Where East Meets West: Memorigin Brings Chinese Art to the Tourbillon

The Hong Kong watchmaker connects Chinese artistic traditions with Western mechanical watchmaking, drawing on a family collection of woodcarvings and the cultural character of its home city.

Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., October 26, 2026 --(PR.com)-- Chinese artistic traditions and Western mechanical watchmaking meet in the work of Memorigin, a Hong Kong tourbillon brand founded by William Shum, JP. Its approach reflects the city that shaped it: a place where Chinese heritage, international influences and contemporary design share the same creative space.

In its feature, "Hong Kong, Seen Through a Tourbillon," Memorigin explores how that meeting of cultures finds expression on the wrist. The story begins with art and family, tracing the influence of Shum's father Shum Mak-ling and his collection of Chinese woodcarvings.

Growing up around those carvings, literature and history encouraged an interest in depth, expression and the stories carried by an object. When Memorigin was established in 2011, the wristwatch offered a smaller setting in which to explore those ideas. Sculptural figures and familiar cultural references could become part of a mechanical composition.

The tourbillon gives that composition a moving center. Its rotating mechanism becomes part of the scene around it, connecting the watch's mechanical structure with its artistic subject. This approach brings a tradition of mechanical watchmaking into conversation with Chinese visual and cultural references.

Verdant Resonance illustrates this approach. Its design draws on the image of playing the guzheng, a traditional Chinese string instrument, while burning incense. A miniature guzheng forms the seconds display, while luminous green lines suggest rising smoke. Set within a luminous carbon fiber case, the references connect the atmosphere of a scholar's studio with a contemporary material and silhouette.

The watch is one expression of a broader design philosophy. Across its work, Memorigin explores how sculpture, cultural memory and movement can give a mechanical timepiece a distinct identity. Hong Kong provides the connecting perspective, allowing traditional subjects and international popular culture to enter the same design language.

Memorigin supports its work with design and technical teams, with research, quality-control and repair support in Hong Kong. Private viewings offer an opportunity to examine the watches and explore the woodcarving collection behind the brand's story.

The full feature is available on the Memorigin Store website. Media enquiries and requests for further information can be directed to Memorigin PR at [email protected].

Read the feature: https://memorigin.store/blogs/articles/memorigin-hong-kong-tourbillon-east-meets-west?utm_source=prcom&utm_medium=press_release&utm_campaign=
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About Memorigin
Memorigin is a Hong Kong watch brand founded in 2011 by William Shum, JP. Its tourbillon watches combine mechanical watchmaking with Chinese cultural references, sculptural design and contemporary themes. Memorigin
Ivy Kung
+852 2976 0108
https://memorigin.store
Unit 803-4, Chai Wan Industrial City Phase 1
60 Wing Tai Road, Chai Wan, Hong Kong Contact Categories

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