design-led collectibles, and licensed entertainment merchandise. Its differentiation is not based only on the tourbillon mechanism itself, but also on the attempt to present Chinese manufacturing capability and local cultural perspective as part of a branded alternative to established Swiss houses. Publicly available reference material provides limited information about the company's current ownership, distribution network, leadership beyond its founder, and present operating status.

Memorigin was founded in Hong Kong in 2011 by William Shum. Before entering watchmaking, Shum studied finance and economics at the University of Southern California and completed a master's degree at Cornell University. He subsequently worked in investment banking in Hong Kong, but in 2008 began moving toward a different career with a more favorable work-life balance. The foundation of Memorigin was closely related to Shum's family interest in tourbillon watches. His father was an investor in a watch factory in Hangzhou, China, which had been producing tourbillon movements since 2000. Shum saw an opportunity in the gap between the factory's technical capabilities and its lack of experience in developing a branded product and bringing it to market. He also viewed the tourbillon category as unusually concentrated: only a limited number of factories were then capable of producing the movement, while Swiss examples were often scarce and expensive. Memorigin's strategy was to make the tourbillon available at a lower price point than many established Swiss luxury watches while retaining an emphasis on design and mechanical interest. Its first reported model, the 2011 Antique, was priced at approximately US$3,800. This was followed by more ambitious and expensive designs. The 2013 Emperor Jade used translucent sheets of hand-carved precious stone and was reported at approximately US$38,000, demonstrating that the brand was not limited to entry-level mechanical complications and was also pursuing the collector segment. A central design principle was the combination of Chinese and Western influences. Shum described the intended result as Swiss precision with Chinese characteristics. The company also reported working with well-known Hong Kong watch collectors on designs and expressed an ambition to become a tailor-made watchmaker rather than simply a high-volume producer. This approach gave Memorigin a distinct identity within the developing Chinese watch industry, where manufacturers could possess movement expertise without necessarily having the global recognition of Swiss maisons. The brand later applied its watchmaking platform to licensed entertainment merchandise. Collections associated with Marvel included characters such as Iron Man and Captain America. Memorigin also produced Batman and Superman watches for Warner Bros. and Transformers watches for Hasbro. These products connected a traditional mechanical complication with superhero and film franchises, reflecting the brand's effort to reach consumers who might be drawn to character design and popular culture as much as to conventional horological heritage. The available reference material establishes Memorigin's founding story, manufacturing context, product direction and licensing work, but does not provide reliable current information about its ownership, corporate structure, distribution footprint, executive team beyond William Shum, or the continuing availability of individual models.

• 2013

  Emperor Jade extends the brand into high-end collectibles

  [1]Memoriginen.wikipedia.org

  The Emperor Jade introduced precious hand-carved stone elements and occupied a substantially higher price tier than the company's first model.

• 2011

  Memorigin is founded

  [1]Memoriginen.wikipedia.org

  William Shum established Memorigin in Hong Kong as a tourbillon-focused watch brand.

• 2011

  Antique becomes the first reported model

  [1]Memoriginen.wikipedia.org

  The Antique was identified as Memorigin's first watch and was reported to have retailed for approximately US$3,800.

• 2008

  William Shum moves toward watchmaking

  [1]Memoriginen.wikipedia.org

  After working in investment banking, Shum decided to pursue a different professional direction, eventually leading to the creation of Memorigin.

• 2000

  Hangzhou factory begins producing tourbillon movements

  [1]Memoriginen.wikipedia.org

  The Hangzhou factory connected with William Shum's family investment was reported to have begun producing tourbillon movements, creating the technical foundation later associated with Memorigin.

A Hong Kong mechanical-watch brand offering tourbillon watches with Chinese and Western design influences, generally positioned as a more accessible and locally distinctive alternative to highly priced Swiss tourbillon products while also serving collectors through elaborate and licensed designs.

• Tourbillon wristwatch · 2011

  Antique

  Reportedly Memorigin's first watch model, launched in 2011. The Antique represented the brand's initial effort to offer a tourbillon watch at a price below the high five- and six-figure prices often associated with Swiss tourbillon products. Its reported retail price was approximately US$3,800.

• Collectible tourbillon wristwatch · 2013

  Emperor Jade

  A higher-end Memorigin model reported as dating from 2013. The design incorporated translucent sheets of precious hand-carved stone, using jade-related decorative material to distinguish the watch from conventional mechanical offerings. It was reported at approximately US$38,000 and illustrates the brand's move into luxury collectibles.

• Licensed character watch collection

  Marvel watch collection

  A collection of licensed watches using Marvel characters and imagery, including Iron Man and Captain America. The line connected Memorigin's tourbillon and mechanical-watch positioning with superhero merchandise and was intended to appeal to consumers interested in both horology and popular entertainment franchises.

• Licensed character watch collection

  Warner Bros. character watches

  Memorigin produced Batman and Superman memorabilia watches for Warner Bros. These products extended the brand's licensing strategy beyond traditional watch design and used recognizable film and comic properties as the primary visual theme.

• Licensed character watch collection

  Transformers watches

  A licensed watch line created for Hasbro around the Transformers franchise. The collection formed part of Memorigin's broader effort to use entertainment properties to introduce its mechanical-watch products to collectors and franchise fans.

• Marvel character watch collaboration

  Hong Kong · China

  Memorigin created Marvel-themed watches featuring characters including Iron Man and Captain America, combining licensed superhero imagery with the brand's mechanical-watch platform.

  Outcome. The available reference material does not report sales, campaign reach or other measurable results.

  Source
• Warner Bros. superhero watch merchandise

  Hong Kong · China

  The brand produced Batman and Superman memorabilia watches under a Warner Bros. licensing relationship.

  Outcome. No independently documented performance outcome is provided in the reference material.

  Source
• Transformers licensed watch merchandise

  Hong Kong · China

  Memorigin developed Transformers watches for Hasbro, using a major entertainment property to extend its reach beyond conventional horological designs.

  Outcome. No sales or audience results are documented in the available source.

  Source

• 2013

  Move into precious-material collectible watchesProduct launch

  Background

  After establishing an initial tourbillon offering, Memorigin sought to serve higher-end collectors with more elaborate design and material choices.

  Action taken

  The company introduced the Emperor Jade, incorporating translucent sheets of precious hand-carved stone into the design.

  Aftermath

  The model occupied a much higher reported price tier than the Antique and demonstrated the brand's willingness to compete in collectible luxury watches.

  Reported retail price. Approximately US$38,000 (2013 model)

  Source

• 2011

  Build a Hong Kong tourbillon brand around Chinese manufacturing capabilityStrategy

  Background

  Shum identified a gap between the technical ability of a Hangzhou movement factory and its limited experience in branding and marketing watches. Swiss tourbillon watches were viewed as expensive and limited in availability.

  Action taken

  Memorigin was created to sell tourbillon watches directly into the growing Chinese watch market at more accessible prices while emphasizing Chinese and Western design influences.

  Aftermath

  The brand developed a product range spanning comparatively accessible tourbillons, high-end collectible designs and licensed entertainment watches.

  Source

1. 1Memoriginen.wikipedia.org