From miniature tanks that rumble across battlefields, to tiny red-caped matadors taming charging bulls, Chia’s whimsical timepieces feature stunning dials inspired by his customers’ memories, all of which are captured in watch cases that measure less than 5.5mm in thickness.
His timepieces belie the fact that the artist behind Konnii Watch never attended art school in his life. Instead, he was immersed morning, noon and night in the world of business.
“I started drawing when I was about five to six years old and by 12, I was selling my artwork to my classmates,” said Chia, smiling as he recalled his earliest side hustle.
“As I grew up, I was still into arts and crafts but didn’t pursue it full time due to the perception that art doesn’t pay well,” explained the IT degree holder.
Little did Chia know that as he scoured the net for his wife’s birthday gift, it rekindled an old flame within, a spark that would lead to the birth of Konni Watch last December.
“I was having a hard time deciding on the gift, as most of the watches looked very similar,” he said, noting that none of the watches he found were pleasing to him.
“So, I decided to head down the custom route and purchased a simple watch online and dismantled everything.”
After countless days of painting till 3am in the morning, Chia finally presented his wife with a watch unlike any other – two speckled koi fish needles told the time by swimming in a beautiful pond huddled by lush greens.
Chia chuckled as he explained that his wife’s watch was truly unique not only in design, but because it told the time in reverse; in rushing his wife’s gift, he accidentally painted the koi fish to swim counterclockwise.
Nevertheless, Chia shared a photo of his creation online and was pleasantly surprised by the flood of inquiries from all over the world, each person wanting their own customised watch. The rest is history.
Chia’s hand painted watches are worn by people from across the globe, including those who live in the US, UK and Germany. And of course, many Malaysians have also become fans of Konnii Watch.
Interestingly, while most of his foreign customers seek simple designs, Chia found that Malaysians were more inclined towards sentimental designs based on personal experiences.
“People want to preserve memories and a lot of them ask for family scenes,” Chia said.
“Once, a customer ordered a watch for her husband who had purchased his dream car. So, I created a design that depicts the happy family in a warm embrace alongside the dream car.”
A single watch can take Chia up to six weeks to complete and he typically works on multiple watches at once. However, a recent commission from a client is set to keep him very busy.
“A customer recently asked me to create a watch for his wife that depicts herself and her grandfather surrounded by small kids at a coffee shop,” Chia said, adding that this would be the most meaningful piece he’s done, seeing as this grandfather recently passed away.
As a family man himself, Chia revealed that he named Konnii Watch after his four-year-old daughter, Chia Kon Nii, in hopes of leaving the unique business to her.
Only time will tell if Chia’s daughter will take up his business, but nevertheless, even if he puts down his magnifying glass and brushes, Chia’s timeless watch designs will continue to tick and preserve precious memories till the end of time.
Watch out for Chia’s latest creations on Konnii Watch’s Instagram and drop him a message if you’d like a conversational piece of your own.